A few years ago, I facilitated C-level peer focus groups. At one of our meetings, the topic was time wasters. One member said "meeting with salespeople." He explained that salespeople he meets with know very little about what he does, the company, and what issues he may be dealing with. He believed It was not his job to educate the seller and many salespeople struggle to engage in a conversation without talking about their solution which was of little value if he didn't know how it would help him address his issues.
Uncovering pain in an organization is critical to driving change. If there is no pain, there is no change. Researching the individual, company, market, industry, and their customers usually uncovers some issues that will help uncover pain.
This article provides key areas of information to understand and help you prepare for your meeting and align with what is most important to your prospect during your meeting.