Sales Meeting

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Some executives say that brainstorming is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Others say it’s a waste of time. Brainstorming is creative thinking on a group basis. The group should not exceed 20 people because everyone should be brought into the “act.” A chairman and two recorders are needed. Comments are made so rapidly that one person cannot record all of them. So the recorders accept alternate comments.

How To Select A Subject For Brain Storming

Many subjects are suitable for creative thinking. Non-technical subjects are best. They give everyone a chance to contribute.

Ideal subjects:
“How can more store traffic be created?” “What should we name our customer magazine?” “How can our merchandise be promoted in the off-season?” “What are some new methods of finding prospects?” “What new uses can be suggested for the versatile salad mixer?”

Select a subject on which originality, fresh thinking, and new ideas are needed. Avoid the complex. Further, avoid policy discussion and policy making. Brain storming is creative thinking.

How To Conduct A Brain Storming Session

The group is seated around a conference table. The chairman explains the rules.
No negative thoughts may be expressed. Absolutely no evaluation of any contribution is permitted. Statements such as, “That’s ridiculous.” or, “That couldn’t possibly work.” are strictly taboo.

It’s also understood that a participant will not be held in prejudice because of the quality of his comments. Quantity of new thought is the objective – not quality.

Brain storming draws from the subconscious of each participant. Thoughts near the surface are rapidly contributed. Then the participants dig into the subconscious for new thoughts. They search their minds. The results are usually surprising!

There’s another angle worth mentioning. An absurd contribution often sparks comment that’s not so absurd. This may lead to an idea of still greater value.

Usually there are several people wanting to comment at the same time. Each raises a hand. He speaks only when recognized by the chairman.

None of the contributions are acknowledged. Thus comments are made in rapid succession. All stops are pulled. Imagination runs wild. It’s fun!

One idea may prompt another. The second idea, then, is called a “hitch hike.” A participant with a “hitch hike” snaps his fingers. He’s given priority over others with raised hands. This provides continuity of thought. It causes an idea to be more fully developed.

When ideas have been exhausted, the session is stopped. The recorders read their notes. Any other ideas are then added.

Sales Meeting

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We talked last time about how to appoint a committee to solve sales training problems.

Here is a brief overview of the committee process when working with multiple committees.

The general assembly is adjourned. The various committees then convene in separate meeting places.
Each committee appoints a chairman and a recorder. Their functions are exactly those implied by their titles.

Every member of each committee should be urged to give his thinking. Participation is vital.
At an appointed hour, the general assembly is reconvened. Committee chairmen read reports prepared by the recorders of their respective committees. These reports may be final. Or they may be preliminary reports, followed by more committee work.

After final reports are given, there should be a summary and evaluation in the general assembly. If appropriate, have copied summations distributed.

Technorati Tags: committee meetings, problem solving, workshop

Every company is sometimes faced with problems in their sales process.  To solve these problems you may need a group of people to work on it.  Once you have solved the problem you can incorporat any new processes or procedures into your sales training regimen.

A committee should be appointed for each significant sales problem. Sometimes a problem will have more than one phase, however. In this event, it may be best to appoint a committee to work on each phase of the problem.

For example, consider the problem, “What can be done to give better customer service?”

This might have two distinctly separate phases. One could involve treatment of the customer while he’s in your store. The other phase might have to do with service at the customer’s home or office.

For maximum effectiveness, committees should consist of four to seven people. Each member should have a knowledge of the problem. His occupation should be related to the matter. Where one is not acquainted with the situation, valuable time is lost in bringing him up to date. Even then his or her effectiveness is questionable.

You may have a few experts in the crowd. Spread them around. Use them as consultants.

Sales Training Meetings

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A group of bakery owners met for the first time. It was an enjoyable meeting. The fellows were glad to get acquainted with each other. Also, the program included some interesting speakers. They returned to their homes with the feeling that it had been a good meeting. In some ways it had. But little had been done to solve the problems of the industry. Little had been done to improve the industry.

Instead, there had been a succession of speeches that superficially stabbed at a few festered places, not nearly reaching the core.

The next year they met again. This time they noticed that extra curricular conferences were quite profitable. As one bakery owner explained it, “After the meeting I spent an hour with four other fellows. They have the same problems as I do. I got more help from that one hour than I did from the two-day meeting.”

The group soon realized that long-winded speeches were ineffective. One baker said, “Let’s get to the crux of things. Let’s solve some of our problems together. We can help each other.”
Another chimed in, “Yes, and while some of us confer on one problem, a second group can discuss another matter. We might have several sections, each working on a separate problem.”

Thus a workshop was born.  More on that soon…

Sales Meeting

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A workshop is a meeting in which people solve their own problems with a minimum of outside assistance. It is a work session rather than a series of speeches. Leadership teams are drawn from the group itself. The people learn together as a result of their own efforts.

To organize a workshop, plan a general assembly as your first event. At this assembly, the group decides which problems to tackle. Make suggestions. Guide when necessary. But create the impression that they’re making the decision.

