Sales Meeting

Good sales meetings are like good sales. They don’t just happen. They are made to happen with thought and planning.  Good managers plan sales meetings.

“I don’t see any visitors on Fridays,” declared the sales manager of a large real estate firm, “Most of every Friday is devoted to planning my Saturday morning sales meetings.”
Such thorough planning is more than a good investment. It’s absolutely essential for a good sales meeting.

“We have regular monthly meetings,” explained a Minneapolis department store owner. “The moment one meeting is over, we start planning the next. There’s a critique after every meeting. At that time we discuss what to do, and what not to do, at our meeting the following month.”

Determining the Objective of Your Sales Meeting

The first step in planning an effective sales meeting is to decide on an objective.  Ask yourself how your personnel can do a bigger and better job?   If you analyzed sales records, could you spot areas in which there’s room for improvement?

For instance, would the records show a need for making more calls?  How about new items – are they being “pushed”?  Can selling costs be lowered in some way?

Other company officials may have suggestions.  Should they be queried?  Does the director of marketing believe your salespeople are in tune with current trends?  Can the advertising manager suggest better ways to use advertising at the point of sale?  Does the personnel manager have anything to “throw in the pot”?  How about the merchandise manager?

The manager of a drugstore chain asked himself questions such as these.  He was surprised at the answers he received!  Several of the staff members had suggestions, all of real benefit.  A post meeting reaction report revealed that the sales people considered the meeting to be the most helpful they had ever attended.

How to Plan Sales Meetings

Decide what should be accomplished.  Aim for specific objectives.  Do you want to inform everyone?  Do you want to tell of impending changes?  Or do you want to cover certain problems?  Is motivation the prime objective?  If so, in what way? Should your staff be inspired to work harder?  Longer?  Smarter?

Do you want to exchange ideas or is specific training needed on certain products or policies?  What should be done?

Finally … is a sales meeting the best means of accomplishing your objective?  What do you want your sales staff to do as a result of the meeting?  Do you want more enthusiasm shown? More call backs now?  By thoroughly determining your objective you give yourself a much better chance at making a difference with your sales meeting.

Giving the Audience What It Wants

So much for your objective, now ask what does the audience hope to accomplish?  Many members of the audience will have their own objectives. Some will want one thing, while others will want another.

One individual may desire certain product information, for example. Another might be seeking the answer to a new objection.  Group discussion will satisfy many of these specific needs, however, the major need of the audience is a good effective meeting.

Make the meeting interesting, enjoyable, and beneficial.  Everyone would gladly settle for that!  Make each meeting so interesting, enjoyable and beneficial that the audience will welcome the next.

Occasionally you should poll the audience. Hand out pieces of paper headed, “Subjects to be covered at future sales meetings.” Some of the suggestions that are listed will surprise you!  By covering most of their requests, however, you’ll be giving the audience the subjects desired. Most of their topics will be good ones, too.

Check out our other posts for more information on how to plan sales meetings.

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