Samurai Business Training – Sixth Session in the Dojo (part 2) – Have a Pre-Meeting, Approved Agenda

At least once in your career, you are given an introduction to that one executive you have been trying to meet for weeks, months, years. A lunch meeting is scheduled at her favorite (and expensive) restaurant. You do the normal, getting to know you conversational dance. And there you go and spoil it by saying, “I have a few ideas that I believe will help your business.”

The response? “Oh, when I spoke with Spencer, he said you just wanted to meet. I didn’t know this was a business lunch.”

So why was there no agenda? Fear? Fear that she would tell you she has no interest or need for your services?

Asking for approval of a specific agenda accomplishes two steps in adding new business. First, the prospect knows exactly why you want to meet and what will be discussed. No surprises, everything is agreed to before meeting. Or, the prospect says that he has no interest in meeting to discuss your company’s products or services. The good news, you saved time and money.

Sensei Dan Kreutzer, of the Samurai Business Group, discussed the why, how and what to include in setting and getting a pre-meeting agenda. Dan referred to it as “setting the stage.”

When scheduling a meeting over lunch, coffee or a desk, first determine the maximum amount of time granted. “How much time will we have when we meet?” Next ask the prospect, “What should we try to accomplish when we meet?” Finally, ask if it makes sense to set an agenda “to see if there is a fit” with your businesses. Then email or discuss the agenda on the phone to get approval. And email the agreed agenda before you meet.

When you meet for lunch, coffee or over the prospect’s desk, there are no surprises.

When the agenda is covered, and there is agreement to move forward, offer the next steps you will take; and assign “homework” to the prospect. This will ensure that the prospect is fully engaged. If you don’t follow these important actions, you will have a list of non-prospect prospects.

Just last week, I scheduled a lunch meeting with a prospect who had worked for a client. He was hired to undertake a huge project for a new employer. I followed Dan’s advice.

In my confirmation email, I presented our agenda (key word is “our”). He emailed confirmation and approval of the agenda. After a few minutes of “How are you? What’s new? How’s the new job? I was able to move directly to our agenda. After our conversation, I explained what I would do, assigned homework (which was completed) and now await probable approval of my proposal.

For further details on the buying model, please contact either Dan Kreutzer or Robert Lambert or visit the Samurai Business Group website.

Spencer Maus, of SpencerConnect, is a senior-level, public relations executive. Samurai Business Group is a client and providing compensation to SpencerConnect.

Dan Kreutzer Samurai Business Group on the Experience Radio Show

Dan Kreutzer Samurai Business Group Experinece Radio Show Interview

Here is an interview with Dan Kreutzer on the Experience Radio Show.

 

Samurai Business Training – Sixth Session in the Dojo (part 1) – “I hear voices!”

Your meeting with your newest prospect begins and you’re having a great conversations. That is not a typo. Whether you are aware of it or not, in every meeting there are at least three conversations taking place. You and the prospect. You with you. The prospect with himself.

Since you were a child, and through college, we have been programmed to listen to our inner voice to answer teacher’s questions, think of questions and in general participate in class to improve our grade. Now that we are in the business world, our well trained “inner voice” keeps participating.

During meetings with prospects and clients, we listen intently to two voices; that of the prospect and our inner voice. “I know the solution!” “You have examples of success! Tell him about the Samurai Capital account!”  “Stop talking so I can tell you all the great things we have done!”  “OOO, pick me, pick me I have the answer!”

The prospect’s inner voice is also talking to him. “Man, this is going to blow out our budget?” Won’t this guy shut up so I can tell him what I really need?” “I wonder when Sue and Tim are going to lunch.”

So what’s a “parent” to do and can we learn to control or just live with this “child?”

First, as Sensei Dan Kreutzer of the Samurai Business Group pointed out, there are three, distinct levels of participation by our inner voices. As programmed, your inner voice takes over. You are distracted from what the prospect is saying. You are spending more time listening to the inner voice, and only hear pieces of the valuable information the prospect is sharing.

The second level is when the inner voice keeps interrupting with answers to the prospects needs, but you are able to quickly return to listening to the prospect. And third, you’ve told the inner voice to “shut up and be quiet.” You continue to focus on the prospect and what he has to say.

So the solution is to just have a conversation. Huh? Leave the sales mode. And just talk. It sounds simple. But if you simply shut up and focus on listening and having a normal conversation, you can move the prospect from the fear of “being sold” and into discussing his compelling reasons. Then you will gather the information needed to present solutions at a follow-up meeting.

OK, now you’re saying it can’t be that simple. Alright, here are a couple of tricks I use to maintain focus on the prospect. First, I invite my inner voice to join the conversation (“Right, are you off your meds?”). I have my inner voice repeat verbatim what the prospect is saying. To do that takes real focus. The other trick is to write down the questions and key points my inner voice wants to ask. When the prospect has finished talking, I ask questions, confirm key points and satisfy my inner voice.

For further details on the buying model, please contact either Dan Kreutzer or Robert Lambert or visit the Samurai Business Group website.

Spencer Maus, of SpencerConnect, is a senior-level, public relations executive. Samurai Business Group is a client and providing compensation to SpencerConnect.

Are You Wasting Your Time on RFP’s?

Many of us have received Requests for Proposals (RFP’s). Most corporations and all government agencies require multiple bids for large projects. RFP’s are sent to selected corporations. Bids are reviewed and a winner is selected.

For many businesses RFP’s are an important element for generating new business. Corporate teams spend hours on research, preparation and writing, submitting and then waiting for the good or bad news.

In many cases, success can be minimal. The team has submitted the perfect proposal. Every section has been thoroughly discussed. Your company’s products or services are a perfect fit for the needs outlined in the request

However, the winner may have been pre-selected. It could be a company that has always delivered great results. It could be that project manager plays golf with the CEO. Or you may have been suggested by your competition, in order to meet with policies or laws.

So how can you determine if it is a true open competition, or if you are “window dressing” to provide the appearance of fair and open process?

Dan Kreutzer, a managing partner of the Samurai Business Group, offers students a few suggestions. Does the RFP provide contact information and an invitation to call with questions? If not, your proposal may not be seriously considered. If you are invited to call with questions, you call, leave numerous voice mail messages without return calls, this may not be a fair competition.

If you do get the contact on the phone, first ask “How did you get my name?” If it was a referral, ask “who referred me so I can thank them?” If the corporate contact says he would prefer not providing a name, odds are it was your competition. If it was via a Google search, you may or may not be in a rigged beauty contest.

Next ask if you can discuss the RFP in person.  If that is impractical, ask if the contact has time or can schedule a time. If the answer is “all the information you need is in the RFP and on our website,” again this could be a waste of valuable, business development time.

However, if you are provided the name of a referrer and a quality meeting or phone conversation occurs, you are in a fair RFP competition. And one final tip. At the end of your RFP, include legal language that the information in RFP cannot be shared with anyone outside of the corporation requesting your bid. It may not prevent your bid from being shared with competition, but it may give pause to the corporate contact.

Spencer Maus, of SpencerConnect, is a senior-level, public relations executive. Samurai Business Group is a client and providing compensation to SpencerConnect.