No Agenda No Meeting

In a recent interview, Open.AI Chief Sam Altman offered some sound advice. He said, be clear about what you want. Sam was conveying a personal observation, but his comment is valid. We’re more likely to get what we want when our ask is clear.

Clarity is everything in sales. From the first interaction with a prospective customer, it’s important to build an on-ramp to your product.

For small and large sales I have used agendas as a means for engaging the prospect and speeding up the sales precess. It’s also a great qualification tool that helps us to avoid spending time on the wrong prospect. If you want to close a single-user sale on the first call, an agenda is a must.

For large sales an agenda is your game plan. From your first meeting until the last, an agenda is an important way of maintaining clarity while navigating complex decisions that usually involve several people.

Some see an agenda as too formal or old-fashion. Others want to be cool and wait until the meeting to frame it. Some ignore agendas altogether. The science recommends against both approaches. I’ll explain why.

At a practical level, the agenda confirms what will be covered in a meeting and who will be in attendance. Getting the right people together to focus on a single topic is never easy. A plan is needed; the agenda is our plan.

At a psychological level, the agenda is a signal to our prospect. It tells them that we have a goal in mind for the meeting and beyond. Making this obvious is not always easy but it increases our odds of making a sale.

In support of Sam’s point, those who understand we want to sell them something are more likely to buy it. It’s not about forcing a product or service on someone, but rather drawing the right connections and incentives.

An agenda gets the prospect involved in our sale and makes it their sale. At a psychological level, we’re getting the prospect to invest time. That’s important and increases the odds of success. In psychology it’s know as the effort justification bias. 

As we know, there are no guarantees in sales, but using these tactics increases our closure rate. Naturally, we need to earn the prospect’s business by demonstrating value and connecting the dots between their needs and our solution. Having the client involved in this process is our best way of fully understanding their needs, and how we can best meet those needs.

Below is a sample first call agenda followed by a detailed explanation of it. Consider this a template from which to create your own agenda. Of course, as your sale advances so will the agenda. Hopefully, a final bullet in a future agenda will read “approve offer.”

Sample Agenda for First Meeting

Subject: Meeting – TrueTester Introduction

Hi Tomi, 

I’m looking forward to meeting you and your colleagues at XYZ AG next Wednesday at 10 AM CET.  I have prepared the following agenda. Feel free to propose changes to it.    

Sales Consultant, Kitti Kovacs, will accompany me. Can you kindly confirm which of your colleagues will be in attendance, please?

·       Attendees for XYZ Inc: [name and title]

·       Attendees for TrueTester: Kata Kiss – Sales Manager; Kristi Kovacs – Sales Consultant

·       Meeting duration: 1 hour

Agenda

– Introduction

o   TrueTester – who we are; what we do (2 mins)

o   XYZ AG – background, current status, challenges, expectations (15 mins) 

–    TrueTester Presentation (15 mins)
–    Demo (15 mins) 
–    Q&A/Discussion (15 mins) 
–    Next Steps

Tomi, as noted under Introduction, it would be great if you (or a colleague) provided details on background, current status, challenges, and your expectations for TrueTester. I would like to run through this with you in advance of our meeting to assure we’re in sync. Also, will the 15 minutes allocated for your introduction be adequate or would you like more time? 

Best regards,

Kata Kiss
Sales Executive
TrueTester
www.truetester.net
+36 30 196 9000

Looked at in detail, here’s how I explain the agenda.

Our Intro – The introduction sets the stage for the rest of our call. Our short 2-minute start is a common courtesy and explains who we are, what we do, and why we’re here. We want the prospect to open up; the short intro is our way of making them comfortable.

After Kata introduces herself, and her colleague Kristi, she flows into a (memorized) elevator pitch. Delivered slowly, clearly, and with conviction. This is followed by: “Our goal today is to understand your needs and to determine if TrueTester is a service that you can see yourselves using and benefiting from.“ The words “see yourselves using” are carefully chosen. We’re planting the seed for a future SPIN Need-Payoff question. The most powerful of SPIN questions.

Prospect’s Intro – This may be the most essential part of the meeting and not a time for putting our contact in an embarrassing position. To emphasize its importance, we add the last sentence of the sample email. If our contact doesn’t reply, we’ll follow-up via a reply email or (depending on time-to-meeting) a phone call.

Throughout the prospect’s introduction, we take notes and ask questions. We put aside any prepared questions and listen. At the end, we summarize our understanding of the prospect’s requirements. If there are any misunderstandings, we’ll clear them up first, before going forward with the presentation.

