For the past 12 years I have participated or ran sales meetings multiple times almost every week. It shocks me how many of them are planned and conducted the wrong way. It’s estimated that 90% of sales training is a waste. The major cause for this is improper planning and execution. I see companies doing one of three things wrong.
1. They don’t even attempt sales meetings, or gather once in a while to find out what is going wrong.
2. They meet on a regular basis and the majority of the content revolves around putting out fires or talking about what everyone is doing wrong.
3. And worst; they meet every day or at least three times per week and bore everyone to the point where they are yawning and looking at the clock.
Sales meetings must revolve around the following five things:
1. They must be planned. You expect that out of your sales staff, practice what you preach. I prepare sales meetings on a standard "fill in the blank" form. This allows me not only to plan what I will do but to also track what I have done in the past.
2. They must be themed. Typically a sales meeting is the result of the owner not being happy with a certain result. While it is good to analyze the numbers and base your meeting on improving certain aspects, it must be done in a positive way. Theme your meeting around improving a certain area and tie it into the current contest or mantra of the business.
3. They must be short. Sales meetings that drag on for hours have the reverse effect of what was intended. Thirty days after attending a seminar or a sales meeting you will have forgotten 87% of what was said. Be brief and to the point, follow the format and don’t drag it out.
4. Follow the format of: Recognition, Education, and Motivation. Start by recognizing the positive results that sales reps have obtained since the last meeting. This recognition will naturally motive those that are not mentioned; to do things that get them mentioned the next time.
5. The emotional flow of most sales meetings are: start off high, die down during the meat of the meeting, and jack it back up at the end…… WRONG! The emotional flow of the meeting should start off slow and mellow, then slowly build throughout. Reaching the peak and ending it there. Remember, always leave them wanting more and run the meeting like a great story.
For a complimentary sales meeting at your business contact Destry @ destry@stellarremix.com
Destry Brink
Great ideas I'll be sure to include in the upcoming sales meetings, especially so we can start of the new year the right way!
ReplyDelete-Jon
Also, keep in mind that don't try to pack too much information into the sales training or meeting. People can only absorb so much information in a given period. When this capacity is reached, attendees begin to tune out and the effectiveness of the meeting starts to diminish because of the amount information the company wants to cram into a single day.
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