Sales Strategy

Make it easy for your clients to discover other things you can do for them. 

For many of us, our best prospects are our existing clients.  Invest your time in client review meetings to periodically give an update on current projects and give your clients a chance to share their concerns, priorities, etc.  This is a great way to get clients to focus on their issues and “discover” additional ways you can help them

There are two forms of client review meetings.  Ongoing, complex engagements benefit from a weekly (or bi-weekly) status update via phone with your main contact.  Schedule a 30-minute discussion at a set time every week.  Prior to the meeting, provide a written update that summarizes the progress and next steps of all projects, deliverables, and discussions under way.  Use this as the agenda to guide your discussion.

The other form of client review meeting is a quarterly face-to-face update with a larger team that’s in addition to the weekly meetings.  Hold the meeting at your office or a neutral location, and invite the client decision maker to chair the meeting.  Participants should include client staff who are directly involved in using your product or service, and anyone from your team that can effectively handle client concerns.  Provide a written update that summarizes all deliverables to date, and include positive feedback from users of your product or service.

Here’s a couple of tips for making the most out of your client review meetings:

• Prepare complete and timely status updates prior to all meetings – this may require your interviewing others on your team to ensure accurate information, so plan your time accordingly.
• Don’t use client review meetings to “up-sell”.  Focus first on resolving any concerns they currently have, then on their upcoming issues (allow the client to suggest where you might help them with additional products or services).
• At quarterly updates, ask the question “If we could improve one thing before our next meeting, what would it be?” And follow through on their feedback.
• Take responsibility for any problems, and ask your clients for their help in formulating improved communication or procedures to ensure future success.  This is not a forum for informing your clients how they can be better customers.
• Be sure to prepare your team to participate constructively in the meeting.  Proactively communicate your expectations to your team’s participants, and pay special attention to staff who don’t have routine client contact.