sales meetings with a purpose

Who loves sales meeting?

Eish, don’t all shout at once!!!!!!!!

I am sure that every Sales Manager as well as Sales Professionals have sat in dozens of sales meetings.

So, what is the purpose, I hear you ask.

When surveyed, Reps responded ~

1.??????65% said meetings keep them from completing their own work

2.??????71% said meetings are unproductive and inefficient

3.??????64% said meetings come at the expense of deep thinking

4.??????62% said meetings miss opportunities to bring the team closer together

And yet, we do need to hold these meetings!

Just make them of value – & give them a clear purpose.

When putting together meaningful meetings, follow these principles ~

1.??????standardize agendas. Create a schedule for your meetings & stick to it.

2.??????Give value. Every meeting should give your team value.?This can be something as basic as training or even feedback that can be in the form of training or sharing a successful technique.

3.??????Team participation. Reps will get bored if you don’t get them involved. Generate “buy-in” by setting expectations before the meeting. Encourage interaction throughout the meeting

4.??????Be consistent. Speaking of expectations, make sure recurring meetings are always held on the same day of the month or week & time of the day. This will build a routine that sets expectations for your team members.

Suggested topics to have on your meeting agenda ~

1.??????Celebrate successes. Big or small. Congratulate Achievers & make them. This starts the meeting on a positive note.

2.??????Uncover obstacles. Are there any bottlenecks holding your team up from making progress? These can often come in the form of travel plans or even roadblocks from other departments.

3.??????Share prospect insights. Allow your reps to share the feedback they receive from prospects. What are they saying about your value proposition, company and sales pitches?

4.??????Display the numbers. Focus on monthly targets, & n overall picture of where the Team stands. Conduct individual performance behind closed doors to avoid embarrassment.

5.??????The greater business. Your Team deserves to know how the business, is performing. It shows them respect & gains commitment.

6.??????Expose market activity. This is an opportunity for your Team to share market intelligence. What is the competition up too? Share as many insights as you can to get a bigger picture of the competitive landscape.

Preparing for the meeting

A great idea is to rotationally delegate roles to team members, giving them a job for the meeting.

This inclusion will create buy-in to the actual presentation. EG: let each have an opportunity to write up & distribute the minutes for the next meeting

Housekeeping tips

a)??????Finalize & distribute the agenda to your team ahead of time

b)?????Send any agenda & required feedback ahead of time.

c)??????Make sure everything is prepared.

d)?????Be professional

?And lastly, make each meeting “short, sharp, lively & to the point.”

Send your Team away with an encouraging note, & (vital) a task to perform for the next meeting.

?Best wishes, Richard