 You likely don’t have the same approach for every event you support for one obvious reason: different events have different needs and goals.
The same approach wouldn’t make sense for a non-profit fundraising gala and a multi-day pharmaceutical sales team event with several general sessions, breakouts, and an awards ceremony. And that internal meeting would look and feel very different than an association meeting where the focus is education, a shareholders event, or conference open to anybody in a certain field or discipline. The length of the meeting, the budget, the type of venues, and even whether or not attendees pay to attend are different for each type of meeting and the different organizations that may be hosting or funding it. As the AV or production team supporting the event, you know that your approach will only be successful if it’s designed to meet the individual needs of the event. And yet, so often, AV partners take a one-size-fits-all approach to the proposal process. They pull from the same list of discovery questions, some of which may not be relevant for certain types of events or be too broad to really dig into the needs of the customer. They use the same template, regardless of whether or not it’s the best way to paint a picture of what it will be like to work with them. They frame the budget the same way, regardless of who will be reviewing the proposal. How you communicate with your prospective customers matters, especially in response to a competitive RFP, so make sure you’re being intentional about how you present yourself. One helpful thing to keep in mind is buyer personas. There are a number of different types of customers who may contract you for an event. It could be a meeting planner, the venue’s staff, the organization’s meeting planner, or even a production team that needs to source local equipment and talent. By understanding who is making the hiring decision and who you’ll be working directly with, you’ll be able to determine the best way to connect with and support them. If you’re selling to somebody who is on the organization’s meeting planning or leadership team, focusing too heavily on the technical details will feel like speaking a language your customer doesn’t fully understand. Yes, they may understand that it sounds like you know what you’re talking about, but they’ll likely struggle to picture what the event will look like or what the partnership will entail. Instead, the best approach with this type of client is sharing the outcome you’ll create and giving light details on how you’ll bring it to life. Your goal is to help them envision their event and give them reassurance that they won’t have anything to worry about with you as their AV supplier. On the other hand, if you’re working with a production team that needs to source local equipment and talent, sharing specific technical details becomes your greatest selling tool. They understand the technology for live events and what labor they want. They also know what a good process and workflow looks like. Confirming that you understand the specifics of their ask and are able to deliver it gives them confidence in your ability to collaborate to create a successful outcome. It may take more work than utilizing a standard proposal template and process, but implementing a more intentional and specific proposal process to fit the buyer persona and event’s needs allows you to position yourself as a better fit and makes you a more attractive potential partner.  Being a salesperson is like constantly interviewing for a job. And anybody who has made hiring decisions before knows that a job interview doesn’t start or end when the prospective hire is in the room.
Imagine looking out of your office window and seeing a car come speeding into the parking lot and whipping into a space. The person jumps out of the car and walks briskly towards the building before getting a panicked expression on their face and running back to the car to get something they forgot. Or perhaps the person entered the building looking calm and collected, but when told the interviewer (you) was running late, they got snippy with the receptionist or talked down to them. Maybe they were talking loudly on their phone in the elevator, and saying rude or inappropriate things. None of these happened during their actual interview, and yet, all of them paint a negative picture of what it will be like to work with them. Odds are, you aren’t hiring that person. How you show up for meeting matters, and just as a bad first impression may poison the well, a well-designed meeting paints a great picture of what it will be like to work with you. From the moment they’re able to see you, your goal is to show the prospective customer that you are intentional, focused, deliberate, and able to make the most of the limited amount of time you may have with them. For many salespeople, this means the basics: showing up early, having all documents prepared, dressing professionally, and popping a breath mint. But that’s the bare minimum you can do. What will really set you apart is architecting your meeting. Architect Your Meeting. What outcome are you playing for during your meeting? This could be the first meeting you’re having with a customer where you’re hoping to start getting to know each other and building a connection. Or perhaps, you’ve started forming a relationship and now your goal is to start co-creating a solution. Maybe you’ve been in conversations for a while, and you’re hoping this meeting is the one where the customer will decide they are ready to move forward. Defining what stage of the selling cycle you’re in will help you craft an experience that is designed to reach that goal. If you’re trying to establish a relationship and get to know each other, a low-pressure meeting in a restaurant may be perfect. However, if you’re presenting ideas visually, a meeting location where you can easily show your computer screen would be much more advantageous. Perhaps you’re early in the discovery phase and seeing the day-to-day functions of their business would be helpful. Maybe there is some combination of locations that would best fit your needs. There isn’t one right answer to what kind of meeting you should have. So before offering to come to their office or sending out a zoom link because it’s your default way of conducting business, think about what the purpose of the meeting is, what your ideal outcome would be, and how you can craft a