Today is the day. Its creator says one day is not enough. I agree.
Eight in ten executive buyers say sellers walk in unprepared. Anne Gary shared that number on the Revenue Builders podcast, and it has stayed with me because it is not a talent problem. Most sellers I have worked with want to do great work. They run out of time, or they confuse knowing a company with knowing the person they are about to meet.
Knowing your buyer is not a survey
Surveys tell you what your customers think of you. They do not tell you what the person across the table needs from this meeting. That comes from homework, done before the first call, by the person who will be in the room.
Four things to know before you meet
- Their role. What they own, how they are measured, and what a good year looks like for them. A CFO and a head of operations can sit in the same company and want opposite things from the same deal.
- Their priorities. The two or three things on their plate this quarter. If the conversation doesn't touch one of them, it will feel like a pitch.
- Their last quarter. Results, announcements, leadership changes, a new product. What just happened shapes what they can say yes to.
- Who else is in the room. Every decision involves more people than the one you are meeting. Know who will weigh in, who signs, and who could quietly stop it.
The first call should feel like the second
When the homework is done, the first meeting skips the introductions anyone could have found online. You start where a second meeting would: with their problem, in their words. Buyers notice, and it is the clearest way to show respect for their time.
It also changes what happens next. Earning the second meeting is the hardest step in most pipelines: in our poll, 61% of sales leaders said one first meeting in five, or fewer, becomes an opportunity. Preparation is where that number starts to move.
A habit, not a holiday
One day a year is a good reminder. The habit is what pays: a few minutes before every meeting, four questions answered, and the answers written down where the whole team can see them.
Do the homework, and the first call feels like the second.
How much do your sellers really know before they dial in?