management
Sales Meeting Musts KIM WRIGHT WILEY
As every manager who’s ever run a sales meeting knows, getting reps to attend is one thing; holding their attention once they’re in attendance is another. To make sure your next sales meeting keeps your listeners focused and atten- tive, one sales meeting expert suggests you keep these points in mind. First, be organized and set an agenda with the following four components – which the expert says are part of most successful meetings. Training: Salespeople need to know they’ll get spe- cific information and clear strategies that will help them sell better.
Recognize the whole team: “Don’t praise the same people week after week,” says the expert. “It discour- ages those who are never singled out for attention, and besides, high achievers will continue to achieve no matter what you do or don’t say. You can always stop by the desks of your top salespeople after the meeting and say, ‘Hey, you’re the reason I still have a job.’ But, inside the meet- ing, keep recognition focused on the whole team.” Forecasting: “Managers need to be able to predict what’s going to happen next and present their predic-
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tions honestly,” says the expert. “Don’t paint a rosy picture if it isn’t warranted. You can say, ‘The future looks rough, but here are the ways we can continue to outdistance the competition.’ If you just keep telling [your salespeople] everything’s great when they clearly aren’t, they’ll tune you out.” Support: Anyone who contributes to your sales team’s success should be present. Some members of the sales- support staff “are ‘beaten up’ by the sales team on a regu- lar basis,” says the expert. “By including [sales-support members] in the meeting and publicly recognizing their contributions, you model an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation.” To keep everyone engaged in what you’re saying during the meeting, keep these tips in mind. Use visuals that illustrate your verbal points. Research shows we remember 5 percent of what we hear and 15 percent of what we see. If the two are combined, however, retention jumps to more than 60 percent. Hand out a printed agenda and use PowerPoint presentations so there is a constant visual element to whatever you’re speaking about.
Start and end on time. “Nothing is worse than a man- ager who announces an 11 a.m. meeting and then begins at 11:15 a.m.,” says the expert. “You’ve just given every- one permission to be fifteen minutes late next time. And
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How to Make Reps Pay
Attention at Sales Meetings
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