Different Sales Meetings: Different Drinks. Your Guide to Boozing up your Prospects

Not all prospects are created the same — as a sales professional, you know that better than anyone. So when the demo calls, special deals, and borderline begging doesn’t work to seal the deal, sometimes you’ve got to break out some special techniques to get the job done. Yes — we’re talking about booze. But how can you know what drinks your dear prospects will respond to?

Beer

Let’s start with the least intense approach. Beer is pretty much universally beloved, and even people who don’t like it will lie and say they do because let’s face it — it’s cool to like beer these days. With a new “craft” brewery popping up on every corner, you won’t have to go far to slam down a pint.

How to tell whether your prospects will be into beer:

1. They possess a beard or are clearly trying to grow one
2. You’ve seen them wear flannel at least once
3. You’ve heard them refer to like IBUs and hops

If you don’t love beer, never fear — it’s easy to make it seem like you know what you’re talking about. Just start saying things like, “I prefer this beer warm, actually,” and “The finish and mouthfeel of this nitro is superb.” Instant beer snob.

Cocktails

Drinking cocktails with your prospects immediately increase the odds someone, at some point, will let out a loud and enthusiastic “Woooooo!” with their hands joyfully in the air at some point during the night. You decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

What your prospect’s “signature drink” says about them:

1. Jager bomb: You’re probably not gonna make this sale.
2. Long Island Iced Tea: They want the most bang for their buck.
3. Margarita: They have, like, 15 friends they can totally refer your way.
4. Manhattan: They have less money than they say they do.
5. Cosmo: Getting them to commit won’t be easy.

What you order says something about you, too, so be a boss and order a scotch, neat. No messing around here.

Wine

It’s hard to knock wine. Unless you put ice in yours. Then all bets are off.
Drinking wine can infuse your evening with a happy buzz, but beware… there are stages on the way to “wine drunk” and once you pass a certain one, there’s no going back.

Stage 1: I am a classy and sophisticated professional. I will sip on this wine delicately.
Stage 2: Damn, actually, this stuff is delicious… hit me with a refill, good sir.
Stage 3: The buzz. You’re feeling good, making some great jokes… aim to stay here as long as possible.
Stage 4: Honesty hour. Danger alert: get too deep into this stage and you risk dropping clues about how your product might not be quite so perfect for your prospective client.
Stage 5: Sleepytime. You have no game left.

Anything beyond stage 5 is full-on failure territory, so if you even get to that point.. Danger, Will Robinson, this night will not go how you planned.

Shots Shots!

Time to bring out the big guns. If you’re meeting with a true party animal who’s on spring break 24/7, you’ll need to slap down a $20, order a round of tequila, and suck on some salt.

How to tell whether your prospects will be into shots:

1. They suggest a Mexican restaurant.
2. They reference their college days more than once.
3. They talk about their favorite liquor and it’s not “a good craft beer”
4. They’re in an overnight parking spot.

Other reasons to buy your prospect a shot(s)

1. If it’s a nice day outside.
2. If you’re of Russian, Irish, Hollish, and/or Mexican descent.
3. If you challenge the notion that you’re “getting older” and may “feel like crap tomorrow.”
4. If you want to risk saying something potentially damaging to the sale.
5. If you want to risk saying something potentially awesome to the sale.

So there you have it. Once you’ve boozed up your sales prospects, had a heart to heart chat, and picked up the bill, they’ll be all about signing.

This blog was originally first appeared at www.intelliverse.com/blog/different-sales-meetings-different-drinks-your-guide-to-boozing-up-your-prospects/