This article was written by guest contributors Sitima Fowler and Ray Green. After growing and selling her own MSP, Fowler now she teaches TMT members how to close big, profitable managed services agreements with ease. Green has helped some of the world’s most successful business coaches execute world-class sales and marketing strategies.
It’s not about you. It’s about them.
That’s the key concept to keep in mind when you’re preparing for a first-time appointment with a prospect. That’s why it’s called a “discovery” meeting. This is not a time to pitch. It’s a time to ask guided questions and listen: What’s their big hairy problem? What result are they looking for? Can you actually help them?
In the 5-Step Process to Closing an MSP Sale, the discovery meeting is Step 2. Sitima Fowler and Ray Green, MSP sales experts who teach this process, walk you through how to prepare for that first-time appointment. (If you missed Step 1, see Stop Wasting Time And Money On Unqualified Prospects!)
Let’s Get To Know You!
The intent of the discovery meeting is not to sell but to understand the potential customer’s needs and goals, budget, and time frame to determine if they are a good fit worth pursuing. You want to establish your authority and gain trust.
She Said: Your goal is to find the buyer’s pain points, uncover their buying criteria, and answer hidden objections. Find out their frustrations and what success would look like to them. It’s not just about your service. Most MSPs are confident in that, and that’s great! But now, you need to learn how to be confident in solving the problems of the person across from you.
He Said: As a consultant, you can’t start prescribing solutions without diagnosing a problem. If you don’t go through this process, the credibility and the trust that they’re going to have in your recommendation is going to be lower. I wouldn’t trust a mechanic that told me what I needed if he didn’t bother to look at my car. Understanding the prospect makes your solution much more credible.
Also, the quality of the questions you ask demonstrates your expertise, not word-vomiting a bunch of technical stuff about you or your company. Come in showing you’ve done research to get to know them, such as any announcements they’ve made or leadership changes. That way you can ask pointed, strategic questions that will identify other problems.
Polish Your Appearance—And Your Mindset
How you prepare for the meeting determines the outcome. With the right mindset, you’ll project confidence.
She Said: First, it’s important to arrange your schedule so you’re not rushed. Whether it’s a Zoom meeting or in-person, running late throws you off mentally. You’ll be thinking about that instead of being prepared with the right questions and the right tone.
If it’s in-person, make sure your car’s clean and you’re carrying a neat laptop bag or briefcase, not a beat-up old bag. And dress up! Personally, I like to dress as if I’m sitting in front of somebody with a three-piece suit. That way, I stand out from the other MSPs and am dressed appropriately no matter what the prospect is wearing.
He Said: Agreed. Your attire should be professional. If remote, look at your background: Is your unmade bed in view? At a minimum, use the blurred background feature, but if you’re making virtual sales calls often, you need a designated, intentional space behind you.
The other part is your mindset. You know that feeling when you go into something fully prepared, and you know the feeling when you haven’t done your homework. If you’re winging it, you aren’t bringing 100% confidence to those meetings. (For a role play example of a discovery meeting conversation, see below.)
Make A Positive First Impression
First impressions can make or break a sale before you even pitch your services, so you want to make a positive impact.
She Said: For me, the turning point when I started closing deals was when I started giving myself a pep talk: No matter whether I get the sale or not, I am going to provide such incredible value to the prospect that they’re going to love and remember who I am because I made their day better.
Act confidently and smile! Ninety percent of communication is nonverbal. And take notes. It shows you’re paying attention, and you’ll need that information later to draft your proposal.
He Said: Shifting your frame of mind from “I need the sale” to “I’m going to make their day better” is a big part of de-stressing sales. Turning the focus onto helping someone else comes across in your credibility too. The next MSP in that prospect’s office will be pitching their business and talking about how great they are, not learning about the prospect. That mindset shift goes a long way toward positioning you as a credible expert.
Get Started On The Right Foot
The beginning of the meeting shapes how the rest of it will play out, so prepare an agenda to share with the prospect.
He Said: An agenda sets up guardrails to keep the meeting on track; it also demonstrates that you have a process. Part of what you’re doing here is teaching the prospect how to buy IT services, and people trust experts with a clear process.
She Said: Right. Your agenda should start with quick introductions. Introduce yourself and ask everyone present to do the same. You don’t want to find out later that the guy to the left of the owner was actually the CFO and decision maker.
Then, confirm that you’re on the same page by summarizing what you discussed in the qualification call. If you sent over any marketing materials beforehand, this is a good time to ask if they’ve looked them over.
After you’ve gone through the discovery process and answered all their questions, set a time to conduct the technical assessment and confirm a date for the next meeting to go over your findings.
Check Your List, Then Write That Winning Proposal!
Keep in mind that every step of the 5 Step Process is to sell the next step, not the contract at the end. Focus on one step at a time.
After the meeting, use a post discovery meeting checklist to make sure you have answers to all the questions. This information will help you put together a winning proposal!