meeting to achieve it. Plan and Rehearse the Logistics. Architecting your meeting doesn’t mean coming up with a script that you’ll closely follow with “choose your own adventure” deviations based on the customer’s feedback. It means that you’re planning everything within your control as thoroughly as possible so that, when you’re in the meeting, you’re able to focus all of your attention on building a relationship with the customer. In-person meetings in a professional location If your client is in the same area as you and they offer to meet face to face at their offices, do whatever you can to make it work. Once the meeting is scheduled, make sure you know how to get there ahead of time. Yes, everyone knows to map how long the drive will take from their home, or even to check the individual steps of the drive. But you should take it further by rehearsing the drive. Take some time during the few days leading up to the meeting to actually practice driving the route. Make note of any road closures or upcoming events in the area that could cause an unexpected delay. Figure out where you’re supposed to park on the day of the meeting and how you get there from the street. If it’s a large building with multiple parking lots, yours may not be close to the main road, and it will be good to budget extra time into your drive. Also make note of which door you’re supposed to enter through and how to get there from the parking lot. Once you’re in the building, do you need to check in and get a badge? Will somebody lead you to the meeting room, or do you need to have an idea of how to navigate the space? Having all of this information will keep you calmer on the day of the meeting. You won’t feel panicked if unexpected construction adds to the drive time because you’ll have already planned around it. You won’t be scrambling trying to figure out how to get to parking lot B when Google Maps had you enter the building area in the west garage. You won’t be running late because you didn’t realize you had to check in at the front desk because it was part of your plan. When you rehearse these steps, you aren’t just ensuring your on time arrival, you’re taking away guesswork that could leave you frazzled at any point along the way. You can spend the drive focusing on the meeting in front of you. You’ll be calm as you walk through the parking lot. You’ll be warm and kind to anyone you run into because you won’t be in a hurry. SUBHEAD - Meeting at a restaurant. Meeting at a restaurant Great business has always been done over lunch, dinner, or drinks. If you can suggest a meeting at a restaurant (your treat, of course) you should, so long as it makes sense with the purpose of the meeting. Like any meeting you’re traveling to, practice your route. If you’re in a busy city, make sure you know if parking will be available, if the restaurant has valet available during your meeting time, and if you’ll need cash on hand to pay the valet and a tip. Pro-tip: look at the menu ahead of time and decide what you’re going to order. When your customer is in front of you, you don’t want to spend any mental energy or time hemming and hawing about what to eat. You want to take a quick glance at the menu, confirm what you’re getting, and wait patiently for your customer’s attention. Just like with plotting your route, it keeps you focused on what matters most - the customer. Online meeting Most salespeople would love for every meeting, especially with prospective customers, to take place in-person. But the fact of the matter is, some of your customers may not be geographically close enough for that to be an option, may primarily work from home, or just find it easier with their schedule to meet over Zoom (or Teams, or one of the many, many other options). If you’re like most people, you probably already spend a fair amount of time on video meetings, but it’s never a bad idea to double check your surroundings to make sure you’re giving off the right image. Before your meeting, put your camera on and double check what your background looks like. Is there anything peeking out of the corner that may be distracting? Is there a weird shadow behind you during a certain time of day? Is the lighting too harsh or soft? Next, take a short recording of yourself and listen to it back. Are there any distracting noises, like street traffic or construction? Using headphones helps to reduce background noise, but it doesn’t hurt to make sure your audio sounds as distraction-free as possible. The goal here is to make sure that you’re giving off a professional vibe, even when you’re working out of a home office. Architecting Your Meeting Reduces Risk. The truth is, there are so many factors outside of your control leading up to the meeting with a customer. And while some of those things may be outside of your control (like your neighbor’s yard service taking several hours to mow or the mailman setting off your dog), having a clear plan that you’ve rehearsed allows you to take control of absolutely everything that you can. It ensures that you’re not only on-time, but calm, collected, and smiling when you first meet with your customer. It keeps you from spending your meeting overthinking what you’d like to eat for lunch, instead of making small talk that helps you understand your customer’s world. It keeps the top edge of your printer from jutting into your shot just enough to distract people you’re on a video call with. When you craft your meeting intentionally and have a clear plan for each step leading up to and during it, you’re able to pour all of your mental energy towards showing up the way you want to and building a relationship with your customer. They may not know all of the work you put in, but that shift is one they’ll plainly feel, too. Setting the stage intentionally helps the customer see a path forward with you. Learn More. Iceberg Selling is a technique grounded in the understanding that for every person, organization, and situation, you can only see 10% of what’s really going on. By adopting the right mindsets, prioritizing building relationships, and approaching customers with genuine curiosity, you can start to explore the other 90% and improve your sales performance. Get the book to learn more about Iceberg Selling. Karl is a big believer in having a playbook full of plays that help him connect with and grow his relationships with prospective customers. Or, more specifically, he has a playbook for each stage of the sales funnel.