Problems can be of a Positive Nature

Not all the problems must concern things that are wrong. Some may be of a positive nature. The following are positive rather than negative:

“What can dealers do to get more business via the telephone?”
“How can better use be made of direct mail?”
“How can customer service be improved?”
“What new promotions would be timely and profitable?”
“What additional items could be merchandised successfully?”

Most People Will Suggest Problems That Are Negative

But a natural tendency is to suggest problems of a negative nature. Here are a few:

“What can be done about the price cutting of our competitors?”
“How can breakage in transit be reduced?”
“How can travel costs of salespeople be lowered?”
“How can accidents be prevented?”
“What can be done about Smithfield Company’s complaint?”

Prior to the workshop, determine which problems are most pressing. Advance information can be quite helpful. For one thing, it indicates whether there’ll be too many negative problems.
There should be a healthy balance between the positive and negative. This produces better morale and a more effective workshop. You may find it advisable to prepare a few positive problems.
They can be thrown into the hopper to offset the usual barrage of negativism.

Sales Meeting

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1. Anticipate needs. Before the conference get all the data you think may be needed. The discussion can go off in any direction. Even a guided discussion can take unexpected turns. So have all the files at hand. It will save time.

2. Eliminate interruptions in advance. It’s folly for a dozen people to be idle while one person talks on the telephone. Don’t allow any members of the conference group to take calls during the meeting.

3. Have an open mind. If you don’t, why hold a conference?  If an employer is determined that things will be a certain way, there’s no need for a conference. Merely an announcement will serve the purpose.

4. Get them acquainted. Be sure all conference members have met each other. A friendly atmosphere relaxes everyone. Be sure to create it.

5. Try to analyze. Break down the problem so you won’t have more than the group can handle. Many subjects are too broad for an effective problem solving conference. Other problems may be beyond the scope of authority of the conference group. Always analyze the problem to determine if it is appropriate.

6. Stay alert. Quick thinking is a must. Day dreaming can cause the conference leader to be caught off guard.

7. Accept all contributions. The fellow who’s not permitted to throw in his 2 cents worth will be miffed. Perhaps his comment is unimportant to everyone else. But it’s important to the person contributing it, so let him say a few words.

8. Keep on the track. Tangents are often interesting but seldom profitable. Virtually every conference will wander out into “right field” if permitted to do so. You, the leader, must keep the discussion aimed in the right direction.

9. Refrain from squelching anyone. It doesn’t pay! If someone gets out of line the others will take care of him.

10. Avoid sarcasm and ridicule. People don’t appreciate it. While it makes a guy feel superior to belittle one of his conference members, it’s nothing short of professional suicide.

11. Use tact. Many people wear their feelings on their sleeves.  It’s easy to offend a person when speaking to him in front of others. How you treat a conference member is important. But how he feels you’ve treated him is even more important.

12. Let them save face. When one conference member gets “crucified” by another, put in a good word for the loser. Help save at least part of his face.

13. Have a sense of humor. An occasional laugh improves the “climate.” So be ready to laugh, especially at yourself. “I have two or three jokes ready in advance,” said a Minneapolis con
ference leader. “I work them in when things start getting stale.”

14. Consider early departures. Certain participants may have special interests or qualifications. Make them feel free to leave after they are no longer involved.

15. Keep it moving. No one else is concerned about the progress of the conference. Be sure that you are. Even the brass should not be permitted to bog down the proceedings. You must keep it moving at all costs.

16. Subordinate your own opinion. Give your ideas. But consider them no more important than those of any other conference member. A Texarkana sales manager said, “Nothing is worse than a conference leader who places his opinion over that of others. He’s taking unfair advantage of his position.”

17. Remain in charge. Either you run the conference or others do. Don’t let it “get out of hand.”

18. Have only one speaker at a time. Side conversations are undesirable since those involved do not hear what is being said in the conference. A good way to stop a side conversation: “Can everyone hear what Mr. Jones is saying?”

19. Get distribution of discussion. Everyone should participate. One or two should not be permitted to hog the show.

20. Push for a solution. Little has been accomplished until the problem is solved. Ever seen a guided missile seek out its target? It’s relentless. A good conference leader is much the same way. He pursues his target, a solution, refusing to be thwarted en route.

Sales Meeting Ideas

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A promotional letter will often “ring the bell” and improve attendance at a sales meeting. Frame your letter around the four steps in a sale—attention, interest, desire, action.

Example Letter
 
Mr. Jack Brighton
SellMore Stores, Inc.
Yourtown, U.S.A.

Attention: A small fortune in one day! Seems impossible, but is it?

Interest: Many dealers, like yourself, handle our merchandise. You’re doing a terrific job, too. But some of you expressed a desire to do even better. You suggested a sales meeting. You felt that more product information was needed. You also asked for tips on selling this particular line.

Desire:    You can have exactly what you want. We’ll give you an all-day meeting chock-full of money making ideas. There’ll be exhibits, displays, demonstrations, prizes, and surprises. You’ll love it! Your sales will zoom up¬wards because of this fabulous meeting!

Action: We’ll convene from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6th, at the Jefferson Hotel. Please be our guest for lunch that day. And if you care to bring an assistant, that’s fine. Two tickets are enclosed.

No reply is expected. Just be there!

Cordially,

Richard Kendall
President

Sales Meeting Ideas

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