Sales Process Before the Meeting Starts

When I first started doing founder-led sales, I had no idea how to run an enterprise deal. Today we sell to dev teams at companies like HubSpot and Rippling. Here’s what I’ve learned about multi-threading early. It’s easy to start multi-threading when deals stall. By then, it’s too late. You need to build internal alignment before the first call. Here’s what I do: Phase 1: Before the meeting 1/ Research the invite list Look at everyone on the calendar. Understand their role, team, and what “success” likely means for them. 2/ Connect early Send short, personal LinkedIn messages to everyone attending. “Hey [Name], noticed you’ll be joining the meeting on [date]. Looking forward to understanding your perspective.” You’d be surprised how many people click through your profile before the call. 3/ Send a single-threaded pre-meeting email to every attendee “Hi [Name], I see you’ll be part of our discussion next week. [Main POC] has been super helpful so far, and I’d love to make sure we address everyone’s needs. What aspects of [solution/product] would be most valuable for you?” One reply from a secondary stakeholder can completely change how you frame the call. ------ Phase 2: During the meeting 4/ Start by aligning goals “What specific outcome of today’s meeting would make this meeting valuable for you?” You’ll surface hidden priorities. 5/ Read the room If someone looks lost or disengaged, DM them directly: “We may have rushed through [topic], would a quick clarification help?” “This seems to resonate with you. Should we explore this aspect further?” Treat the meeting like a conversation, not a presentation. ----- Phase 3: After the meeting 6/ Follow up with every attendee in a single-threaded message with context Re-watch the call. Look for moments where individuals leaned in or dropped off. Then tailor your follow-ups: “Wanted to clarify [concept] from our discussion. Here’s a short explanation.” “You seemed excited about [topic]. Here’s a quick resource expanding on that.” Within 24 hours, every attendee should have 1:1 message from you that feels written just for them. ------ Why this works You’re building alignment before anyone asks for it. By the time procurement or leadership steps in, you already have advocates across the table. This is how you turn one conversation into multiple champions. And that’s how early-stage founders close enterprise deals faster.

The best deals are not won by the best talkers. They are won by the most prepared people in the room. And most people in that room are not prepared. They have a pitch. They have a product. They have a hope that the conversation goes well. The best people have something different entirely. They know who is sitting across from them. Their industry. Their pressures. Their culture. Their language. And they speak it before anyone asks them to. That is what changes everything. Not the pitch. Not the product. The moment the other person realises this is someone who actually did the work to understand me. Nobody does that anymore. Most people show up and perform. The best people show up and connect. The difference between those two things is preparation. And preparation is a choice available to everyone in the room. Most deals are not lost because the product was wrong. They are lost because the person never felt understood enough to say yes. Trust is not built in the meeting. It is built in the hours before it begins. 💡 Try this: ↳ Notice how much time you spend on the pitch versus the person ↳ Research one cultural detail before every important meeting ↳ Find one challenge specific to their industry before you arrive ↳ Watch what happens when someone feels genuinely understood ↳ Track how quickly trust builds when you speak their language first ↳ Ask yourself if you are preparing to sell or preparing to serve Preparation is not extra effort. It is the thing that makes everything else feel effortless. The deal is not closed in the meeting. It is closed in the work nobody sees before it begins. What is one thing you do before an important meeting that most people skip entirely? #Sales #Preparation #BusinessGrowth #CustomerSuccess #Communication #Leadership #KnowYourCustomer #Mindset #ProfessionalDevelopment #Winning

