Most sales reps I have worked with sit in client meetings with a huge elephant in the room. And, like most elephants, they completely ignore it and jump straight into their sales process. By doing so, they miss out on a wealth of valuable information and start the meeting on a different page than the client.
94% of B2B buyers self-educate through online research before engaging in the sales process.
Yet, very few reps acknowledge this with their buyers.
Your potential client comes to the table with preconceptions about you and your competition. They've watched the videos, downloaded the white papers and case studies, and read the reviews.
They know it, and you know it. So if you act like you're the first to bring them this information, you're ignoring reality. Worse, if you’re mostly repeating what they already know, you're adding little value to the meeting.
Instead, ask them what research they've already done and what conclusions they've drawn.
Meeting your client where they are makes it easier to guide them on their journey. Discussing their research and impressions will also help you:
- Bring more value by filling knowledge gaps and providing new insights
- Show confidence by addressing, not avoiding, what they’ve already learned
- Improve your marketing collateral for better differentiation and impact
- Identify weaknesses in your competitors’ marketing material
- Understand advantages your competitors may be leveraging
- Uncover objections and misconceptions early in the conversation
- Be better prepared for future meetings
If your team isn’t having these discussions, ask yourself why—because your customers are wondering why they are avoiding them.
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