Sales Meeting Success Tips To close the sale face-to-face, you have to have game, and these ten tips will make you a master player.

Many entrepreneurs face a common challenge as they launch andgrow their companies--their first meetings with prospects. Even ifday-to-day business meetings are old hat to you, you'll findthat holding new business meetings with prospects and closing salesface-to-face require mastering a different set of strategies andskills.

Here are 10 steps to successful meetings to get you off to agreat start.

1. Gather background information. A pre-qualifyingtelephone call will help you anticipate what your prospects'needs are. Learn as much about them as possible. As you prepare tomeet with a business prospect, become familiar with basicinformation on his or her company. Then make a list of all the waysyour product or service will benefit the company.

2. Set a realistic goal. Depending on your industry andwhere you're located, some experts estimate the average meetingwith a prospect can cost up to several hundred dollars. So it'sessential that every meeting moves your prospect incrementallycloser to a buying decision. Before you leave your office, set aprimary goal for your meeting. If you're a public relationsconsultant, for example, a realistic primary goal for a firstmeeting might be to set a date to present a comprehensive proposal.If you're a painting contractor, your primary goal might be toprovide an estimate for your work and obtain a signature tobegin.

3. Prepare quality materials. Create a family ofhigh-quality printed tools that includes everything from businesscards and stationery to printed estimate sheets, brochures andpresentation tools.

Take a hard look at all the materials you'll use in atypical sales meeting. Are they well-written? Do all the colors,typefaces and creative elements work together to create a cohesive,professional image? Pay close attention to any materials you intendto leave with your prospect, especially if you're in acompetitive bid situation. These materials must help close the salelong after your meeting is over.

4. Rehearse your presentation. It's a big mistake tobring materials to a new business meeting unless you'vepracticed how you'll use them. This is particularly true ifyou're making a new business presentation to a group. Rehearseyour presentation using the visuals and handheld materials. Ifpossible, videotape your rehearsal and examine it critically to besure your tone is upbeat, your materials are effective and yourpace is appropriate.

5. Build rapport using property observations. Imagineyou're in the office of a business prospect. An autographedbaseball is on his desk. A photograph on the wall shows a farmhousesurrounded by rolling fields, and a tape of the Beatles is playingsoftly in the background.

By noticing the baseball, the photograph and the music,you've made three property observations. You've alsodetected three opportunities to build commonality and rapport withyour prospect. Talk about your mutual enjoyment of baseball or yourchildhood growing up on a farm, or refer to your favorite Beatlessong. Any of these will help you break the ice and create arelationship based on understanding and trust.

Steps 6 - 10

6. Observe your prospect carefully. During the meeting,is your prospect sitting forward and nodding with interest, or ishe or she sitting back with arms folded and head tilted to oneside, indicating a lack of connection, boredom, disinterest ordisbelief? Be aware of the physical cues your prospect is sendingyou and respond accordingly.

7. Ask qualifying questions. A new business meetingisn't a "pitch." It's a conversation--anopportunity to uncover your prospect's needs and to presentsolutions for meeting them. If you find yourself doing all thetalking in new business meetings, you're probably talkingyourself right out of business. It's just as important to askgood questions and listen carefully to the answers as it is toprovide solid, helpful information. One of the most important andoften overlooked questions to ask is, "Are you the person whowill be making the final decision?"

8. Present case histories. Case histories are storiesthat demonstrate the ways you've successfully met the needs ofyour customers or clients. Prepare about half a dozen casehistories demonstrating a wide range of capabilities, and beprepared to discuss them in your new business meetings. Casehistories are great for positioning your company againstcompetitors that offer similar services. Never directly criticize acompetitor. Instead, present a case history (in other words, tell astory) that demonstrates the benefits your customers or clientshave enjoyed by working with you.

9. Offer good solutions. In order to successfully closeany business transaction, the prospect must be convinced youprovide the solution to his or her challenge. It all comes down tohow well they believe your product or service will meet their needsand their confidence in you to carry out your promises. To close,summarize your suggested solution and answer any final questionsthat may stand in the way of the prospect's decision.

10. Take action. You've gotten fully prepared, usedproperty observations, asked great questions, listened carefully tothe answers, presented case histories and offered solid solutions.Now it's time to ask for what you want. It's amazing howmany entrepreneurs take a meeting successfully to this point andthen simply stop and walk away without closing for their primarygoal.

If you're having difficulty closing, it may be because youhaven't provided sufficient reasons for your prospect to buy.In that case, go back to step seven and ask why. If you'vefollowed the advice in steps one through nine, your prospect willbe eager to get moving and may even help you close. Don't besurprised if he or she asks, "When can we getstarted?"