Too many sellers wait for the meeting to happen before they try to create momentum. Flip that. Ask yourself: what can I do before the next call to increase the probability of success? Here are 4 things I do consistently: 1. Single-thread a new stakeholder before they join. If someone's coming in for the first time, reach out early. Ask a short question. Send a resource tied to their role - a digital sales room, a proof point, a case study. 2. Send a short value touch referencing your last call. They asked how an integration works? Send a 90-second Loom. They mentioned a pain point? Drop a one-pager. Show them you were listening. 3. Send a pre-read or agenda with intent. Not just "here's what we'll cover." Frame your goals. What decisions need to be made? What do you want them to walk away thinking? Shows you're running a process, not just showing up. 4. Connect on LinkedIn with a personal note. Small move. Big signal. Something like: "Great meeting last week - looking forward to Wednesday." Takes 20 seconds. Makes you human. You might be their 20th priority that week. Anything you can do to win mindshare between meetings, is a huge win. is a competitive advantage most sellers leave on the table. Are you willing to put in that effort? P.S. Account planning template to ensure you're staying on top of your best accounts with a real plan of attack - https://lnkd.in/gwjX9Nya

Most AEs get the first 5 min of a discovery call wrong. They either don't set the stage at all... Or they overcomplicate it (and sound weird). Here's five steps to setup your sales calls to win. And avoid friction with your buyer: STEP 1: Transition from small talk. After spending a few min on rapport, you need a smooth way to transition to business. Best phrase I know to do it? "Mind if we talk through the agenda?" STEP 2: Set the objective This NOT the agenda. The agenda is the LINE ITEMS of things you'll discuss. The objective is the outcome of the meeting. Complete this sentence: "Here's what I have in mind for the objective of this meeting. Let me know if you have anything else in mind? This meeting will be successful if _____________________________." Notice the 'softening language.' You're making a firm suggestion wrapped in soft language. That gives your buyer a sense of control and autonomy. Plus, eases any initial 'sales resistance' they have. STEP 3: Set the agenda. With the outcome of the meeting defined, NOW you can set the agenda. Here's the key: Propose 2-3 topics that SERVE the outcome you just established. "The way we can accomplish the objective is by talking through a couple things. First, ______________________. And then, ___________________. Does that feel right?" STEP 4: Set the DECISION to be made at the END of the call. Let your buyer know you'll want both of you to be in a position to make some sort of decision at the END of the call. That makes it FAR easier to secure next steps (or disqualify if it makes sense). "By the end of the meeting, it would be a win if we're both in a position to decide either it makes sense to schedule a next logical step based on what we learned, or that it doesn't, and we can revisit another time." STEP 5: Gain alignment with the 'F-Word' End your talk track with: "Does that feel like a fair way to approach the call?" This accomplishes two things: 1. They're aligned and feel ownership 2. They are likely to agree (hard to disagree with 'fair') Put all those together in a concise, 30 second sound bite. You've got a formula for better sales calls. P.S. More income- and career-boosting tips for AEs here: https://lnkd.in/egVNiFce

"I’m asking my boss for budget tomorrow” is the BIGGEST 'miss moment' in sales. Most AEs train like marathon runners for months, only to sabotage themselves with pizza and a late-night party the day before the race—casually responding “ok talk soon". Here’s our 5-Step Champion-Exec Selling Playbook to stop losing budget meetings at the finish line: BACKGROUND: What most AEs do: - Hear: “I’ll ask my boss for budget” - Celebrate and bump the forecast to 50% - Assume the champion knows how to pitch it internally - Provide 25-page deck and pulls random files from email - Champion says: “Hey, there’s this cool tech I want…” Why it fails: - 62–75% of buyers are inexperienced (Gartner) - Your champion has never bought in this space (if at all) - They’ll face ROI and priority pushbacks for the first time - Execs want bottom-line clarity, not an info dump - Boss: “No budget right now sorry—maybe next quarter" Deal runs for 1,000s of minutes and dies in 5. (and you’re not there to counter). Here’s what to do instead… —— 1. Get Champion Buy-In Respond with questions: “What in your mind are the most compelling points your boss needs to hear?”, “What if they push back on ROI?”. When their answers have holes, and they always do—share your perspective and get buy-in to prep them for this meeting. Show why they should listen; and they will. 2. Neutralize Objections Early Prevent surprises: “Which questions do you expect your boss might ask?”. Brainstorm answers—especially around budget, competing priorities, and risk. 3. Facilitate the Conversation Provide killer talking points: (1) problem, (2) cost of inaction, (3) your solution, (4) proof. Turn it into a 1-Page Business Case—which you started drafting early. 4. Share Champion Assets (Digital Sales Room) House everything in one place—If your champion ends up pulling 25-slide decks, or digging in emails for info, you’re toast. Include the 1-Page Business Case, Scope, Onboarding, Proposal, Eval Recap, Why Us, and Client Stories. Make it easy to edit with champions, forward, skim, and to say “Yes, let’s do it”. 5. Confirm the Follow-Up Book a 15-minute check-in right after their convo. If the champion wants to “wait until next week,” push for a same-day or next-day sync. Urgency signals you’re serious—and it keeps momentum alive. —— End of quarter is around the corner. Don’t wing it with champions. Hopium isn’t a strategy. Want our exact Champion Assets Template? (Business Case, Project Scope, Onboarding, Proposal, Eval Recap, etc.) - Like this post - Comment “Champion” 👇 - We’ll send it to you in a week - Then share it with everyone else Happy EOQ!

