Are You Meeting Customers in Your Underwear?

by Shawn Karol Sandy

Seems like a weird question I’d ask in a “professional” setting, right? I mean, unless you’re a 3 year old or a perhaps an inebriated frat pledge at a Toga party (do they still have those?) you’ve probably never walked out the door without your pants.

But perhaps you’re doing it metaphorically, every day.

I encounter “pantless” people several times a week and no, I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.

As a business owner and a consultant, sales pros or business/service providers approach me and ask for a meeting or even show up for a meeting often without preparing—exploring, researching and THINKING about the basic questions they should ask. More often than not, they haven’t done their foundational research about me or pre-qualified me as a fit for their product or business. Not being prepared = wasting MY time (and yours too).

Going to a meeting unprepared is like walking out the door without wearing pants.

Here's Why Preparation Is Important

1) You look Foolish and you can NEVER get back that first impression
2) You’re Exposed for not thinking or preparing
3) It’s very distracting and
4) You always have to go BACK to get your pants—or research—or whatever it is you didn’t prepare.

So, next time you think about asking for a meeting or sitting down with a potential customer—really think about how prepared you are. Buyers’ time is their most precious commodity.

Before they meet with you, they want to know:

Why should I meet with you?
Why are you relevant to me?
What is the big picture or end result? (If you say “to close a sale”. . . SMH)
Do you know my story? What I do, how I do it, form whom I do it well and who else does it similar to me?
What’s your story?
Do you know the reality of my every day business life?
Have you thought about the process of how I’d make a decision?
What insights can you bring to me that I can’t find out on my own?
Are you in my trusted network?

And For Pete’s Sake, Don’t Show Up Without Your Pants!

This really applies to everyone—whenever you’re asking someone to carve out and dedicate time and attention to meet with you, listen to what you have to say, consider or collaborate with you . . . do more than even just “due diligence”—really prepare and think about the “what’s” and “why’s” before meeting customers.