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info_outlineYou nailed the first step and got the meeting - now what? Most salespeople squander this critical opportunity by running a tired "Discovery Meeting" that serves only them.
Sales differentiation expert and contrarian, Lee Salz, is back as a guest for a third time to expose why the old ways are fundamentally broken and reveal the Consultation Mindset that must replace them.
Based on his new book, The First Meeting Differentiator, Lee shares a hard-hitting, practical framework for success.
Inside this episode, you will learn to kill your ego-centric "discovery" script, understand and actively combat the "Forgetting Curve," and leverage "Empathetic Expertise" to engage emotion (not just logic) in order to drive action.
Lee details the single most important question you must ask at the very end of the meeting to lock in the next steps. If you’re tired of sending information only to be ghosted, this episode is the essential blueprint for creating genuine meaningful value that makes prospects want to partner with you.
In This Episode, We Discuss:
The conversation kicks off with a look at The Necessary Death of Discovery Meetings, revealing exactly why the typical focus on "what I need to ask" and "what I need to tell them" is an egocentric, value-less approach for the prospect.
This leads directly into The Doctor Analogy, showing how shifting to a Consultation Mindset ensures the client gains meaningful value - making the entire interaction worth their time, regardless of whether they ultimately buy your product.
Lee then delivers his Sales Contrarian Manifesto, arguing that "Sales is a numbers game" is the worst advice ever and explaining precisely why you should limit your prospecting to ensure you can personalise every interaction, valuing quality over quantity.
Following this, we look at how to Stop Suffering from the Sales EKG Effect, identifying the danger of believing "you're only as good as your last sale" and outlining the forward-looking focus you must have instead.
Next, Lee dives into the critical strategy of engaging both the Head & Heart through Empathetic Expertise, revealing how even the legal system uses emotion to drive decisions, and sharing a simple method for arousing your client's feelings to ensure the deal doesn't "fizzle out."
This emotional engagement is key to combatting The Forgetting Curve, as Lee explains how to use powerful stories, rather than boring features and benefits, to ensure your client remembers more than six minutes of your hour-long meeting.
As the conversation wraps up, Lee discusses The ONLY acceptable ending to a first meeting, detailing how to confidently close the consultation by asking the partner-focused question: "How did we do today?" and then immediately scheduling the next interaction.
The episode concludes by highlighting the crucial mental shift between the Sales Process vs. Buying Process, an insight that will make your entire career easier and more effective.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Sales Differentiation
02:56 The Importance of the First Meeting
06:05 Challenging Traditional Sales Mindsets
08:53 The Consultation Mindset vs. Discovery Meetings
11:59 Understanding Value in Sales
15:00 Empathetic Expertise in Sales
18:14 The Power of Storytelling in Sales
20:58 Closing the Meeting Effectively
23:59 The Buying Process vs. Sales Process
Links and Resources
Download Chapter 1 (Free!): Get Lee's first chapter of The First Meeting Differentiator: www.firstmeetingbook.com
Download the Tip Sheet (Free!): Grab the guide on 10 Ways to Provide Meaningful Value in your first meeting: www.meaningfulvalue.com
Lee's Website: Learn more about Lee and his work: https://salesarchitects.com
The Book: The First Meeting Differentiator by Lee Salz is available wherever you purchase your books.
Connect with Lee
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leesalz/
Connect with Fred
LinkedIn: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake
Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://bit.ly/SalesTodayPodcast
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