Presentation – This should flow directly from our initial elevator pitch. To keep minds focused, we’ll repeat our (above stated) goal again (particularly if the prospect’s intro was long) and then say: “Thanks for your introduction; it gives us a good understanding of your requirements. We will now present TrueTester and explain how our service can address the requirements you just outlined.” If our solution cannot meet parts of the prospect’s specifications, we will make this clear. “In all honesty, some of your needs – specifically bug tracking – are not resolved with TrueTester. However, let me go continue and tell you what TrueTester can do.”

We don’t want to spend time talking about what we can’t do, however, we gain a lot of credibility with the prospect but making a limitation known from the outset. In this way, what we say we can do is more likely to be believed. It’s a matter of business ethics; being believed is the reward.

Demo – Demos are about building desire and should never be used to identify needs. Demos validate our ability to address the prospect’s requirements and enable the prospect to envision how our solution can benefit them. For large and complex sales, the demo is often a separate meeting that comes only after the prospect’s needs have been thoroughly assessed. The time between our first meeting and the demo are needed to prepare a stellar show. Nothing is worse than rushing the demo or giving one that doesn’t impress the prospect. Finally, realizing that its effect diminishes quickly, we always try to give our demo near the expected close date. If a decision is many months off, we will start with a sort of solution overview demo for the purpose of collecting feedback in order to prepare for a future in-depth demo.

Next Steps – Whatever our opinion of the meeting, the only one that matters is the prospect’s. We try to put aside whatever biases you may have and ask the prospect how we should proceed. We wait patiently for their reply before jumping to any conclusions – good or bad. If the feedback is positive, we look for a path to closure – either a paid-for test or an outright sale. If the feedback is not positive, we summarize the prospect’s concerns and ask what can be done to remedy them.

The unexpected is guaranteed. Preparation and a plan in the form of an agenda can help prevent the unexpected from ruining a call and killing a sale.

What is Enterprisium?

To help salespeople think strategically, I have developed this customized ChatGPT named Enterprisium.

Enterprisium’s kernel is the result of what I learned in 40 years of enterprise sales, plus what I developed in enterprise sales training programs and absorbed from reading many books on sales.

GPT does the heavy lifting, but the kernel functions as a rutter in navigating salespeople to where they need to go.

Create your strategic sales plan in minutes and build on it as your insights grow.

Enterprisium is in beta release and free.

Checkers vs Chess

Selling to an enterprise and enterprise sales are often confused. Selling to an enterprise requires the tactical skills needed to sell to any company, big or small. However, catching the big fish of enterprise-level sales requires strategic skills too; tactical skills alone won’t do. Not differentiating between the two is like saying checkers and chess are the same game.

To put it in simpler terms, we might think of strategy as the design and tactics as the plan for putting that design into action. Tactical sales skills like writing the right email or making the right phone call are essential. However, these skills won’t be enough in the murky waters of the enterprise, where decisions involve several individuals and can be disrupted by internal and external forces that sometimes resemble dark matter.

While we all dream of big sales, making them is another story.

To do this, we start by putting aside our tactical sales skills and think strategically. This means doing our homework and researching the prospect, their industry, competitors, management changes, and recent developments,. For example, did you know CEOs are more likely to take action on new ideas in their first six months than later? To capture the big fish you need to know how and when to find them. You need to study their movements and stand in their shoes.

Here are some of the books I used in my sales training programs that are factored into this GPT.

The Challenger Sale (The most recent and most relevant today.)

The New Strategic Sales Miller & Heiman (the bible of strategic selling and almost as old)

Major Account Sales Strategy Neil Rackham

SPIN Sales Neil Rackham (The best tactical sales book I know.)

Enterprisium.org©2024

Munch Mockup

MUNCH MOCKUP - a demonstration of Enterprisium GPT (in a fictitious alliance between IBM and Munch)

A few months ago, I heard the inspiring Munch.hu team present at First Monday. Pretending to stand in their shoes, I formulated a mockup sales strategy on teaming with IBM cafeterias. I had no idea if this makes any sense, but I thought I’d give it a try. Here’s the complete script of my dialogue with Enterprisium GPT and the resulting report summary in the hypothetical “IBM-Munch Food Alliance.”

Here’s the report summary, produced in minutes. My full dialogue with Enterprisium is below.

A lot of the details are TBD but a clear framework is provided. Better, are the sections on Purpose, the Buyer, and Outreach. Not all the answers, but many and a framework for strategic thinking, planning, and execution.

