Management
How to Structure Your Next Sales Meeting
Pitching your company and selling your product differ in very important ways. Here’s how to structure your sales meeting—and exactly what to present.
My very first significant sale came over a decade ago, when I sold equity to investors in my first company. Armed with a pitch deck, I reached out to dozens of potential investors to present my startup. They’d listen to my presentations carefully and ask thoughtful and challenging questions.
After a lot (and I mean a lot) of pitches, one investor finally said yes. And then another. I left fundraising with a renewed sense of confidence. I felt like I’d cracked a secret sales code.
If I could sell what was essentially a plan with a million-dollar price tag to investors, then I could sell anything . . . right?
Pitching versus Sales Meetings
I approached selling my product to companies in the same way as I pitched to investors. After getting the warm intro, I’d show up and excitedly pitch my product, answering questions with conviction. The excitement was infectious and meetings usually ended on a high.
