The “Lunch Meeting” is one of the last old school business development tools left standing in the new millennium, and, if done properly, still has the ability to be a valuable marketing tool. The biggest problem with implementing a successful luncheon is over emphasis on selling.
Rule number one: you are NOT there to sell – you are there to be evaluated
I like to start a luncheon with what is commonly referred to as the “Six degrees of Kevin Bacon” process. If you have done your due diligence, you know where your prospect went to undergrad, law school, their hobbies, previous jobs etc. If you are any sort of networker, and you better be, there are bound to people you both have in common. This is a great icebreaker. The key here is you want the prospect to talk about them. Don’t think about what you are going to say; listen intently to what they are saying. There are potential nuggets of gold to be mined here, BUT if you miss them by not listening intently, they may be gone forever.
If the ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon’ plan has succeeded in stimulating your prospect to talk, find out what his or her true passions and hobbies are. When you do stoke that conversation by sharing a story or experience of your own that embraces those same passions or ideals, try to stay away from “one-upmanship.” That can quickly destroy any traction you have gained previousl
Sometimes the prospect will actually try to push the sales agenda. Maybe I am cynical, but when this happens, I look at it as a trap. This person is about to lump me in with everybody on the street and attempt to commoditize what I do and associate a dollar figure with it.
That is absolutely the last place you want to be.
My strategy when this happens is to back off and totally downplay the sales aspect of the meeting. Many times a prospect will ask: did you bring any (insert appropriate word here: brochures, contracts, C.V.’s etc.?) I look them directly in the eye and answer: “No, I just thought we would meet, talk, see if we had shared business values, look into each others eyes and take measure of them, and see if we are two people who want to do business with each other?”
Trust me when I tell you most prospective clients will not see that last part coming. The smart ones (and who doesn’t want smart clients) will quickly realize that YOU have been evaluating them. This tells them that you are not somebody desperate for any business, but selective in whom you choose to work for.
When I have a chance and time permits, I like to finish with a cup of coffee. It can serve as an informal sign that the professional posturing is over; we can both let our guards down now. This occurs when you have come across as a genuine person throughout the luncheon and not somebody who tries to interject “trial closes” throughout your conversations.
The last thing I try to accomplish during the coffee cool down is hope I have broken down the walls enough that they may throw a hypothetical situation or problem at me. Ideally, it will be one that is outside my realm of expertise or immediate knowledge. At this point, when possible, I give a third party recommendation. This tells them I want to be a resource. I am just not looking to sell them – but to position myself as a problem solver and a resource.
If you can accomplish this, you are 75 percent home.
