GrowBIG Playbook: How To End A Meeting Perfectly

What's On My Mind

The right end creates the next beginning!

Hot topic lately: Ending.

Most people get it all wrong.

They fall in love with their content, trying to smash too much in.

The cause is fear. I might not get another chance.

Talk fast, and maybe something will stick!

Well, the more you smash in and the faster you talk, the less sticks.

Instead, think of your meetings like a great TV series.

Focus on that last word: series.

One episode leads to the next.

Didn't get everything done?

Great!

You've landed your next meeting.

(Most scenarios where we don't get everything done were based on our own random expectations anyway–I'd rather cover less with more engagement any day!)

Whether you finish or not, offer a helpful next step.

Usually, that means what we call a Cliffhanger: something unresolved that'll be resolved in the next meeting.

Cliffhanger Pro tips:

Leave time at the end of the meeting to talk through the suggested next step.

DO NOT leave this for email later!

15-minutes is usually perfect.
Offer something valuable and helpful.
Look to offer something that escalates the prospective client's commitment. Escalating their commitment will tell you if they're really interested or not. Examples:
1. They pay for the next step.
2. They include more people in the next step/meeting.
3. They do some kind of work like sending you data, reviewing a suggested process, etc.
Transition to the next step and make the offer.

Here are two examples—both make the transition easy, natural and highlight your expertise.
1. Based on my experience and our conversation, what I'd recommend next is...
2. What most of our clients do next is...
After you make the offer, be quiet, and et them respond.
Have the right mindset when they respond.

Be what we call "passionately agnostic" to their answer.
1. Passionately = You're passionate you can help them. If they say yes, great!
2. Agnostic = Be OK if they say no. A Yes is great. A No is great, if it's right away.
  
  You want to avoid the "Slow No" where they say yes because they feel bad, like you, etc.

These little tweaks make a BIG difference!

Advantages over cramming four hours of content into a one hour meeting:

Higher flow through rates because you're suggesting a simple and obvious next step, and allowing time to talk it through.
Faster time to No (avoiding the multi-meeting Slow No!) because you're pairing an escalating commitment with passionately agnostic mindset.
Less time spent on BD with better results because you're efficiently guiding prospective clients to what's right for them.

Meeting beginnings are important because you're framing the experience and setting expectations.

Meeting middles are important because you're teaching, helping and showing the prospective client what it's like to work with you.

Meeting endings are important because you're guiding the client to the perfect, helpful next step for them.

If it's not the right time to take that step, great!

Better to know right away.

If it is the right time, great!

You can guide them, get hired and have the impact you want.

That's what's interesting about rainmakers.

They have the anti-midas touch.

They don't magically turn things to gold with their touch.

They only touch gold things.

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