Mastering Large Group Sales Meetings: Proven Strategies for Managing Multiple Stakeholders

Unlock the secrets to handling complex sales meetings with multiple stakeholders and ensure your next deal is a success.

After signing in, I was escorted to a large conference room. I expected to find a contact or two waiting for me. Instead, there were 14 people sitting around one of the largest conference tables I’d ever seen. I had walked in alone. The senior leader introduced me to what he called a task force and he named each person and their role.

Strategy for Navigating Large Sales Meetings

Okay, you find yourself sitting in a conference room surrounded by a great number of contacts. First, you need to take a piece of paper and map out each person and their role. Try to put the person’s name where they are sitting. Don’t be afraid to ask for someone to repeat their name and their role.

Each person at the table wanted something. Without notes, I would never have been able to keep track of their requests. I noted each concern next to the individual on the map. Had I known that I would be handling such a large group, I would have brought someone to help manage the notes.

Tips for Managing Multiple Stakeholders in Sales

If you know that you are going to be managing a great number of contacts, you would do well to bring a scribe to take notes so you can focus on the different conversations. With someone to help, you can give your full attention to the contacts and the conversations around the table.

Three of the stakeholders were running their own facilities. Each of them needed something different. All three contacts were difficult, as were their requests. These conversations dominated the time, as they asked questions, and my follow-up questions took up much of the remaining time.

Identifying Key Decision Makers in Large Sales Meetings

It is important for you to find the contacts who will have a greater role in the decision-making process. While all your contacts are important, you risk losing the deal if you cannot satisfy the people who determine who to buy from. You should do this anytime you have many contacts involved.

I decided that it would be important to visit each of the three major players at their locations. The first contact had a large number of problems, so I visited her a second time. The second major player had a small number of problems that were relatively easy to resolve. The third contact wanted something that I was unable to provide, but by spending time with them, we came up with a solution, even though a couple of people were unhappy with the compromise.

Effective Strategies for Complex Sales Negotiations

Divide and conquer is one way to improve your ability to win large deals. The best approach is to meet with each contact to hear them out and collaborate one-on-one to find a solution that ensures the client improves their results. This is better than trying to deal with three or more people at one time. You are also more likely to get a more candid conversation.

I took careful notes on each of the three key decision makers and everything they needed. With the information and a confirmation that the solution would work for them, I was almost ready to meet with the task force again. Before I scheduled the second meeting to present exactly how we were going to handle this, I made a slide deck with each person’s concerns or needs. Instead of a traditional presentation, each slide focused on one person’s problems and our approach to solving them.

Closing Large Sales Deals with a Personalized Approach

With a large group of people, it is important that you are able to recall each contact’s needs and how you will meet them. Having the ability to be creative to help the client get what they need is crucial. In large deals, your solution alone may not be enough. If this presentation is done well, you will be ready to close the deal.

I sat down with the two senior leaders to sign the contract. One of the leaders wanted something I was not able to provide. As he read the contract, he accused me of lying, claiming that I had agreed to what he wanted. He was a hothead and repeated his accusation. I stood up and said that I would not sign the contract if he believed I had lied. Then he stood up. The other senior leader told both of us to sit down. He reminded his peer that everyone had heard me say we could not provide what he wanted. The senior leader then told both of us to sign the contract.

The Importance of Honesty in Sales Negotiations

The truth at any price, even at the cost of the deal. You are always better off telling the truth than lying. Once people sense you may not be honest, your reputation will precede you.