Strategic Sales Plan Summary: IBM-Munch Food Alliance Background

• Prospect Name: IBM (IBM's Company Website)

• Sales Opportunity Name: IBM-Munch Food Alliance

• Estimated Sale Value: TBD, pending assessment of IBM's cafeteria needs

• Estimated Close Date: TBD, post-strategy approval (estimated 6-12 months after

initial presentation)

• Probability of Sale: TBD, to be estimated after initial outreach and engagement

PURPOSE

• Mission and Value Alignment: Highlighting Munch's commitment to reducing food waste and aligning this with IBM's corporate responsibility goals.

• Unique Selling Propositions: Emphasizing the dual benefits of environmental sustainability and potential positive PR for IBM, leveraging Munch's proven track record with retailers like Spar.

THE BUYERS

• Identification Phase: Research and identify key contacts at IBM across various roles (economic buyers, user buyers, technical buyers, coaches) for targeted outreach.

OUTREACH STRATEY

Initial Contact: Targeted outreach to key IBM personnel through LinkedIn and personalized emails, emphasizing alignment with IBM's values.

Content Strategy: Sharing success stories and thought leadership articles relevant to IBM’s interests in sustainability and corporate responsibility.

Networking: Active participation in industry events and professional groups to connect with IBM representatives.

Referral Strategy: Utilizing existing networks for introductions to IBM contacts.

Follow-Up Plan: Regular, value-added follow-ups tailored based on responses.

Metrics and Adaptation: Tracking outreach progress and adapting strategies as needed.

NEXT STEPS

• Begin implementing the outreach strategy.

• Continuously refine the approach based on the feedback and information gathered

during the outreach phase.

• Once initial contacts are established, revisit the "Buyers" section to tailor the strategy

further.

This plan serves as a foundational strategy for engaging with IBM or any company. It's dynamic and should evolve as information and insights evolve. A DSS (dynamic strategic sales) Plan.

Here’s the full dialogue with Enterprisium.

You

I would like to sell IBM a company-wide plan for our food resale service called Munch.

Enterprisium

Great, let's start developing a Strategic Sales Plan for your company-wide food resale service, Munch, aimed at IBM. We'll go through each step of the plan, beginning with the Background.

Background

Prospect Name: IBM. Here's a link to IBM's company website for reference.

Sales Opportunity Name: Can you provide a specific name for this project or solicitation?

Estimated Sale Value: What is your initial estimate for the value of this sale?

Estimated Close Date: When do you realistically anticipate closing this deal?

Probability: Given your current understanding, what would you estimate as the probability (in percentage) of closing this sale?

Please provide details for each of these points, especially the sales opportunity name, as it helps in personalizing and focusing our strategy.

You

IBM-Munch Food Alignance

Enterprisium

Thank you for providing the sales opportunity name: "IBM-Munch Food Alignance." This name suggests a strategic alignment between Munch's offerings and IBM's needs in food services. Let's proceed with the remaining background details:

Estimated Sale Value: Could you specify your estimated value for this deal? This will help in understanding the scale and impact of the opportunity.

Estimated Close Date: Given the size and complexity typically associated with a company like IBM, what is your targeted timeline for closing this deal?

Probability: Based on your current interactions and understanding of IBM's needs, what probability of success would you assign to this opportunity (as a percentage)?

Once we have these details, we can move to the next phase of developing your Strategic Sales Plan.

You

sorry, I meant "Alliance"

Enterprisium

No problem, "IBM-Munch Food Alliance" is a clear and strategic name for your project with IBM. It suggests a partnership approach, which is often appealing in enterprise-level sales. Now, let's refine the remaining background details:

Estimated Sale Value: What is your financial expectation for this deal?

Estimated Close Date: Considering the typical sales cycle for large enterprises like IBM, especially for a new account, what is your realistic timeline for closing this deal?

Probability: Based on your current assessment and interactions with IBM, how would you rate the likelihood of closing this deal (in percentage terms)?

Your responses to these questions are crucial for shaping an effective and realistic strategy.

You

As for value, we need to calculate how much food could be obtained from each IBM cafeteria. As for a close date, that well depend on the soundness of this strategy which I need to present to management.

Enterprisium

Understood. Let's work through these aspects:

Background (Continued)

Estimated Sale Value: Since the exact value hinges on the volume of food required for IBM's cafeterias, you'll need to gather more data on IBM's current cafeteria operations. This could include the number of employees being served, meal frequency, and existing food service budgets. For now, we can note this as "To Be Determined (TBD) based on cafeteria needs assessment."

Estimated Close Date: It's wise to align the closing date with the development and approval of a sound strategy. Given the complexity and scale of a deal with IBM, a conservative estimate might range from 6-12 months after presenting the strategy to your management and then to IBM. We'll mark this as "TBD post-strategy approval."

