Today there is absolutely no excuse for not knowing at least some rudimentary facts about your prospective customer before you attempt to arrange a meeting. But even if you dig around their social and business profiles for unusual nuggets and conversation starters, how much can you really discover? Even then, why should they care about you and want to meet?

To discover the gems of information that prove you can really help with individual challenges, you need to build rapport. That’s why my advice to clients is always to get on the phone. Get someone talking one-to-one and you’ll be amazed at how candid they can be. It’s the only way to discover these 5 most valuable secrets and secure you a meaningful meeting.

1. What’s their biggest challenge right now?

This is one that, to a certain extent, you can discover online if your prospect is fairly active and vocal on social media. But chances are, they are busy people and don’t have time to fill their socials with pithy and topical comment on a daily basis. So even if you find something that looks revealing, how up to date is it, and let’s face it, was it written by their agency as part of a social selling programme and not their own words?

2. Why did they choose their existing supplier?

Speaking of candour, this piece of insight is definitely something you won’t find in the public domain. And it’s priceless. The answer will let you know how you’ll be judged and which of your own offerings and processes to big up (or play down). Reasons could range anywhere from the supplier being inherited from a previous incumbent to “they get me great results”. The latter might present more of a problem than the former, but depending on what you can offer, it’s not insurmountable.

3. What would make them consider a switch?

Their response to this question tells you what your prospect expects, and where you need to outperform the opposition. As above, some answers will give you more ammunition than others, but they can help enormously if you’ve been hit with the “great results” reply, since a little more probing can reveal a few chinks where you might get a foothold. Do they need someone faster, cheaper, more in tune with their needs? Do they want better customer service, a more expert partner, a particular specialism their existing supplier doesn’t provide? You can steer away from the areas where you can’t compete, but perhaps you can trump the opposition in others.

4. What are their personal ambitions?

You will probably discuss your prospect’s business objectives at great length. And rightly so. But if you can get them talking about their own professional and career objectives, then perhaps working with a supplier who is sympathetic to their ambitions could help them make their mark, get that promotion, or take the business in a new and innovative direction. It’s also a great way to win you recommendations, repeat business and a long-term partnership, since your contact could take you with them as their career progresses.

5. High energy, pragmatic or laid back?

You can discover your prospect’s particular work style within moments of starting your conversation – and it’s more important than you might think. Rapport is often subconscious and unsaid, and we’ll instinctively reveal more to someone we perceive to be similar to ourselves, so try to meet like with like. Whether that means subtly matching their tone or overtly recognising a get-things-done attitude by getting straight to the point, it will go a long way towards getting that meeting.

All of the above is not only more likely to get you a meeting, it will set you up properly for a productive one. With the time-impoverished nature of all of our working lives, every tiny window of opportunity needs to be nurtured, and never squandered.

It’s probably easier said than done, but I’ve been in the business of new business for more years than I care to admit, and building the rapport you need to get a good meeting is somewhat of a specialism for me. So if you’d like an informal chat about how I can help with your new business initiatives, then do get in touch.