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One of the most common sales activities today is to capture notes from sales meetings. Where the typical output focus on agreed actions, customer comments and identified opportunities. But the number one sales job is to understand your customer. A challenge where you need to raise your ambition for what to bring back to your team.

Purpose of this template

This template support sales professionals to extract more insights from their customer meetings. The first three topics are table stakes. Actions, comments and new business opportunities. The last three differentiate a great from an average sales professional.

Follow-up actions

The essence of the meeting. What we agreed upon as next steps. Who is delivering what to whom. Timelines. Your road to the next meeting in the engagement. And the way to build trust in the relationship.

Customer messages & comments

Key messages conveyed by your customer. Strategic directions blended with tactical considerations. Cues helping us to better understand our customers. Easy to capture as customers communicate them in plain language. Great sales professionals add what to interpret between the lines.

Identified new business opportunities

Articulating new opportunities emerging from customers’ pain points. Complemented with strategic initiatives opening new doors. Triggers for new business development activities. Often starting with weak signals and on vague grounds.

Questions asked by your customer

During customer interactions their questions often tell more than their messages. Capture all questions. Second guess the options customers explore for each question.

Insights gained about our customers’ business

In the past we have been alert for feedback on our product, services and prices. Facts coupled to our own business. The most valuable insight today are the ones defining your customer’s business. Which business metrics are so far off they attract investment capital. Which business issues are in play now. Which represent major gains with small efforts. Where do we have a good match between our capabilities and customers’ needs.

Ideas on how we can improve our customers’ buying experience

No sales organization is perfect. There is always room to improve the customer buying experience. Reflect on the improvement potential for each customer touch-point. Articulate ideas on how you would improve the meeting if you would do a re-run tomorrow. Strive to make each customer touch point exciting for your customer.