What is a Great Sales Meeting?

What is a great sales meeting?

The short answer is the one you don’t have to go to.

Sales leaders… before you get too worked up over the previous comment, hang in there.  I will explain.

Over the years I have gone to more sales meetings which were required by other people than I can count.  I have also held more sales meetings for my team than I have attended for others.  So, I do consider myself well versed on both what works… and what doesn’t insofar as sales meetings are concerned.

Two of my past mentors, Lynn and Ron, had the unique position of working for each other in subordinate roles over the years.  One of my favorite stories that they told happened at a sales meeting.  At that point in time, Ron reported to Lynn.

Lynn came into the meeting with a large stack of papers – with the intention of going through all of them during the meeting.  Ron saw this and asked, “Lynn, would you mind starting this meeting somewhere toward the end?”

“The best sales meetings are those you don’t have to attend… but you want to.”

– Jeff C. West

Divide your meetings into three categories.

Communication Meetings:

You don’t have to attend communication meetings.  Sales data, team performance issues and company communications can be effectively held by electronic and video conferencing.  How much expense and time can be saved by cutting out travel and/or meeting rooms?  How much more selling time can you team have by avoiding this type of in person meeting?

Training Meetings:

Some training must be “hands on” and cannot be effective by video conferencing.  However, more often than not – there are alternatives to the dry and mundane type of sales training offered by many companies.  When online training will work – use it.  When in person training must happen, make it interactive and interesting.

Team Building Meetings:

I believe there is still a definite place for meetings that build the chemistry and emotional bond between members of a team.  The focus of these meetings should be to create Fusion Points® that give each member a sense that their enjoyment of the job is much greater than just doing the job for the income they receive.

When in person meetings for training or team building occur – combine them if possible to avoid extra meetings.

Then  make the meetings so valuable and enjoyable that people don’t have to attend…

They want to attend.

QUESTION:  What value do you get from your sales meetings?