Old school sales is best

Too many sales meetings go nowhere

You show up. You chat. You demo. The prospect says “Interesting”... and then disappears

Why? Because there’s no structure. No flow. No direction

To fix it use AIDA - simple and effective.

It's an oldie but a goodie because it's based on how people think

AIDA = Attention. Interest. Desire. Action

Use it to shape every sales conversation so it actually moves things forward

🔶 A – Attention

Start strong or lose them

You’ve got 60 seconds to get them interested

Don’t open with “So tell me about your business…”

Hit them with something that matters:

- “Companies like yours are cutting costs 25% by automating X. Are you looking at this yet?”
- “Last time we spoke, you said downtime was killing productivity. Still a headache?”

Lead with insight. Hook fast. Don’t ramble

🔶 I – Interest

Make it relevant to them

Once you’ve got their attention, keep it by making the conversation about their world.

- Ask questions that dig into the pain
- Share examples that actually relate
- Help them make sense of things

This is NOT the time for a product dump. Keep it tight. Keep it tailored

🔶D – Desire

Make them want it

Now you shift gears. It’s not about pain anymore - it’s about possibility

- Share outcomes, not features
- Use numbers: “Saved £200K in six months”
- Tell real stories about customers who got results

Help them see the win. Make it personal. Make it tangible

🔶 A – Action

Always, always close with clear next steps

This is where many salespeople fail. They hear “Great chat” and leave it hanging.

Wrong. End with clarity

- “Let’s book the demo for next week – Tuesday work?”
- “I’ll send the proposal and follow up on Friday. Agreed?”
- “You want buy-in from IT - shall we involve them into the next call?”

No next step = no deal

In summary

1. Quick intro – Remind them why we’re here (and they should care)

2. Talk pain – Dig in with discovery to develop mutual understanding

3. Show how you help – Case study, example, impact

4. Lock next steps – Concrete and confirmed

Stay focused
Don’t waffle. Don’t wing it. Don’t walk out without commitment

Structured meetings don’t kill spontaneity - they kill confusion

You’re the guide. Own the flow so stay sharp and drive action.

How do you keep meetings on track and moving forward?