NATIONAL SAFEWAY / ALBERTSONS BUYER MEETING KEYNOTE

Albertsons Buyers Holding Suppliers To A New Virtual Meeting Standard

I had the opportunity to present to the Albertsons Beverage Buyers the latest statistics and best practices on conducting effective Virtual Sales Meetings.

Highlights:

* Suppliers should be prepared for shorter meetings (max 20 minutes) with a get to the point 10 minute presentation.

* Pre meeting prep will include a one sheet with agenda and key topic prior to the meeting.

* Post meeting follow up – Action Bullets / Say goodbye to long emails with run-on sentences.

* Are In Person Meetings Dead?
The answer is No. The future of a new normal will be a blended system of in person and virtual meetings. You will have to be considered in the top 25% of suppliers not on volume but on buyer value to get your in person invite.

BOGLE VINEYARDS NATIONAL SALES MEETING

Wow… Incredible Group.

A Big Thank You to the Bogle Winery ( 2019 Winery of the Year) for inviting me to speak at your virtual National Sales Meeting.

I shared the latest research on VS 2.0 (Virtual Selling 2.0).

Virtual Selling has been around for many years but has changed significantly over the last eleven months as more buyers have embraced and adapted to a new normal using technology.

Knowing how to leverage virtual communication tools and close deals by blending synchronous and asynchronous technology is now a must have and should be a part of your sales training.

BUYER FEEDBACK

1. I WANT TO BE TAUGHT NOT SOLD.
- Stop selling me your incentivized promotions and start teaching me solutions. I am happy to buy your product or service if it is part of the solution.

2. IF I CAN GOOGLE SEARCH THE INFORMATION YOU ARE NOT ADDING VALUE.
- This statement alone should have you rethinking your old school Features to Benefits presentation.

3. STOP USING THE TERM "DATA STORY" WHEN ALL YOU DO IS REPEAT NUMBERS IN A STORY THAT I KNOW.
- Buyers expect that you do the analysis of the data to find the opportunity gaps and build the solution into a story.

4. I WOULD LOVE TO MEET WITH YOU. BRING YOUR WALLET AND WE WILL DISCUSS PRICE.
- If you fall into this category you have been demoted to the bottom 80% “B” lister. Top 20% or “A” listers add tremendous value beyond price and get 80% of their buyers attention and time.

5. IF YOU HAVE TRIED TO REACH ME SIX TO EIGHT TIMES TO SET UP A VIRTUAL SALES CALL WITH NO RESPONSE THERE IS A REASON.
-Buyers have stated that 76% of their sales representatives have not adjusted to selling in the new virtual environment.