Years ago, my company hosted an important prospect in our US offices. The prospect was from Hong Kong, and in the balance was a deal worth US$5 million. Some weeks later, while we were onsite in Hong Kong for the final evaluation, we learned we had so mishandled the US meeting that it was a miracle we were still in the running. (In an even more miraculous occurrence, we actually won the deal, but that’s another story.)
We made two crucial mistakes with the meeting. First, we were ignorant of what was needed to make a meeting with a foreign company successful. Second, and most important, we didn’t seek feedback from the client after the meeting–so weeks passed before we even knew we had offended the prospect.
Here’s a better way to manage this. A couple of days after an important meeting, go back and ask the prospect to share stories about the meeting. Here are some example questions:
“Did anything about the meeting take you by surprise? What happened?”
“What were your expectations for the meeting, and how they differ from the way the meeting actually happened?”
“What story would you tell from the meeting if you wanted to recommend this firm to a friend?” and the opposite, “What story would you tell if you didn’t want your friend to work with this firm?”
Asking these questions soon after a meeting can help ground your team as to their real position in a deal. Many clients are delighted even to be asked for their feedback. if you do this regularly, the collection of stories will reveal patterns that are undermining your efforts in engagement after engagement (as well as point out your distinctive strengths). Asking for stories allows prospects to share richer and more candid feedback than simply asking for opinions. (”How’d the meeting go?” “Fine.”) Stories are more nuanced–and your team can easily find patterns and share lessons.
Related post:
Opening up your company for customer dialogue
