With sales costs spiraling upward and sales time becoming limited, considerable prudence is required on the part of every salesperson.
Salespeople need to ask a small number of basic questions regarding a prospect's precise requirements, time scales, budget, competitive offers, etc., before revealing price and delivery options. It is vital that some initial answers are elicited prior to that first exploratory get-together in order to ensure that the meeting will be worthwhile to both parties.
During that first meeting, a considerable amount of detail can and should be uncovered—background and history of the company/individual, the key decision makers, time scales, budget, competition, current suppliers, etc.
