1. Prepare for face-to-face meetings.
- If appropriate, send a proposed agenda and ask if there is anything in particular the customer would like you to cover.
- Always confirm the time and venue for the meeting in writing.
But do not ring on the day to confirm a meeting is taking place. Given the option, customers often cancel.
- Make sure you arrive in plenty of time.
2. Use effective presentation techniques .
- Find out about your audience.
For example, if you are presenting the benefits of your contact management software to a sales team, you do not need to focus on how easy it is to install.
- Structure the presentation carefully.
In your introduction, tell the audience what the key points of the presentation will be. Deal with these in the main part of the presentation. Then, at the end, summarise again the points you have covered.
- Keep your audience involved.
Never read from a typed script. Use appropriate visual aids. If your audience seem bored or distracted, invite questions to get their interest back.
3. A face-to-face meeting is your best opportunity to build a lasting rapport with the customer.
- Be interested. Encourage customers to talk about themselves and ask them questions about things that concern them.
- Show interest in the customer as a person. Remember personal information about family and out-of-office interests.
- Adapt to the character of the customer.
Make your style positive and confident, and discuss your product or service with enthusiasm.
Tags: Face to Face, Selling Techniques