Dealing with Giants with Claudine Halpern
CONGRATULATIONS; you’ve scored a first meeting with the Big Boys, What Now?
Remember what your mother said about first impressions, well she was right, you have about two milliseconds until everything that you and your company represent registers with your Big Boy prospect.
In this article we will talk about the how to make that great first impression, and accomplish the first step toward turning the Big Boy into the Big Profitable Customer.
Emotions and Intellect
Always remember that we are human beings reliant on all our senses for information. Intellectualizing emotions does not mean that they go away, we heed our emotional impulses whether we admit it or not. Let’s keep all aspects in mind while we talk through the problem.
Be Prepared
The Boy Scout’s motto of Be Prepared should be you mantra, I can’t emphasize planning enough. This article is about preparing for the first meeting, next month’s article will be about How to Own the Big Boy meeting, TAKING CONTROL and KEEPING CONTROL.
Who’s coming to the Meeting
I worked with a small company whose founder/CEO was insistent on going to every meeting that was held, as you might imagine this overkill did not go over very well. The CEO was a larger that life figure who had some really strong opinions about everything and was totally in love with his product, we want that in a CEO, but not for exploratory meetings.
Know who’s coming to the meeting, if the Big Boys have three mid-level people coming to vet your firm’s capacity, don’t bring ten people, overkill shows desperation.
On the contrary if the room will be filled with twenty Big Boy participants, you don’t need 20 people to match one to one.
You need to have the knowledge and clout in the room so that you are matched in experience, business knowledge, and capability.
So how do you get people to a meeting, representing your firm, if they don’t exist? Many emerging and startup companies do not have the staff to bring to meetings with the Big Boys. Beg, borrow, steal or hire the right people for the meeting. I have clients who call on me specifically to manage Big Boy meetings and communications; they understand the need and value of a strong first impression.
Dressing for Success is not Outdated
The first thing that a person registers is how you look. That doesn’t mean that you need to be a candidate for
My personal opinion is in
In Europe it is critical to be formally dressed for business meetings, in
On the west coast and
It’s most important be comfortable, the last thing that you need is to be uncomfortable in your clothing while the prospect is trying to make you uncomfortable.
When I manage prospect meetings for emerging and startup companies with new Big Boy prospects, I ask everyone to show me what they will wear. This sometimes causes a bit of internal friction the first time around. I am never questioned on the Dress for Success mantra after that.
Setting Roles; Rehearsing for the Big Show
Write the Agenda, Control the meeting
Determine what you want the Big Boys to think, know and talk about after you leave, then TAKE CONTROL. Write a detailed agenda, chances are that the Big Boys will be really happy to have you do this.
A good agenda includes the following items:
o Question that you are answering- subject
o Who is presenting
o How long it will take
o Timeslots for questions and answers
o Bathroom Breaks
o Meeting Goals
o Timeslot for enumerating Next Steps
Vet the agenda with the Big Boys to make sure they understand what you will talk about.
Formal or Informal Presentation
How many times have you been invited to a meeting, seen the presentation before the meeting, and decided that you have enough information and don’t need to attend. Don’t publish what you will say before you say it. Give just enough information to interest the Big Boys,
NEVER READ FROM A POWER POINT; I WILL WALK OUT…nuff said
Less is More; Keep it Open Ended
Wouldn’t it be great if the Big Boys ask every question that you want them to? You can make that happen, you can bring the Big Boys exactly to the place you want them be, YOU ARE IN CONTROL. If you do it right the Big Boys will ask the exact questions that you want them to ask, and you will have the killer answer prepared.
Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse and Rehearse Again
Go through your presentation four or five times with stand-ins for the Big Boys, anticipate the questions, script the answers, then do it again and again until you are so sick of it you can do it in your sleep, then you’re ready.
Assign all of the people that you bring to the meeting something to say, otherwise why do you need them. Make sure everyone talks; it shows that you have the knowledgeable staff and depth to support the Big Boys.
Create hand signals for things like cut, or please shut up, and hope you don’t need them.
Be Relaxed; or at Least Look Relaxed
This seems like a no brainer but believe me, it’s really important, if you are traveling to your meeting, make sure that you have alternative arrangements to get you there, make sure that you get a good nights sleep, go to the gym, or do whatever it takes to be relaxed and on top of your game.
NOW YOU’R READY, GOOD LUCK
Watch for my next article; Owning the Sales Process with the Big Boys- TAKING and KEEPING CONTROL of the First Meeting
Claudine Y. Halpern, President, The YCH Group, Inc.
Claudine Halpern is a chameleon, she has worked in many different situations during her more than twenty five years in business; as a management consultant, Claudine advised many of the major brokerage, insurance, and financial houses, completing more than fifteen major corporate initiatives during the past ten years. As a crisis manager for major corporations, Claudine successfully brought in projects and products that other firms would not touch. As a specialist in business and management consultancy, Claudine consults to emerging businesses across the spectrum.
email chalpern@theychgroup.com
http://ychmagicclaudinehalpern.blogspot.com/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/claudinehalpern
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1 comment:
Dressing to Impress is important in every meeting, especially your first one. Happy to see you covered this in your post.
The enviroment being created by their product/service may give you clues on how to dress.
For example a toy company may be more casual then an architecture firm.
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