Do your research!
Why does every manager tell us to do our research before every meeting? It feels repetitive and redundant. And don’t we already do that anyway?
This is why...
If a salesperson cold calls you, and doesn’t know anything about your position or has no idea about your market, and they give you the same very generic sales pitch that they give to everyone... how beneficial is that to you? How relevant is it to what you’re doing? How likely are you to continue listening? Or even more important, make a deal with this salesperson?
The chances are slim.
Sales pitches could go a million ways. But if the sales team member can learn three things about a prospect, they can craft a pitch that will be so much more relevant to them. Their role/market, a relevant task she’s working on, and pain points she has. It’s pretty easy to do a tad bit of research, and even though it could be seen as repetitive, you could be much more persuasive.
A recent market research article says "sales professionals drive and deliver a personalized and consultative sales process; one that is as much about delivering relevant product details, as it is about crafting customized solutions and building trusting relationships.”
Though it feels like doing the research on every single one of your clients can feel extremely expendable and redundant, it could take you so much further! Just one relevant thing about your customer before jumping on the call, is an easy ice breaker and helps them to feel like they’re important. They are your priority. Your job doesn’t end at the sale, you’re crafting a relationship with this individual, one that hopefully lasts for years.
So I’ll tell you again...do your research.