Suppliers can improve the sales process by researching their planner audience, listening to them and planning a strategy to change their approach before they make the sales call and then build on it as they continue the relationship.

This is according to Mike Pusateri and Jonathan Gray with Vantage Strategy, who presented findings of the buyer/seller relationships study sponsored by the MPI Foundation at IMEX America today.

The study looked at how different people want to be communicated to, and much like target groups in consumer marketing surveys, Vantage decided it could approach meeting planners the same way. 

From the supplier side, though, there is not one type of sales person. Working on communication strategies is key, as is getting fundamentals right by learning how to better meet planners' needs.  

Look for the full results of this study on MPIweb.org in November. In the meantime, view the video below to learn more about the five types of meeting planner personas.