Booked a meeting, now what? (How to ACE your opening)
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I remember watching my first Account Executive (AE) demo like it was yesterday. I thought to myself, this guy is good, he is so smooth with it and this conversation seems to flow so well.
It was the first meeting I booked as a sales development rep (SDR) and was led by my AE. I didn’t learn until much later that how that AE led that conversation was an intentional framework.
He was intentional, prepared, and professional. What was most impressive to me was how he opened the meeting. It was not weird or awkward. It did not have excessive banter or silence. Watching others it often seemed so awkward and directionless. He was not.
He always seemed to have a clear direction and knew what to say next. The meetings just felt so smooth, and productive, and they often ended with the next steps. I admired this and wanted to be like him when I started doing my demos.
He was using an opening framework by Winning by Design called ACE. The point of this opening is to be clear with the objective and roadmap of the meeting. The goal is to spend more energy on active listening and make sure your prospect knows what to expect.
The initial goal of outbound prospecting is to book a meeting. Once you book a meeting, now what?
Open your meeting like a professional, be clear, and listen well.
A - Appreciate
Open the meeting with gratitude. Tell the prospect that you appreciate their time. It is important to not be overly appreciative and use phrases like, “really appreciate” or “I’m so thankful you are here”.
This lowers your status and puts a damper on the value that you offer. Be intentional about using the word appreciate.
Example: “ Well Bob, I appreciate you taking the time to chat with me today.”
C - Check End Time
Set clear expectations and honor other’s time. Do this by checking the meeting time upfront with the prospect to make sure the time booked still works for them.
Some prospects may have a hard stop or need to adjust the meeting time. This creates space for them to be acknowledged and shows that you respect their time.
Example: “We have 45 minutes for our meeting today. Does that still work for you?
E - End Goal
State your end goal and listen. It’s important to set clear expectations on what will be discussed and the desired outcome. This will make sure the prospect is clear about what is about to be shared or give them the opportunity to pivot.
Example: “The end goal of this meeting is to understand your sales process and requirements. If it’s a fit and there is alignment, then we will set up next steps to dive deeper. Does that sound fair?
Notice there are questions through this opening. You are not just talking the whole time. It is important to have a conversation, not give a presentation.
Lastly, confirm the agenda that you may have set in your notes or calendar. Don’t go into detail here, remember we are still at the opener, just a brief overview of the agenda.
The last part of the opening, just before getting into the meat and potatoes of the meeting, was hard for me to remember to do.
Before you begin the transition into the meeting ask:
“What else do you want to get out of today’s meeting?”
This is different than asking:
“Do you have any questions before we start?”
Notice the difference? One is open-ended and the other is not. This is important.
This is a golden question that opens to door for the prospect’s participation. It is a question that invites them in. It works very well, and they will often share their main priorities.
This will help you focus (or adjust) the meeting on what’s important to them. This is what’s most important.
sources : winningbydesign.com
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Until next time,
Tajh
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