In just about every sales book you'll find, it tells you to set an agenda at the top of your discovery calls, but I find it to be one of the useless things we do with our time, for 90%+ of our calls. Why? A. The agenda should be clear somewhere: meeting invite, email where we agreed to chat - presumably, all parties know why we're carving time out of our day. B. Setting the agenda prior to the date of the meeting ensures we're all here for the same reason. Raise your hand if you've attended a call to get a demo and been hit with discovery questions? Now, the disco should come first, but if the agenda and reasoning wasn't set in advance, that's about as good as showing up to a first date and having the person opposite you say, "Wait, did you think this was a date?" (Been there! 💁) C. Speaking of first dates, agendas to me are the equivalent of, "Sam, thanks for meeting me for drinks. What I'd like to do with our time tonight is tell you a bit about myself...hear a bit about you...and then, should we like each other, we'll figure out next steps for a second date. How does that sound?" 😒 D. Let's say you still disagree and you do the above in C. I reply "Sounds good." and then just stare at your blankly. Then what? What do you say next? Where do you go from there? Instead, set the agenda in advance, make it crystal clear what the point of the meeting is for all parties, and then, just get into it with our #perfectdiscoverycall scripting. And, bonus note, for the love of all things, label the calendar invite to offer details about the call. ⛔ SUB: Discovery Call 😍 SUB: #samsales + AT&T: Initial Discussion The former tells me nothing about the call or with whom I'm meeting, while the latter leads with our company name (a small drip campaign to have them see your name repeatedly) and the purpose of the call without forcing the buyer to click into the invite to see what it is. #samsales

One of the best things I learned as a Sales Trainer? 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘱 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺. Not just five minutes, an hour early. Maybe 90 minutes. That might mean walking into an auditorium where the aircon or heating is not yet on. And if it’s online? Open the Zoom early. Greet people as they arrive. It means when your audience walks in, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 are 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺. Not reacting, not rushing, not apologizing. You’ve checked the flipcharts. You’ve wrangled the tech. You’ve banished coffee cups left by the last team. Bonus Tip!!! Always ask your audience this: “What made you choose to be here today?” That one question? It reveals their values, goals, motivation. And it lets you tailor the session to what matters most. 👉 I break these down in detail in my latest blog post: Start Strong: Why Showing Up Early Sets You Apart as a Facilitator --- 📌 Want more content like this? Follow me Andrew Calvert, PCC Follow Serendipity Engine

Most reps wait for the sales call to handle objections. But that’s too late. By the time they say “this feels expensive” or “I need to think about it” They’ve already tuned out. What if you could handle all of that before the call? That’s how top reps close faster, by turning objections into content. So I made you a plug-and-play framework: → 5 real objections → 30 content ideas to answer them → 1 playbook to build trust earlier If you sell on calls, this post saves you 10+ awkward or repetitive ones. Swipe it.  Save it.  Use it. Follow Noam for more social selling tips.

