The First Meeting Differentiator: Transforming Sales-Focused Discovery into Client-Centric Consultations

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

The first meeting is where everything beginsor ends. Get it right, and you build unstoppable deal momentum. Get it wrong, and the deal is in big trouble.

Traditional discovery meetings must die! Today's buyer demands it. They no longer tolerate one-sided sales interrogations that serve the seller but provide no value to them. If they agree to a meeting with you, they expect something morea consultation experience that makes them wiser as a result of time spent with you. That's the transformation The First Meeting Differentiator guides you to make.

In this breakthrough book, world-renowned sales management strategist and bestselling author Lee B. Salz reveals the strategy and the step-by-step framework for transforming your first meetings into high-impact, client-centric consultations that differentiate you and lay the foundation to win more deals at the prices you want.

This shift changes the entire buyer/seller experience. First meetings become energized, trust-building, impactful conversations that ignite interest and set the stage for closing deals.

Following the success of Salz's bestsellers Sales Differentiation and Sell Different!, The First Meeting Differentiator adds a powerful new component to your sales strategy. Packed with real-world stories, actionable insights, and hands-on workshops, this is the ultimate guide to modernizing your sales approach and outselling the competition.

• Design a first-meeting strategy that excites prospects and earns their trust.
• Use techniques that differentiate the meeting experience, not just your product.
• Shift from one-sided discovery to dynamic consultations that deliver value for both sides.
• Engage emotions in ways that motivate them to take action by leveraging Empathetic Expertise.
• Master qualifying to separate real deals from mirages.
• Create intriguing questions that qualify deals, differentiate you, and make consultations magical.
• Stop talking about features and benefits, and develop stories that captivate, differentiate, and lead them to want to buy from you.

Reviews

'Lee's book is GOLD! It's the first book of its kind that not only emphasizes the importance of how you handle the first meeting but it also tells you how to masterfully do it. This critical element in sales has been totally misunderstood and abused -- UNTIL NOW. This book is your paycheck differentiator!' * Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Little Red Book of Selling *
'Most deals are decided in the first meeting--so why aren't more salespeople mastering it In The First Meeting Differentiator, Lee Salz shows you how to turn this critical moment into your competitive advantage. If you want to win more deals and protect your pricing, this book is a must-read!' * Jeb Blount, CEO of Sales Gravy and author of Fanatical Prospecting *
'Every deal starts with a first meeting--and The First Meeting Differentiator shows you how to make it count. This is a proven framework Lee personally implemented with my team, and the results speak for themselves.' * Rob Fontaine, Founder/President, Upstate Door, Inc. *
'Follow the advice in The First Meeting Differentiator and ROCK your first meetings with prospects! Sales guru Lee Salz has helped our team improve our results by adopting a forensic and consultative mindset. I hope our competitors NEVER read this book!' * Liz McBeth, CEO and President, Armour Valve *
'Having partnered with Lee to drive multi-million dollar sales growth, I've seen how his strategies create meaningful, client-centric conversations that drive results. This book provides a game-changing framework for transforming first meetings into dynamic consultations that inspire action.' * Alex Evans, SVP, Majestic Steel *
'I've seen firsthand how Lee's strategies have elevated our team's performance--and this book will be required reading for my team. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to elevate their sales team's performance.' * Courtney Enser, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Millcraft *
'Lee Salz flips the script on first meetings with prospects, showing how to turn them from dull interrogations into engaging, value-driven conversations. The First Meeting Differentiator is packed with practical strategies to help sales professionals build trust, spark interest, and create unstoppable deal momentum.' * Brian Brault, past Global Chair of the Board of Directors for the Entrepreneurs Organization and Founder of Legacy of Significance, Co-chair of the Entrepreneurial Masters Program *
'Lee Salz introduces a powerful shift: replace tired discovery meetings with value-packed consultations buyers actually want. A must-read for anyone who leads sales conversations--it transforms the first meeting from interrogation to consultation and moves deals forward--fast.' * Shari Levitin, keynote speaker and bestselling author of Heart and Sell: 10 Universal Truths Every Salesperson Needs to Know *
'Plenty has been written about prospecting and landing that first meeting--but what happens next The First Meeting Differentiator is the missing piece. It delivers the tools and strategies you need to master the first meeting, setting the stage for winning more deals. If you want to turn first meetings into real opportunities, this book is a game-changer!' * Victor Antonio, author of Future of Selling *
'So many sales books are nothing but unproven theory, but not this one! We worked with Lee to develop our sales playbook based on the strategy presented in The First Meeting Differentiator. The result We are closing more sales and earning more happy customers. Just wait until you read the chapter on Empathetic Expertise! It's a game-changer!' * Scot Nichols, Director of Sales, Bedrock Quartz *

Author Bio

When salespeople arent winning deals at desired levels or price points, executives and business owners turn to Lee B. Salz for help. Lee is a world-renowned sales management strategist and CEO of Sales Architects. A recognized expert in Sales Differentiation, he specializes in helping salesforces, across all industries, win more deals at the prices you want. A featured columnist in The Business Journals and a media source on sales and sales management, Lee has been quoted and featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The New York Times, MSNBC, ABC News, and numerous other outlets. Lee is a frequently-sought keynote speaker and consultant on Sales Differentiation, salesforce development, hiring, onboarding, compensation, and other sales performance topics. He is the bestselling author of the award-winning, bestselling books Sales Differentiation and Hire Right, Higher Profits. Lee is a championship powerlifter and a graduate of Binghamton University. Originally from New York City and New Jersey, he now resides in a Minneapolis suburb with his wife, three kids, and two dogs. When he isn't helping his clients win more deals at the prices you want, you will find him on the baseball field coaching his boys.