I had a discussion with a client recently where we were getting into some quite complex and frankly convoluted ideas for setting up sales meetings with potential clients.

At one point we both paused for a bit, recognising we were overcomplicating things. And then my client reminded me of something the great Ford Harding had taught him.

(I'm paraphrasing here, but I'm sure Ford will forgive me for mangling the words as long as I get the essence right).

Ford taught him that at the end of the day, all we're really trying to do is create ways of getting together with potential clients to listen to them and allow them to tell us what they need.

If we know that potential client reasonably well and we've been a valuable resource to them before, then often we don't need to engineer a clever excuse for meeting with them.

We can just ask them for a coffee and a chat.

And in that chat we can ask them “what's new?”. or “Anything interesting you're working on?”. Or any one of a myriad of little opening questions that allow them to tell you what they're focused on and what help they might need.

Of course, you could get more out of those meetings by using some smart questioning techniques and following a decent process.

But sometimes by trying to learn the perfect way of doing these meetings we paralyse ourselves and never have them for fear of not getting it right.

Often it's enough to sit down and have a chat with a friendly person we've built a good relationship with. We don't need the fancy sales techniques.

The key is to just get more of those meetings (or calls or whatever it is you do to bring clients on board).

Is it really that simple?

Well, for most potential clients, no.

But for some…yes.

I bet if you thought about it you'd be able to find at least one or two potential clients you've built a good relationship with who would be happy to catch up and find out how things are going on both sides.

And if you ask them what they're focused on right now, sometimes it'll be something you could help with.