5 Part Sales Meeting Agenda for Structure and Success

The purpose of any sales meeting with a prospect is to inch towards the close.

In order to do so, it's imperative for salespeople to develop a sales meeting agenda beforehand that'll guide the conversation in the right direction.

Otherwise, you'll have no control over where the meeting will go and could appear unprepared for curve balls the prospect is bound to throw your way.

A successful sales conversation is centered around a common goal. It's the salesperson's responsibility to address all prospect questions or concerns and help them discover the common goal and the value their solution can bring.

Sales Meeting Agenda: What is Your Goal?

Setting and managing expectations is one critical aspect of leading a successful sales conversation. Another is understanding how to position your solution and offering.

But, everything starts with identifying the ultimate purpose of your meeting.

Ask yourself: Do you want to determine whether your solution is a good fit for your prospect? Whether they can afford your solution?  Or is your purpose to score a follow-up meeting? 

Without an ultimate goal, there's no way for you to anchor the meeting to an actionable item. If the situation permits, share this goal (and sales meeting agenda) with your prospect beforehand. This way, you encourage workability by asking the prospect for feedback and to work with you on discovering a win-win.

Sales Meeting Agenda: What is Your Timeline?

Without a timeline, you sales meeting is bound to go awry.

Prior to the meeting, run through your agenda and allot time for your points as well as their questions or concerns. You want to be mindful of your time and theirs.

Meetings can be a drag and are they're often viewed as time-wasters. Maximize the time you set and prioritize efficiency to avoid losing control or losing the prospect's attention.

5 Part Sales Meeting Agenda for Structure and Success

The following 5 part outline of a sales meeting agenda will help you build your own agenda for structure and success.

1. Build Rapport

Set some time aside for small talk. Yes, we're all eager to get to the point, but when (if ever) does that really happen?

Although sales conversations seem oddly inhuman and are usually stripped of casual jargon, you have to let yourself (and the prospect) warm up to one another. This breaks the ice.

And to build a realistic agenda, you must include time you'll likely spend chit-chatting about the horrors of commuting, the weather, or your favorite TV show.

2. Outline Your Main Points

Prepare an outline of your main points or questions, centered around the goal, to include in your sales meeting agenda. This is your insurance against veering off-course or forgetting to ask a certain question.

If your goal is to learn whether the prospect is a good fit for your solution, you may want to ask them more about their goals, priorities, or budget.

Being prepared also allows you to maintain some control over the conversation. Obviously, you want it to occur naturally. However, it's important to have an outline centered around a goal as well as a timeline that'll hold both parties accountable.

3. Ask Good Questions

Ask good questions, get good answers.

The purpose of you meeting with the prospect is to discover whether they are interested in your solution. To do so, you need to uncover their pain points, concerns, and current problems.

Don't ask “Yes” or “No” questions. Be sure to ask open-ended questions and engage in active listening to fully grasp their perspective.

For example,  “Tell me about…” or “Please describe…” are each a good start to leading questions that encourage a detailed response.

You may also want to ask more about their personal or professional goals, obstacles they face, etc.

Be sure to also give the prospect time to respond. After presenting your point, pause and ask if they have any questions.

4. Establish Your Value

In your sales meeting agenda, be sure to include how you'll establish yourself as a problem-solver with a solution, rather than a salesperson with an offering. This way, you allow the prospect to discover the value of your solution on their own.

This is what we call discovery-based selling. After probing for problems, you may already have an idea of what aspects of your solution may help them. The goal is to gently guide the prospect towards that discovery on their own.

This builds a sense of urgency within the prospect's mind, which also makes them see your solution as an investment rather than a cost.

Be sure to talk about budget and pricing. After all, you want to know whether the prospect can allocate a portion of their budget for your solution and this is a critical part of establishing your value.

If the prospect sees your solution as an investment, the cost conversation will naturally tie into the solution and its potential for their organization.

You may choose to start with a price range that makes sense according to the solution you offer to keep the conversation going, which also allows your delivery team to evaluate the promises made.

The key here is to think “win-win.” Your goal should be to settle on a fair agreement that works for the goals of each party.

5. Schedule a Follow-Up

Don't leave the meeting without having scheduled a follow-up call or meeting.

Otherwise, creating a sales meeting agenda would've all been in vain.

Set some time aside to discuss another meeting slot to keep this prospect warm. Open up your calendar and schedule a time. Hit send and ask whether they received the invite before hanging up!

Be sure to also follow-up by sending a DEAL email. This powerful tool works as a post-meeting summary that sets and manages expectations for both you and the prospect.

Be Sure to Implement the AGREE Model in Your Sales Meeting Agenda

AGREE stands for:

A – Align

G – Get

R – Respect

E – Establish

E – Energize

As salespeople, we often struggle with handling prospect objections and worry about losing their business over everything else.

We should, instead, view objections as opportunities that help us uncover a prospect's true pain points.

The AGREE model will also help you focus on creating a “win-win” situation for you and your prospect.