Episode 2 - How to Properly Start a Meeting

Hey All! Happy New Year and Happy 2021. So far 2021 feels a lot like 2020 but this month is the start of a brand new year and we can make it as great as possible and control what we can control. Cheers to that and to a great start!

On this episode I discuss how to properly start a meeting, how to drill down on pain points, and why it is important to know where you are going.

Topic 1 - How to properly start a meeting. I have seen and been on the receiving end of many sales calls and I notice that many of them start off wrong just 5 seconds in to the meeting. They usually all start by a thank you for your time and then get right in to this is what I going to discuss and what I would like to talk about and how I think my product or service will be the best choice for you. That is not the best way to start. In this episode I talk about how you have to make the meeting all about the customer, even if you are going to discuss the same items you would have if you didn’t ask and listen by doing that part first, you get more buy in and are able to point of specific issues that the customer wanted addressed. You should start a meeting but asking what the customer wants to get our of your time today. When this meeting is over, what do you want to make sure we cover. And then you listen for the answer. That way when you discuss how your product will solve that for them, you can call that out specifically and say “You mentioned this was important to you and this is how we solve that for you”.

Topic 2 - Drilling down on pain points. Many salespeople will hear a pain point and stop there and tell how they can solve that issue. While that does technically answer the question, it doesn’t have the impact it could have if you would drill down deeper. In this episode I say you should take their hang nail and rip their arm off with it. They tell you and issue they have and then you follow up with questions. Why is that issue an issue for you? Has that happened in the past? What else does that affect in your organization? Does this cause issues for other departments? What does that mean in terms of delays or money lost or customer issues on your end? Etc.

Topic 3 - Know where you are going. This will take work on your end prior to the meeting to know your product, know your competitors, and know where your competitive advantage lies and be ready to explain how you can be the best option no matter what the customer brings up. If you know where you want to go and are prepared to be able to lead the customer down the path, then you and your product look a whole lot more attractive. I tell a story about walking to a restaurant in Philly and not knowing my way and how that made me feel and relate this to a customers experience.

Have a listen to Episode 2 and let me know what you think!

Episode 1 - Going After The Sales Career You Want

Hey All!

I want to give a big huge thanks to everyone who listened to the trailer and provided feedback to me. I have so many people say they are excited for me, proud of me, and looking forward to this podcast. I really thought just a handful of people would notice and I was really surprised by the love and support and I thank everyone for that!

In this first full episode I talk about going after the sales career you want, how everyone uses their network, and why I hate it when people say they are lucky.

When going after a promotion or a new job internally you are going to have to prove why you are the best candidate for the job. Even over people that could be hired from the outside that already do that job but for another company. They are going to have a leg up on you in that area, but if you can do more in your current position that allows you to learn more about why your organization does what it does, take part in some of that in discussions and by taking on more than just your primary responsibilities, and then use that in your interview or discussion on how you are not needing to learn everyone about the new position but you also have knowledge and practice for this new position but you are better suited because you know the core of your current company and can hit the ground running.

Second is how we all use our network. Some people are just fine with networking and some people do not like it at all and think networking is a self centered way to get to an end goal. I challenge this idea in this podcast and say we are all networking all the time and don’t even know it. A network is just people with similar interests sharing their ideas and thoughts. You do it with your friends, church, sports team, on Facebook, etc. So we all use our network for support and I suggest you do the same when looking for a new job or promotion.

Lastly I talk about how I hate it when people they say they are lucky. That is saying that the outcome you received had nothing to do with your actions and I do not believe that. If you get a sale out of the blue, it most likely happened because you fostered a relationship with another person or account and they referred your info to another person and then they reached out. This is intentional work on your part to provide this product or service which then lead to you to get something else “out of the blue” but started with your effort and you need to own that.

We talk about these items and more on this first full episode.

Let’s do this thing!

Ricky Thackray

Trailer - Why Not?

It all begins with an idea right? I have been in sales and management for the better part of 15 years now and constantly think about what more can I do. I work for a company as a Regional Sales Manager and when I really enjoy my work, like I do now, it is not just a job. I often feel like I am more than just part of the company. I don’t just clock in and clock out and get a paycheck. I like that I read books to improve myself in sales, management, relationship building, etc and that I think about how to improve things for myself, my team, and our customers all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I take time and am not working when I spend time with my family and go places on the weekends, etc.

With all that said, I also think how can I build more of my brand, my thoughts outside of my direct work, but stay in my “wheelhouse” as they say. So I came up with the idea for this podcast. This will allow me to share my thoughts (Thackray Thoughts) with everyone who wants to listen and hopefully being able to talk with others in the industry and gain their insight and share that with the world. The goal here would be to grow a community of active listeners and we can all share information together and make each other better and give us the motivation to continue to improve.

This podcast is not going to be the most polished podcast out there and my blogs here will not be edited to fit nicely in a published book, but you know what they will be? They will be me and sound like me and written by me (I tend to write how I talk so be prepared).

Thank you for joining me on this journey and thank you for listening. Please provide feedback, thoughts, and ideas and please subscribe so I know you are listening.

Let’s do this thing!

Ricky Thackray