cw95 profile picture
cw95 profile picture

cw95

Sales Development Lead

Politicker
Valued Contributor
Opinionated
+4

Post-Covid in person meeting.

I have a meeting with a company we have been trying to get for about a year now.


Their office is about 100 metres from my office but they didn't know that.


What's the best approach to having the first initial meeting with someone in this scenario? Pub? Dinner? Simply just a chat?


We don't offer a big pitch with a slideshow we more so have zoom meetings and then offer a trial so I don't exactly want to go in there with my colleagues and awkwardly just verbally vomit on them. I also don't want to screw it up seeing as they are our neighbours (ish).


It's my first time doing an in person meeting on a cold one...what is the best approach?

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16 comments

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poweredbycaffeine
WR Lieutenant
3
โ˜•๏ธ
Reach out, offer the opportunity to do the meeting in person, but respect it if they say they don't want to do that just yet. Make sure you can present the value prop in person just as you would via Zoom (screens required?). From there, let that magic flow.
cw95
Politicker
-1
Sales Development Lead
good advice, thanks for that!
UserNotFound
Politicker
1
Account Executive
Is this a discovery meeting? Usually an in-person discovery is just you sitting across from each other talking about their needs, pains, and your product. They'll be accustomed to this style of meeting.ย 
cw95
Politicker
0
Sales Development Lead
Yes! I have pre-qualified them purely on the website (company criteria in the retail sector, may sound odd to you) but this would be the first, initial conversation!
Blackwargreymon
Politicker
1
MDR
Is this a discovery meeting? Usually an in-person discovery is just you sitting across from each other talking about their needs, pains, and your product.ย 
Clashingsoulsspell
Politicker
1
ISR
Date the CEOโ€™s daughter for six months. Wait for the invite over for dinner.
alecabral
Arsonist
0
Director - Digital Sales Transformation
If this is your first meeting with a new prospect, I'd say go into discovery mode with a slight pitch approach. I wouldn't do anything informal with them just yet.
cw95
Politicker
0
Sales Development Lead
thanks for this, however, what should the setting be? I wouldn't want it to be us just on chairs in a room and me explaining? Just trying to think how to make it more...interesting than just a convo!
alecabral
Arsonist
1
Director - Digital Sales Transformation
What does "more interesting" mean in this context to you? If this was an existing customer, or it was a new one that you're getting closer to actually closing a deal, then anything goes. But first impression? Unless it's BIG, I'd keep it simple. The star in that meeting needs to be the customer, not the setting imo.
cw95
Politicker
0
Sales Development Lead
Yeah, that's very true.ย 

Simple and easy I guess, no pushing nor classic sales. Just a convo. Cheers man.
GDO
Politicker
0
BDM
Nothing wrong with just a simple disco. Just have a shirt conversation in person. Slides are not an essential part of sales imo.ย 
HindsightHarry
Praised Answer
0
Account Executive
Date the CEOโ€™s daughter for six months. Wait for the invite over for dinner. The two of you hit it off. Three weeks later he says โ€œswing by my office for a coffeeโ€. You reply: โ€œIโ€™m already hereโ€. BOOM in person meeting accomplished. And you plowed his daughter.
pretengineer
Politicker
0
Head of the crumpets
If this is your first engagement with them beyond email, imo make a small discovery on the phone, offer for an in person coffee shop meet afterward for the next conversation.

My take so far is that people will be more cautious to meet others (sellers or otherwise) as we come out of lockdowns.
eman
Politicker
0
Account Executive
Pub that is the local watering hole for the area
CuriousFox
WR Officer
0
๐ŸฆŠ
Hope all is going well for you.
MR.StretchISR
Politicker
0
ISR
Reach out, offer the opportunity to do the meeting in person, but respect it if they say they don't want to do that just yet. Make sure you can present the value prop in person just as you would via Zoom (screens required?). From there, let that magic flow.

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