Probability: This might also be currently unknown, which is fine at this stage. As we develop your strategy and understand more about IBM's needs and your solution's fit, you can better estimate this.

Moving Forward

With the background set as much as possible, let's move to the next section: Purpose.

Purpose:

This is about understanding and articulating how Munch's service aligns with IBM's broader goals or needs, beyond mere features or cost savings. Consider these questions:

What overarching mission or unique value does Munch's food service offer that aligns with IBM’s corporate values or objectives?

How does your service stand out in terms of quality, sustainability, employee wellbeing, or any other aspect that IBM might value?

Your responses will help in shaping a compelling narrative for IBM that goes beyond the basics of a food service offering.

You

IBM is a well-recognized and respected worldwide organization. We believe the idea of avoiding food waste, gaining PR, and making money should be appealing to them. But what is the best approach? Further, Munch has demonstrated success in working with retailers big and small and recently closed Spar.

Enterprisium

Your insights provide a good starting point for the Purpose section of the Strategic Sales Plan. Let's refine these ideas:

Purpose

Aligning with IBM’s Corporate Values: IBM, being a globally respected organization, likely values sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Your emphasis on avoiding food waste aligns well with these values. Furthermore, the potential for positive PR and financial benefits from such initiatives would be attractive to them.

• Approach Suggestion: Craft your message to highlight how Munch's service contributes to environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility. Emphasize the dual benefit of reducing food waste (a global concern) and enhancing IBM's public image as a responsible, eco-friendly organization.

Demonstrated Success: Your success with retailers, especially the recent closure with Spar, is a strong selling point. It shows that Munch is capable of handling large-scale operations and can adapt to different business needs.

• Approach Suggestion: Leverage your experience with Spar and other retailers as case studies. Detail how you’ve helped these companies achieve their goals, focusing on measurable outcomes like reduced waste, cost savings, or improved operational efficiency.

Now, let's move on to the next section, The Buyers, to identify and understand the key decision-makers and influencers at IBM. This will help tailor your strategy to address their specific concerns and interests.

The Buyers

Economic Buyer: Who at IBM has the final authority to approve the budget for this initiative?

User Buyers: Who will directly use or supervise the use of Munch’s services within IBM?

Technical Buyers: Are there any individuals at IBM who will assess the technical aspects or specifications of your service?

Coaches: Do you have any contacts within IBM who can offer insights or guidance to help you navigate this sale?

Understanding the roles and influences of these individuals will be crucial in shaping your communication and engagement strategy. Please provide any information you have on these buying influences.

You

Unfortunately, we don't know anybody there as of yet. What recommends does this GPT have?

Enterprisium

Navigating a sale with IBM without existing contacts presents a unique challenge but also an opportunity to strategically build new relationships. Here's a recommended approach:

Building Relationships at IBM

Research and Identify Key Contacts:

• Economic Buyer: Look for executives or department heads in areas most relevant to your service, like facilities management or corporate social responsibility.

• User Buyers: Identify managers or supervisors of cafeteria services or employee wellness programs.

• Technical Buyers: Seek professionals in procurement, supply chain management, or sustainability initiatives.

• Coaches: Potential coaches could be mid-level employees who have insights into company culture and decision-making processes.

Networking:

• Attend industry events, webinars, and conferences where IBM representatives might be present.

• Utilize LinkedIn to connect with IBM employees. Engage with their content to start building a rapport.

• Consider joining professional groups or forums where IBM employees are active.

Leverage Existing Relationships:

• Utilize your network to find connections who might know someone at IBM.

• Reach out to your contacts at Spar or other retailers for referrals, especially if they have any business dealings with IBM.

Initial Outreach:

• Craft a compelling introduction email or LinkedIn message. Focus on the mutual benefits and align your message with IBM’s known values and goals.

• Be clear about why you're reaching out and the unique value Munch can offer to IBM.

Content Marketing:

• Share case studies, whitepapers, or blog posts that showcase Munch's impact on sustainability and efficiency. This can attract attention and establish credibility.

Follow-Up Strategically:

• After initial contact, follow up with additional information tailored to their interests or needs.

• Be persistent but respectful. It often takes multiple touches to get a response.

Next Steps

Since you don't have direct contacts at IBM, the next phase in the Strategic Sales Plan will involve a more proactive outreach and networking strategy. Once you've established these connections, we can revisit the "Buyers" section to tailor your approach to their specific roles and interests.

Would you like to proceed with planning the outreach strategy, or is there another aspect of the sales plan you'd like to focus on next?

