Getting the Right Meeting: The Most Overlooked Skill in B2B Sales
In last week’s article, I explained why the “gift of the gab” isn’t what makes a great salesperson.
Today, I’d like to challenge another common misconception.
One thing that has always surprised me is how little attention most sales books give to securing the meeting itself.
Most assume you’re already sitting in front of the customer and dive straight into building rapport, questioning techniques, handling objections, and closing the deal.
Mine doesn’t.
After more than forty years in B2B sales, I’ve learnt one simple, unshakeable truth.
No meeting. No sale.
Everything else comes afterwards.
Very few sales courses explain the critical work that happens before you ever walk through the customer’s door. Yet this is exactly where many major sales opportunities are won—or lost.
The Journey to the First Meeting
We are incredibly lucky these days with the sheer volume of resources available at our fingertips.
When I was starting out in the 1980s, doing company research meant a trip to the local library, hunting through physical directories, relying on creative word-of-mouth referrals, and actually navigating with a paper A-Z map.
Today, there is no excuse for going in cold. The journey to a successful B2B sales meeting follows six distinct steps:
Step 1: Research the Company
Before you make contact, build a digital profile of the target business.
Utilise everything available: their company website, LinkedIn, Google Maps (to see the physical scale of their operation), Companies House, the trade press, local news, and their direct competitors.
Step 2: Find the Right Decision Maker
Don’t settle for anyone who is simply willing to meet you.
I learnt this lesson the hard way as a young, enthusiastic salesman back in the days when you could still get away with cold calling.
I decided to pop in and try to speak to the owner of a major local electrical contracting firm—a serious outfit with over ten sparkies, a massive yard, and a full-time storeman.
I strolled into the office and asked, “Can I speak to Mike, please?”
A voice replied, “Mike speaking.”
Fantastic, I thought. I spent the next 30 minutes delivering what I believed was a magnificent, flawless presentation. I showed him the latest product offers, the new Crabtree cooker sockets, and the new plastic socket boxes.
He seemed genuinely interested, nodding throughout my presentation.
At the end of my performance, he looked at me and said these immortal words: “I am just the yard man and the cleaner.”
He was certainly the smartest, best-dressed cleaner I’d ever met.
When I commented on it, he smiled and said, “I’ve just changed because I’m going to see my bank manager.”
Meeting the wrong person wastes everybody’s time. You must target the individual who actually owns the problem you can solve and holds the budget to fix it.
Step 3: Get Through the Gatekeeper Professionally
Treat receptionists and PAs with genuine respect. They are not barriers to bypass; they are professionals who often know far more about the inner workings of the business than people realise.
Step 4: Secure the Appointment
Whether you use the telephone, email, LinkedIn, or a combination of whatever works best for your industry—always keep your eye on a single objective. You aren’t trying to sell your product yet. You are simply making an appointment with the right person.
Step 5: Confirm Everything
Once the date is set, lock down the operational details:
- Who exactly is attending from their side?
- Where is the meeting being held, and what time?
- What are the parking arrangements and security procedures?
- What is the dress code?
- Do you need to bring specific presentations, samples, or documentation?
- How much time have they allocated for you?
Step 6: Turn Up Prepared
Pack your literature, your laptop, your samples, your pre-written questions, and your core objectives the day before. On the day, arrive early, relax, and use those extra minutes in reception to observe your surroundings.
Applying the Four Pillars: Look, Read, Watch, Listen
In Week 1, I introduced the four habits that form the foundation of my entire sales process. Here is how they apply to the journey before the meeting even begins:
- LOOK: Examine the company’s physical and digital presence. When you arrive on-site, look at the premises, the delivery vehicles, the reception area, and the staff. It tells you everything you need to know about their company culture.
- READ: Read everything you can find about them online, on social media, and in print before you make your first approach.
- WATCH: When you step into their building, watch how the staff interact, how busy the environment is, and how visitors are treated.
- LISTEN: Listen to the background noise in reception. Listen to the gatekeeper. Listen to the tone of the customer when they greet you.
Sometimes, you will learn far more about a business before the meeting officially starts than you ever will during the meeting itself.
Continue the Conversation
If you’d like to use the same planning process I’ve developed over the years, just drop me an email…
It’s a practical working document that I still use to prepare for important customer meetings.
The Professional B2B Sales Pre-Meeting Planner includes:
✔ Company research checklist
✔ Decision-maker planning sheet
✔ Telephone preparation notes
✔ Meeting objectives
✔ Travel and logistics checklist
✔ Equipment and literature checklist
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why shouldn’t I just meet with anyone who says yes to a conversation?
It is incredibly tempting to take any meeting when you are trying to build a sales pipeline.
However, meeting with someone who lacks decision-making authority or a real business problem to solve is a trap.
It gives you a false sense of progress while consuming valuable time that you should be spending targeting high-value decision-makers.
How do you handle a gatekeeper who refuses to put you through to the decision-maker?
Never argue, become defensive, or resort to cheap sales tricks.
Instead, pivot to treating them as the internal expert. Ask for their professional advice:
“I respect that he is incredibly busy. Based on how your team manages engineering procurement, what would be the best way for me to send over some brief technical data for him to look at when he has a moment?”
What is the single most important detail to confirm before travelling to a meeting?
The exact time allowed. There is nothing worse than arriving prepared for a comprehensive 45-minute technical discussion only to be told, “I’ve only got 10 minutes before a board meeting.”
Confirming the time allowed ahead of time ensures you can structure your approach flawlessly before you step foot in the room.
One thing I’ve learnt over the years is that successful sales meetings rarely happen by accident.
They are usually the result of careful preparation long before anyone shakes hands or opens a laptop.
Get this stage right and everything that follows becomes much easier.
Join the Conversation
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made before a business meeting?
Whether it was getting lost on the way, presenting to the wrong person like I did, or forgetting your samples—let me know in the comments below!
Coming Up in the Business After 60 Conversation Series
Behind the scenes, each conversation is also becoming part of a growing library of practical tools, planners and guides for entrepreneurs and business owners.
- Week 1 – The Truth About Becoming a Great B2B Salesperson
- Week 2 – Getting the Right Meeting: The Most Overlooked Skill (this week’s article)
- Week 3 – Research That Wins Business & Finding the Decision Maker
- Week 4 – Asking Better Questions & Building Trust
- Week 5 – Presenting Value, Handling Objections & Closing Professionally
- Week 6 – After the Sale: Building Customers for Life
Read More – The Truth About Becoming a Great B2B Salesperson
