The meeting is booked. Now what? This checklist covers everything between "appointment confirmed" and "hello" on the call — because 80% of meeting success is determined before the call starts.
24 Hours Before the Meeting
Research the prospect (15 minutes):
- Review their company website — note services, company size, locations, and recent news
- Check their LinkedIn profile — recent posts, job changes, shared connections
- Look at their company's recent job postings — reveals growth areas and pain points
- Google "[Company Name] + IT" for relevant context
- Check if they have a current IT provider visible
Prepare your talking points:
- Write down 2-3 specific observations about their business
- Identify the most likely pain point based on your research
- Prepare one relevant case study from a similar company
- Write your opening line — it should reference why THEY should care
Set up logistics:
- Confirm the meeting link works and your camera/mic are tested
- Have your CRM open to the prospect's record
- Close all unnecessary tabs and notifications
- Have your one-page proposal template ready
2 Hours Before the Meeting
Send a confirmation touchpoint:
Short email or text: "Looking forward to our call at [time]. Here's the link: [link]. I've put together a few ideas based on [specific research point] — excited to share." This reduces no-shows by 15-20%.
During the Meeting (Framework)
First 2 minutes — Build rapport, don't pitch:
"Thanks for making time. Before I share anything, I'd love to understand where you're at right now."
Minutes 3-15 — Discovery (they talk 70%, you talk 30%):
- "What does your IT support look like today?"
- "What's working well? What's frustrating?"
- "If you could change one thing about how IT runs at [Company], what would it be?"
- "Is this something you've been thinking about for a while, or did something specific prompt it?"
- "What would success look like for you over the next 12 months?"
Minutes 15-25 — Present your solution:
Don't present a generic slide deck. Reference their specific answers: "You mentioned [X] — here's exactly how we handle that..."
Last 5 minutes — Clear next step:
"Based on what you've shared, I think there's a strong fit. Here's what I'd suggest as a next step: [specific action]. Does [specific date/time] work?"
Within 1 Hour After the Meeting
- Send follow-up email with: thank you, one-line summary of their priority, next step, and one relevant resource
- Update CRM with meeting notes, next step, and deal stage
- If it went well, connect on LinkedIn with a personalized note