Do you go into sales meetings with an "I MUST" list? Deals don't move forward if reps don't help buyers take a step closer to a buying decision during a meeting. Here are 3 reasons why and what to do about them. First, what's an "I MUST" list? It's a list you create going into a sales call that lists out the things you absolutely must get done. Don't get confused -- this isn't a list of information you need to collect (though that might indeed be part of the list). "I MUST" list items are: - agreements you must reach (e.g. agree to an in-person meeting) - people who need to be involved (e.g. SVP of RevOps needs to be on a call) - dates that need to be committed to (e.g. Go live date in 2 months) - buyer-side work to complete (e.g. security reviews, redlines) - things you need the buyer to say (e.g. you are vendor of choice) Why don't these things happen when they are critical to moving the deal forward? 1. Unaware → do you know what you MUST do? Many reps don't have (or follow) a process so there's no map to what's next. Some reps don't sit down and take inventory of what they have and don't have to move a deal forward. Fix - before every sales call, determine what your buyer needs to do to move themselves closer to a decision. Use your sales process. Ask your manager. Never go into a call without something in mind that moves the deal forward. 2. Distracted → got deep into one thing at the expense of another You know how it goes. The buyer takes you down a rabbit trail and you don't get to the whole reason you wanted a meeting. Of course, we want to give buyers what they want, but often, they don't know or are guessing. We need to be a guide and part of being a great guide is not getting lost in the gift shop of the Sistene Chapel and missing out on Michaelangelo's The Creation of Adam. Fix - Have a physical piece of paper in front of you that has you I MUST list on it. Create a reminder to bring the conversation back to what matters. 3. Scared → don't ask questions you are nervous about the answer to. No joke - the question you want to ask the least contains the answer you need the most. It's way better to find out bad news fast, and many times, the question you are nervous to ask have great answers. Fix - Write down the thing you want to find out the least and ask it first. Get it out of the way! Here's one last one: Forgotfulness You came prepared. You got lost in the conversation. You just plain forgot to ask something. Just saw WINN.AI gives you a running list of playbook/process items that are visible inside your Zoom interface, so the only reason you miss something is if you run the meeting with your eyes closed (maybe that's another reason reps don't get this done as much as they'd like - ha!).

Here are 5 things to keep your sales team at a 70%+ Show Rate: 1️⃣ Don’t let time kill the deal. The follow-up starts the moment the call is booked. → Same-day confirmation text or call. → Reminder 24 hours out. → Reminder the morning of. → Final touchpoint before the call. Non-negotiable. Most teams lose the deal before the call ever happens because they wait too long to re-engage the prospect. 2️⃣ Build micro-commitments during the set. Don’t just say: “Cool, I booked you for Tuesday.” Say: “You said Tuesday at 2 works perfectly. I’m going to send you the confirmation now. Reply back so I know you got it.” That reply matters. It creates accountability. The prospect is no longer passively booked. They are actively confirming. 3️⃣ Send pre-call warm-up content. A prospect is more likely to show up when they feel like the process has already started. Send them something before the call: → A quick Loom. → A relevant case study. → A short “what to expect” video. → A piece of content tied to their specific problem. The goal is simple: Increase perceived value before the call happens. When they consume something before the appointment, they become mentally invested. 4️⃣ Require a live confirmation call the day before. Not just a text. A real call. If the rep can’t reach the prospect the day before, that’s a red flag. Don’t wait until the morning of to realize the prospect is cold. Confirm early. Identify risk early. Recover early. 5️⃣ Set the appointment with confidence. This is the most underrated part. Show rate is a reflection of how the appointment was framed/positioned. If the rep is casual, unclear, or wishy-washy during the set, the prospect mirrors that energy. If the rep is confident and treats the call like it’s already happening, the prospect treats it the same way. The appointment has to feel important before it’s ever scheduled on the calendar. _____ ♻️ Repost to help more business owners build sales teams that close more deals. Follow Josh Alltop for more on sales leadership, team accountability, and scalable sales systems. 🎯 Want us to build, manage, and scale your sales team for you? 👉 https://lnkd.in/eM9TbiNQ