In selling, a "Next Step" is tangible evidence that someone is working with you Ð playing ball with you. It's not a "gut feeling" that the person is interested in playing ball with you, but proof of that interest.

At D.E.I Management Group, where I work, we believe that interest is demonstrated by action. That action takes the form of an agreement to meet with you, speak to you, or do something for you ... typically within the next two weeks. This is the Next Step.

There are many good reasons to fight for the Next Step, and here are some of the key ones.

Reason #1: It Shortens Your Selling Cycle. At the end of a sales meeting, most salespeople say "I'll call you in a week or two." They end up wasting all kinds of time playing phone tag.

Why not set the Next Step while you're still face to face? You can save 1-3 weeks between each meeting - and perhaps as much as a month off your overall sales cycle. (And you can save time every day by avoiding phone tag, too.)

Reason #2: Territory Management. Once you know you are meeting again with this client, you can set another appointment in the area. You can work in advance to set up other meetings. This contact may be more likely to meet with you at hard-to-fill time slots (8:00 am, 4:00 pm) than someone with whom you have no rapport or history.

Reason #3: Time Management. Fact of sales life: The proposal that's due "sometime next week" will probably slip to the bottom of your priority list. The proposal that's due because of a meeting you've scheduled for next Tuesday at 2:00 will be less likely to slip.

Find out exactly when it's "DUE" so you know when to "DO" it. Why? Because there are three things you should always make a conscious effort to schedule: Meetings with prospects; work you have to do BEFORE a meeting with a prospect; and prospecting time.

Reason #4: You'll Know with Whom to Follow Up. Let's say it's a "busy month." Maybe you have 20 first appointments in a "busy month." Say that seven of them don't go anywhere - you get a clear "no," or the person is obviously unqualified.

If you don't ask for a Next Step at the end of the first meeting, that means 13 people are in "call-me-next-week-sometime" mode. Come to think of it, you also have 13 people like that from LAST month... and 13 from the month before that.

But suppose you've only got time for five quality proposals this month. Who do you focus on? Well, if you regularly ask for a Next Step, you know EXACTLY who you should write a proposal for: the people who agree to a Next Step!

Remember, interest is demonstrated by ACTION. You are prioritizing people who agree to Next Steps because at least they agreed to see you again. The others, when asked, DIDN'T agree to see you. So here's the question: If they didn't agree to SEE you, what makes you think they'll BUY from you?

Reason #5: You'll Send the Right Message. Translation: Your time is valuable, too. Consider this: We teach people how to buy from us. So we don't want to say, "When are you free?" Rather, we want to say, "I've got a slot at 11:00 on Tuesday; does that work?"

Sending the "When are you free?" message is professional suicide. Why would you want to send someone the message, "I'll travel two hours out of my way to spend two minutes with you?"

Reason #6. You Worked Too Darn Hard to Set up the Appointment in the First Place. You've made a sizeable time investment to set this up, drive out, and meet with the prospect. Why walk away from that without a commitment?

Once you accept the value of the Next Step, you have to put that knowledge into action. That means actively asking for a Next Step. Here are 16 ways to go about that:

1. When You Want to Get Corrected. This is probably the simplest and most effective Next Step strategy. Try phrases like these:

"I think this meeting went well."

"Here's why I think it went well. I think I see a possible match between what you're trying to accomplish and what we do."

"SO... let me tell you what I think we should do."

"I want to come back here on Tuesday at 2:00 and show you an outline of how we might be able to work together, based on what we've talked about today. Does that make sense?"

2. When You've Hit a Technical Obstacle. "Let me come back here on Tuesday at 2:00 and introduce your tech people to my tech person."

3. When You Want to Escalate the Sale. "I get the feeling I should meet your boss. Why don't you and I meet with him on Tuesday at 2:00?"

4. When You Want to Escalate the Sale (Variation). "I really get the feeling your boss ought to meet my boss. Let's set up a meeting. How's Tuesday at 2:00?"

5. When You Want to Gain or Regain Access to Key People. "Let's meet with your team for an hour -- so we can all work together to build the proposal for you. How's Tuesday at 2:00?"

6. When You Want to Reassure the Prospect. "Let's have a meeting with (one of your existing satisfied customers). You really ought to talk to him. How's Tuesday at 2:00?"

7. When You Want to Position Yourself as a "Virtual Employee." "I've got an idea. Why don't I talk to your team about what they're doing ... and do a little free consulting for you? I'll give you my analysis. We should really set up a date for me to report back to you. How's Tuesday at 2:00?"

8. When the Prospect Is Having Trouble Visualizing the Benefit of What You Sell. "I've got an idea. Why don't you come by and sit in on one of our programs/training sessions/other customer event. How's Tuesday at 8:00 am?"

9. When You Want to Improve Your Relationship by Spending Time at a Neutral Site. "I've got an idea. We've got tickets for a special industry event/trade show, and I'd love for you to be there and see it. How's Tuesday night at 8:00 pm?"

10. When You Want to Exchange Access to Their People for Access to Your Product. "I've got an idea. Why don't I set up a demonstration for you and your boss so you can see how this product works. How's Tuesday at 2:00?"

11. When You Want to Help Them Visualize How You Can Benefit Them. "I've got an idea. Why don't you come by and visit our facilities so you can see how we work and meet our key people. How's Tuesday at 2:00?"

12. When You Want to Reassure Them That You Understand Why They're Different. "I've got an idea. Why don't I take a tour of your plant and see it firsthand. How's Tuesday at 2:00?"

13. When You Want to Rescue a "Fallback" - a Dormant Lead. "I've been thinking about the plan we put together for you, and I'm not happy with it. I have a new plan I want to show you. Can I come by Tuesday at 2:00?"

14. When You Want to Rescue a "Fallback" - a Dormant Lead (Variation). "I was just thinking of you. We really ought to get together again. Can I come by Tuesday at 2:00?"

15. When You Want to Rescue a "Fallback" - a Dormant Lead (Variation). "I'm going to be in the area, I'm meeting with XYZ Company. We ought to get together again so I can see what you're doing. Can I come by Tuesday at 2:00?"

16. When You Want to Rescue A "Fallback" - a Dormant Lead (Variation). "I have an idea I want to discuss with you. Can I come by Tuesday at 2:00?"

Finally, remember that no matter what the situation, you must make absolutely sure the Next Steps you suggest are clear, perceived as helpful and easy to agree to. If you don't get a Next Step when you ask for one, it may be because you're suggesting something that is hard to understand, not perceived as helpful, or difficult to agree to.