Six phases that every planned sales meeting should follow.
Daniel Priestley's framework, from Oversubscribed, pp. 169 to 169.
Rapport
Discover common ground and an openness to engage.
Discovery
Find what the person is trying to achieve, their frustrations, preferences and why they began looking.
Confirming
Check the information and be sure you can make a recommendation.
Advising
Share insights, methods and solutions with the key features, advantages and benefits.
Discussing
Test fit, tailor the solution and negotiate flexible parts.
Completing
Confirm the sale, do the admin and update the CRM with next steps.
From chapter: THERE'S A STRUCTURE TO SUCCESSFUL SALES CONVERSATIONS, pp. 169–169
A sales meeting should follow a planned, rehearsed structure or it drifts into chit-chat. Priestley lists six phases: rapport, discovery, confirming, advising, discussing and completing. Many scheduled meetings last one hour, so you need a plan for using the time. Rehearse the script, identify the weakest phase and improve it, since an unstructured chat will not perform near a planned presentation.