At first, your goal is to get the right kinds of leads into the funnel. And that means fishing where the fish are. If your ideal customers are at conferences, trade shows, or networking events, make sure you are, too. If your potential customers are on LinkedIn, use the site to do outreach. If any of your existing customers have connections that could use your help, don’t be afraid to ask for a referral. Each of these strategies are outlined in Karl’s Playbook, and each of them has a variety of plays to help him execute effectively. As you think of a Buyer’s Journey , the plays go from getting leads into the funnel to connecting with and understanding the customer. The goal is to create conversations where “aha!” moments naturally happen. Those moments spark inspiration and allow you to casually float different ideas so that you can start to suggest a path forward. The plays at the bottom of the funnel are about how to present the proposal and, most importantly, how to use the proposal as a way to continue co-creating a solution. The goal is still to keep the conversation going and gain more and more buy-in as you go. Even in this final stage, you want the client to help shape the solution. If you’re interested in creating this kind of playbook for yourself and the strategies behind this way of selling, make sure you check out Karl’s appearance on the Consulting Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Venues regularly are asked for recommendations for vendors, including AV teams, for upcoming events. It goes without saying that venues are most likely to recommend a team that’s at the top of their mind, who they trust, and that they enjoy working with.
Luckily, there are a few ways you can make sure you’re at the top of their list. First, if there are any venues that you regularly work in or would like to work in more, make a habit of stopping by regularly. You don’t need to have a formal meeting on the calendar to drop by with donuts, coffee, and some business cards. Stop in, say hello, and let them know you’re available to brainstorm on any upcoming events they have. Before you leave, ask if they have any business cards that you could hand out to customers or industry partners who might be looking for a venue. These spontaneous drop-ins are effective because you’re not being pushy or trying to make an immediate sale. Instead, you’re putting in the ground work to form a relationship and showing that you’re committed to supporting their team and their business, too. Second, create and offer to present AV workshops to these same venues that you want to grow your partnerships with. Reach out to any points of contact you have and offer to host an annual AV 101 course for their internal team. Once again, the intention here isn’t selling, but educating so that the folks on their event team understand the AV aspects of live events a little bit better. Bring refreshments, your top event technicians, and any technology you think would be especially inspiring or relevant for the types of events and clients they typically host events for. This helps your team in a few major ways. It gives the venue’s event team a better base understanding of AV. It’ll help them communicate better with their customers (a win for them), while also making it easier for your team to collaborate with them on upcoming events (a win for both of you). These workshops also help your team and the venue team become more familiar with each other so that you can start to form connections. Most people prefer to work with teams they already know, like, and trust, and these meetings will help facilitate that between your teams. And, of course, your team will be at the top of their mind when somebody asks for AV vendor recommendations. Both of these strategies take some time and effort, but they’re easy ways to form and deepen connections that lead to big boosts in business. Want to learn more? Join our live event peer group or reach out with any ideas or topics you’d like to talk about! |
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We are headquartered in Colorado with domestic and international teammates and clients. Please use the contact form on this page to inquire about any of our books, podcasts appearances, speaking engagements and workshops, any of our offerings, or simply to connect.
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