The Secret To Successful Sales Meeting Improvisation

Ok before you before you think that you might find an excuse or justification for winging or improvising it all the time, in this blog post, think again. But I am writing this with the knowledge that most of us in sales are winging it a lot of the time for all sorts of reasons. After many years in the business, I can tell you that this improvisation isn't just common – it's inevitable. But there's a world of difference between haphazard improvisation and strategic improvisation that is based on a structured and more importantly intrinsic approach.

I've learned that when we're going to improvise (and we are), we need to get a few fundamental non-negotiables right. These aren't complex techniques or the latest sales methodology. They're simple principles that transform chaotic conversations into productive ones. Think of them as your useful habits or instincts.

Principle 1: It's All About Their Business, Not Yours

Any conversation I have with a customer should contain the least amount of self-interest possible. This sounds obvious, but in practice, it's kinda difficult unless you can masterfully suspend your own agenda for a while.

When I'm improvising in a meeting and things start to veer off course, I always return to one central question: "How does this improve their business?" This serves as my north star. Even when a conversation derails, I can keep coming back to the actual goal – what we're really trying to do is improve their business. 

This gives me a central theme that I can build around. It's not my goal that matters – it's theirs. When in doubt, I refocus on their business improvement, and suddenly I have solid ground beneath my feet again.

Principle 2: Progress, Not Perfection

Every interaction has a purpose: moving things forward. But here's where many of us go wrong – we set meeting goals that are far too ambitious.

Before entering any conversation, I ask myself: "Is the person I'm talking to actually able to execute on the goal I'm setting for this meeting?" This question has saved me countless hours of frustration.

For example, I once walked into a meeting planning to get a contract signed. That was my objective. But I quickly realised the person I was meeting couldn't sign off without three other approvals. My meeting was doomed to fail because my goal wasn't aligned with reality.

Instead, I pivoted to a more achievable goal: getting their recommendation for signing. That became my new measurement of progress – not the signature itself, but their willingness to advocate for it. The meeting went from potential failure to definite success just by adjusting my expectations. It all sounds so obvious doesn't it? Yet when I run coaching sessions, the objectives  turn out to be the weak links all too often.

When improvising, smaller achievable steps beat grand ambitions every time.

Principle 3: Make Your Point Crystal Clear

When you're thinking on your feet, clarity becomes your best friend. I've developed a simple approach: check in often.

I make sure there's complete understanding of language, definitions, perceptions, and next steps. It sounds tedious, but it's actually liberating. These micro-checks create a framework that makes improvisation safer.

I'll ask: "Have I understood you correctly?" or "Is this exactly what you're trying to accomplish?" These simple questions prevent the biggest problem in sales conversations – assuming we're on the same page when we're actually reading different books.

After confirming these micro-steps, I bring the conversation back to the main topic: improving their business. It creates a conversational loop that keeps us aligned even when we're both improvising.

This structure has another benefit – it keeps me from talking too much and listening too little.

Principle 4: Close With Clear Actions That Matter

The final piece of successful improvisation is making the next action obvious and necessary. I check whether the proposed action makes more sense than not taking it.

Here's my test: Would the customer believe that not taking this action is actually a mistake? If they wouldn't see inaction as a mistake, I haven't made a compelling enough case.

Getting clarity around this question is the real art of sales conversation. When a customer feels that moving forward is the only logical choice, you've done your job well – even if you've been improvising the entire time.

The Results Speak for Themselves

Following these four principles has dramatically reduced rework and wasted effort in my sales process. When ambiguity around next steps is eliminated, everything else falls into place.

My meetings have less friction. My follow-ups are more productive. My customers see me as a partner in their success rather than someone just trying to close a deal.

Perhaps most importantly, these fundamentals make improvisation safe. We all know that perfect scripts rarely survive contact with reality. But with these principles as my foundation, I can confidently adapt to whatever happens in the meeting while still driving toward meaningful results.

So go ahead and wing it – just make sure you're winging it the right way. And most importantly of all, practise your planning skills all the time but practice using a structure way, with the Thinking Planner of course :-)

Happy Selling!