My company, a biz intel startup, pitched to a prospect a few months ago, and they asked us to come back and pitch at their annual conference, when all the decision makers would be available. Seems odd, but okay. A week before the conference, no one had contacted my team regarding time or place, so I reach out. Yeah, we're already on the schedule and the topic has changed. Also, we're no longer allowed to pitch, and this is an internal sales meeting now. Again, strange, so I try to redo our pitch deck into a more informational one. It can't be done. I contact the prospect and tell them, "The topic you've given me isn't one I normally speak on, and I'm not comfortable with how this presentation is turning out since I've only had 48 hours to work on it." They reply saying that they don't care and want us to present anyways, then close it with, "Does that seem hard?" Now the internal sales meeting is tomorrow, no decision makers are attending, and I'm not allowed to pitch like was originally discussed. Moreover, they're not paying me to speak, but they want me to disclose my company's internal processes to help their sales team sell to our contemporaries. I don't know how to handle this. Any recommendations?
Update: Bowed out after a considerable amount of resistance. They tried to get me back in with FOMO on meeting important people, but I had the list of attendees. All middle managers.
Are you sure that asking you to disclose your company's internal processes is for the purpose of helping their sales team sell to your "contemporaries" (by which I assume you mean "competitors")? If they've told you so directly, then your cancellation was definitely the right decision. Otherwise, it could have been for the purpose of evaluating your company's value to their business.
Tech Industry
2d
15197
RIP Google Core Employees replaced with Mexico and India Workers
AMA
Yesterday
1203
PM Manager, early 40s, married and ENM (Ethical Non Monogamous) AMA
Health & Wellness
Yesterday
945
Lasik cost
World Conflicts
8h
319
Why I Find Free Palestine Inspiring
World Conflicts
10h
413
Israeli precision-guided munition likely killed group of children playing foosball in Gaza, weapons experts say
If your chances of a sale to this prospect are nil, just cancel. No brainer decision