When you think about the sales meetings you attend, are you delighted or disappointed? Are you engaged or enraged? Is your time spent in the meetings worthwhile or wasted?
Sales meetings are a staple in most every sales department. Time is money to every salesperson and sales leader. It’s up to the sales leader to make sure each meeting is positive, motivating, and worthwhile. Treat your sales team like customers who want to feel like their needs have been met and that they leave the meeting enlightened and energized.
10 Tips to Help Create Meaningful Sales Meetings
Below are ten tips to create sales meetings that will help build teams infused with positivity about this weekly meeting. The first tip may be the most important — the reason why NOT to have a sales meeting.
1. Be Clear on What NOT To Do in The Meeting
In your sales meeting do NOT include any topic that can be sent in a memo.
- Do NOT include a collections review roundtable.
- Do NOT go over individual revenue projections.
- Do NOT let your meeting turn into a forum for whining, complaining, or an outlet for negativity.
2. Create an Agenda for Each Meeting That's Time-Bound
Meetings should not go on and on. They should be organized, relevant, interactive, and never used to reprimand the entire team.
- Review the numbers
- Plan for the week
- Answer questions
- Discuss specific items/tasks
3. Sales Meetings is an Opportunity
An opportunity for training, client problem-solving, and recognition.
4. All Meetings Should Be Interactive
Sales meetings are interactive, and should be focused on group participation and group dynamics. Salespeople should be stakeholders in each meeting.
5. Change the “Voice” in the Meeting So It’s Not Always Yours
Have a salesperson present a proposal where honest feedback can be given in the “safe space” of the team. Salespeople can use this time to benefit from a group brainstorming session to develop a creative and customized idea for a client.
6. Invite a Prospect to the Meeting
This is an opportunity where the entire team can conduct a Needs Analysis session with the prospect. How cool does that make the prospect feel?
7. Recognition — Be Specific in Your Recognition of Someone on Your Team
Employee recognition, and your remarks, should relate to what this person has done and be aligned with his or her particular talents.
8. Ask for a Volunteer
This volunteer can talk about the best sales call they’ve had in the past week, and explain in detail what made it so good.
9. Assign Topics to be Presented by a Salesperson Based on Their Strengths
What are their compelling valid business reasons (VBRs) to get the appointment, research tools they use that are most helpful, email subjects they use that get a response from the prospect/client, etc.
10. Ask a Salesperson to Discuss Examples
Ask a salesperson to discuss specific examples, such as, why they should never give up on a prospect.
- How long did the sales process take?
- What tactics did the salesperson use in the process?
The goal is to have each team member leave the meeting feeling that it was a WOW meeting, and that it was an enlightening and motivating experience. After several meetings like this your team will be primed with positivity and possibilities regarding sales meetings.
*Editor's Note: This post was originally published in December 2016, and has since been updated.
