As a startup founder, you will be undoubtfully dragged into many meetings with potential clients, coworkers, and others. One will come to learn most of these meetings will end up costing a lot of valuable time, for reasons listed below:
- The other party has just not bothered to read any material you have sent them or try to understand it — in which case, they are most likely not interested — why? It is a not a pressing NEED for them. You are selling a vitamin not a pain killer. Embrace the long sales cycle or find clients that have an immediate need for your product instead.
- Most meetings end up being, what I dubbed “high-level information exchanges”. I am not saying you can close on the first meeting and that you shouldn’t do them, but most of the information can easily be found on your company website. The solution here may be to have a better one-pager and then following up with them on any specific questions that they may have and then scheduling a meeting if it seems like you can explain and demo the product quickly and more efficiently in person.
- Most organizations because of their size move slow (by their very nature) also many are resistant to change. See more on this below:
- This is very applicable in the health industry (a similar phenomenon is dubbed “the medical-industrial complex” — what % of people will be out of work if patients actually improved their outcomes quickly?). How can you frame the solution as to not overstep into something that generates them revenue? Is this why value-based care is starting to be discussed more frequently? fee-based care provides no incentives to providers aside from helping fulfill moral obligations that perhaps not all are compelled to provide.
The best and perhaps obvious solutions:
1. Set aside only certain days for the meetings
2. Only take them when you absolutely must
3. Try to use Zoom or Join.me for the calls
4. Restrict them time-wise
5. Delegate customers with low chances of conversion or improve pipeline