 For many in the corporate world, meetings have the reputation of being time-wasting, soul-crushing exercises in futility. However, when sales meetings are designed and presented correctly, few activities contribute more to collective creativity, collaboration, and organizational growth.
To be sure, it's important to find a balance between leaving space for the expression of ideas and providing clear guidance on the scope and purpose of the meeting. The key here is structure. Create a clear agenda that has buy-in from all key stakeholders. As a result, you'll be able to develop useful and efficient sales meetings. Here are some critical steps to take along this line: Step #1: Set Intentions. Create Connections. Setting intentions is exactly what it sounds like. Before each sales meeting, you need to make it clear to all participants what you hope to achieve through the meeting. Creating connections, however, is especially vital if you're beginning to bring your sales and marketing teams together via integrated meetings. It may be a good idea to use the first combined meeting with both departments as a sort of "brainstorming session." Open the meeting by having each participant share something about themselves. This could be a professional or personal win, someone they want to recognize or thank, or an icebreaker exercise that gets people excited and engaged in the meeting. This shouldn't take up too much time. However, it is an essential tool in making each person feel heard and valued. Then, proceed to get a consensus on what the partnership between sales and marketing should look like. Get your team members to share enough ideas that everyone starts to get excited about what the future could look like. Set the stage with this first meeting. Then, future integrated meetings can focus on ideas, initiatives, and actions through the lens of that original vision outlined by your team. Step #2: Remember Why You Are Meeting Hopefully, you've already made the point of the meeting clear long before it actually begins. But it never hurts to introduce a meeting by clearly stating the goals. This can be especially helpful if team members are used to participating in a certain type of meeting, but not necessarily the type you're currently holding. Whether it's sharing knowledge, creating accountability, or attacking a specific problem, make sure everyone knows what the objective is, and how you want them to participate. Step #3: Evaluate Where You Are Right Now There are, without fail, two key pieces of information you need for any successful journey: your desired destination and where you are now. We already alluded to the desired destination in step #1(and we'll discuss it more in step #4)... but what about your team's current state? How are sales and marketing collaborating? Is there still room for improvement? Which sales and marketing tactics are proving effective? And which ones aren't performing up to expectations? Where are the bottlenecks in the sales pipeline? You'll likely need to use a mixture of qualitative and quantitative information to arrive at an accurate analysis of your current situation. Again, this is why it's crucial to properly prepare any team members who will be attending. Enable them to show up with the data and anecdotal information to make the best use of everyone's time. Step #4: Align on Where You Want to Go Many corporate employees are used to weekly, rinse-repeat meetings where they can mostly tune out. But when every meeting is geared toward a particular outcome, things change quickly. At some point during the meeting, you need to explicitly name the problem, challenge, or initiative you have come together to solve. This should only be done after everyone has had a chance to provide their input — after all, your view of what the issue is may change during the course of a truly productive, collaborative meeting. Nevertheless, once the issue has been clearly defined, it allows everyone on the team to focus on solutions — both collectively and individually. It's important to note here that this doesn't just have to involve overarching business outcomes. It may be appropriate in some meetings to focus on more granular results. These include reducing the number of unqualified sales leads, clarifying marketing communication to increase customer satisfaction, and so forth. Step #5: Chart the Path Forward Once the team has been aligned on a desired outcome or destination, it's time to specify which solutions should be focused on, and come up with tactics to support those solutions. This may involve a standalone meeting — e.g., a strategy or working session. As the names suggest, strategy sessions are more focused on conceptual troubleshooting. Conversely, working sessions involve the nitty-gritty details that transform a strategy into an active business process. Step #6: Plan Next Steps and Create Accountability Every meeting should have clear next steps — including owners of those steps, requirements, and deadlines (or at least approximate timelines). Make sure all participants agree. Everyone should leave the meeting understanding what's expected of them. Don't leave anything vague! If you even get the slightest sense that an aspect of your plan might still be somewhat nebulous, or that a team member doesn't quite understand what they need to do, clarify, clarify, clarify until it can't get any clearer. Don't confuse insistence on clarity with micro-management. The latter is counterproductive and discouraging; the former is essential for the smooth operation of any business and leads to increased discipline and accountability among your team members. Step #7: Always Support Commitment With a Recap No one should ever leave a meeting, no matter how positive, thinking: "That's nice, but I doubt anything will come from it." It's important to remind your participants that it's everyone's responsibility to support the team and do what they have agreed to do. One of the most effective, yet simplest ways to do this is by providing each meeting participant with a recap after the meeting ends. This is often provided via email in the form of a brief summary along with a list of action items, and each item's owner. In-person recaps can also be effective. Supporting the team through solid recaps builds trust, collaboration, accountability, and good habits. (You may even find these good habits sneak into other meetings as well!) If you keep these seven key steps in mind as you design your meeting agendas, you'll undoubtedly find that your sessions become more productive, your teams become tighter and more focused, and your overall sales process becomes smoother and more efficient. Remember, you don't want your meetings to crush souls — instead, they should help your team crush their sales goals! Learn More A healthy relationship between sales and marketing is vital to an organization’s success. Dive deep into this effective strategy in Sales & Marketing Alignment. If you'd like more insights on how you can improve your sales leadership, contact us. Or sign up for our newsletter for more valuable resources.  Meetings are at the very core of sales and marketing integration. In fact, they are one of the most critical factors in orchestrating the type of cooperation that ultimately results in closed sales. In addition, they promote regular, meaningful communication between teams and departments, which helps to prevent disagreements and misalignments that can lead to conflict.