You

Yes, let's proceed.

Enterprisium

Great, let's develop an outreach strategy to establish connections at IBM. This strategy will be integral in advancing your sales objectives with them.

Outreach Strategy for IBM

Initial Contact:

• Targeted Outreach: Develop a list of potential contacts at IBM across different roles (economic buyers, user buyers, technical buyers, coaches). Use LinkedIn, IBM's corporate website, and industry directories to identify these individuals.

• Personalized Communication: Craft personalized emails or LinkedIn messages. Highlight Munch's alignment with IBM’s sustainability goals and the success you've had with other clients like Spar. Mention your desire to explore how Munch can add value to IBM.

Content Strategy:

• Showcase Success Stories: Share case studies or success stories of Munch's impact, especially in areas like waste reduction, cost savings, and PR benefits.

• Thought Leadership: Publish articles or blog posts on topics relevant to IBM, such as corporate responsibility in food services, trends in sustainable cafeteria management, or innovations in food resale.

Networking:

• Industry Events: Identify and attend industry events, conferences, or webinars where IBM representatives are likely to be present. Prepare an elevator pitch about Munch that is concise and compelling.

• Professional Groups: Join relevant LinkedIn groups or professional forums where IBM employees might be active. Participate in discussions to raise your profile and visibility.

Referral Strategy:

• Leverage Existing Networks: Reach out to your existing contacts, especially from Spar, to see if they have connections at IBM or can introduce you to someone who does.

• Ask for Introductions: Don't hesitate to ask your network for direct introductions. A warm lead can be more effective than a cold outreach.

Follow-Up Plan:

• Regular Follow-Ups: After initial contact, schedule follow-ups to keep the conversation going. Tailor your messages based on any response or interest shown.

• Provide Value: In each interaction, aim to provide value – this could be insights from your industry, updates about Munch, or relevant case studies.

Metrics and Adaptation:

• Track Progress: Keep track of who you’ve contacted, their responses, and follow-up actions. Use a CRM system if available.

• Adapt Strategies: Based on the responses and feedback, be ready to adapt your outreach approach. This could mean changing your message, trying different communication channels, or targeting different roles within IBM.

Next Steps

Implementing this outreach strategy is likely to be a multi-step, ongoing process. As you start making connections and having conversations, we'll gain more insights into IBM's specific needs and decision-making processes, which will further refine your sales approach.

Do you have any specific aspects of this strategy you'd like to discuss further, or other elements of the sales plan you want to address next?

You

Thanks. Can you provide me a report summary of what we have thus far?

Enterprisium

Certainly, here's a summary of the Strategic Sales Plan we've developed so far for Munch's potential enterprise-level sale to IBM:

Strategic Sales Plan Summary: IBM-Munch Food Alliance

Background

• Prospect Name: IBM (IBM's Company Website)

• Sales Opportunity Name: IBM-Munch Food Alliance

• Estimated Sale Value: TBD, pending assessment of IBM's cafeteria needs

• Estimated Close Date: TBD, post-strategy approval (estimated 6-12 months after initial presentation)

• Probability of Sale: TBD, to be estimated after initial outreach and engagement

Purpose

• Mission and Value Alignment: Highlighting Munch's commitment to reducing food waste and aligning this with IBM's corporate responsibility goals.

• Unique Selling Propositions: Emphasizing the dual benefits of environmental sustainability and potential positive PR for IBM, leveraging Munch's proven track record with retailers like Spar.

The Buyers

• Identification Phase: Research and identify key contacts at IBM across various roles (economic buyers, user buyers, technical buyers, coaches) for targeted outreach.

Outreach Strategy

Initial Contact: Targeted outreach to key IBM personnel through LinkedIn and personalized emails, emphasizing alignment with IBM's values.

Content Strategy: Sharing success stories and thought leadership articles relevant to IBM’s interests in sustainability and corporate responsibility.

Networking: Active participation in industry events and professional groups to connect with IBM representatives.

Referral Strategy: Utilizing existing networks for introductions to IBM contacts.

Follow-Up Plan: Regular, value-added follow-ups tailored based on responses.

Metrics and Adaptation: Tracking outreach progress and adapting strategies as needed.

Next Steps

• Begin implementing the outreach strategy.

• Continuously refine the approach based on the feedback and information gathered during the outreach phase.

• Once initial contacts are established, revisit the "Buyers" section to tailor the strategy further.

This plan serves as a foundational strategy for engaging with IBM. It's dynamic and should evolve as you gather more information and insights through your outreach efforts. If you have any specific areas you want to explore further or adjust, please let me know.