You’ve Got a Sales Meeting with a Potential Client, Now What? Tips for VARs

March 13, 2019

If you’ve scheduled a meeting with a new prospect, congratulations! You’ve completed the first step to closing another sale. As a value added reseller (VAR), your job is to provide retailers with the best point of sale (POS) solutions for their individual business needs, and the first sales meeting is the perfect opportunity to kick-start the process. Here are five tips for VARS to achieve a successful first sales meeting with a potential client:

Do Your Homework

When meeting with a new client, preparation is key. Value added resellers should always come armed with the right information needed to deliver a customized, powerful sales message. To do this, you should research the company, industry, and prospects that you’ll be working with. A quick Google search should provide you with their company website, information on their industry, and LinkedIn pages to answer questions such as:

• How long have they been in business?
• What is their competition like?
• Do they value innovation or tradition?
• How long has this contact been with the company?

This information will better prepare you to make educated guesses as to what functions, features, and integrations the company will value most  in a POS system, and will allow you to formulate insightful questions for the meeting.

Send an Agenda

Often overlooked, a quick meeting agenda can mean the difference between a confusing, unorganized meeting and a smooth, productive one. Your prospects are taking time out of their schedules to meet with you, so sending an agenda beforehand shows them that you value their time and want to be as efficient as possible. So before a sales meeting with a potential client, take the time to send over what you’d like to achieve during the meeting, as well as any questions or information they should come prepared with.

Pause the Pitch

Once the day arrives, it’s important for value added resellers to remember not to be pushy during their sales meeting with a potential client. Instead of jumping right into why they need your product, “pause the pitch” and let the prospect do most of the talking. Take the time to get to know the client, their business, and their problems– in their own words. The key here is building a real relationship, not just jumping into the sale.

Introduce Solutions

After you’ve invested time to focus on the prospect’s background and needs, value added resellers can do what you do best: sell. VARs should use this time to introduce point of sale solutions that will fit the client’s individual business needs. Skip all the minute details for the moment, the key here is to focus on value:  how does your POS solution bring their company the ROI that they value the most? Use your background research and initial conversations to create a customized conversation that emphasizes their major pain points– and how your solutions specifically can solve them.

Wrap Up & Follow Up

After you’ve delivered an impactful sales pitch, your job as a VAR isn’t over. Make sure you wrap up the meeting by putting the focus back on the client and giving them ample opportunity to make comments, ask questions, and address concerns. Before you leave, discuss the next steps– will you set up another meeting, a demo, or are they ready to buy a system? Make sure you’re all in agreement on the next step before parting ways.

After the meeting, value added resellers should always send a follow up note or email. Use this message to thank them again for their time and consideration, as well as confirm your next steps in writing. This memo will not only let them know that they’re valued, but is also another touchpoint in the sales cycle to keep you top of mind.

 

Although we’re in the age of technology and social media, nothing beats a face-to-face sales meeting with a potential client. There’s no substitute for getting to know a prospect in real-time and forming a sincere relationship that can last years. The right sales approach, along with the right POS software, can give you a successful, rewarding career as a value added reseller. Contact TallySoft today to learn more about our industry-leading reseller program.