Well, that's how sales and marketing meetings are supposed to function. In the real world, many company sales meetings end up wasting everyone's time. Maybe they lack focus and structure; maybe they've become occasions for a team leader to dictate strategy behind a facade of "collaboration." Whatever the case may be, all too often meetings in the corporate world are counterproductive, frustrating, and exhausting. It doesn't have to be that way. You can develop, promote, and chair meetings that generate creative ideas, yield actionable results and promote genuine alignment and collaboration between your sales and marketing departments. But to hold an effective sales meeting, setting the appropriate tone must be at the top of your list of best practices. Approach Sales Meetings With a Spirit of "Teaming" The stereotypical corporate meeting involves a leader on one side who's rigidly following a series of bullet points, lecturing his or her audience about decisions that have already been made, and generally sucking all the air out of the room. Not surprisingly, on the other side you have disengaged, bored team members who clearly view the sales and marketing meeting as a hardship to be endured rather than an opportunity to be heard. If that describes your organizational sales meetings, even to a small degree, it's vital to initiate a company-wide mindset shift that will counter those bad habits. The shift should be toward "teaming" — in other words, cultivating a positive mindset and unifying around a shared goal. The most effective way to enter productive sales and marketing meetings is to remember that you are coming together to create results, not to dictate or be dictated to. Meetings should be spaces for team members to share observations and ideas, and even ask for support as they work to understand and fulfill their roles in the sales funnel. For instance, think of a marketing team that isn't sure of which direction to take a new piece of content. Perhaps in a meeting, one of the marketing managers asks the sales team for observations on what leads seem to be most interested in. That conversation could open up completely new angles for the marketing team to consider as they continue to develop and implement their content strategy. Key Tone-Setters for Effective Sales Meetings As you reflect on ways to prepare for effective sales and marketing meetings, there are some important principles you must keep in mind when it comes to setting the right tone. These include the following points: 1. Effective sales meetings must have structure. It's no secret that sales meetings without structure fail to accomplish their intended purpose — if, indeed, they have a clear purpose at all. Meetings, like sales and marketing initiatives, live and die by strategy, processes, and people. In other words: you need a strategy for how to run meetings in the first place; you need processes in place that make your meetings efficient and useful; and you need to make sure your people are contributing and receiving value at those meetings. 2. Sales and marketing meetings must have an agenda. Whatever form your sales meeting structure ends up taking, a clear agenda needs to be an integral part of it. It's crucial that whoever leads the meeting has an agenda already in place, and that any critical resources or key assignments are given to participating team members well in advance. When your team members have a few days to look at and think about the items on the agenda, they'll be in a much better position to share useful feedback and observations during the meeting itself. In fact, you may even want them to suggest additional items be included on the agenda — and if you ask them far enough in advance, you may be surprised at how much feedback you receive, and how valuable it is! 3. Successful sales meetings include logistical planning. The importance of creating a meeting environment that's conducive to collaboration and learning shouldn't be overlooked. Obviously, you'll want to hold your meeting at a time when everyone can pay attention, and at a location as free of distractions as possible. Moreover, for the sake of efficiency, it's helpful to have any meeting resources or hardware primed and ready to go. For example, you may want to ensure that whiteboards and markers are clean and new, or that any digital content you plan to share is preloaded and ready to play. 4. Effective sales meetings are selective (in terms of attendees). Don't just invite everyone to a meeting. Select your attendees according to who will really benefit from the information to be discussed, as well as who is in the best position to add value to the meeting. It's usually best to keep your meetings small: four to six people is typically a comfortable number. Additionally, you usually shouldn't invite more than eight people if you want full participation and engagement. 5. High value sales meetings encourage a collaborative headspace. A good meeting covers what the sales and marketing teams will co-create in the future — not the mistakes that one team or the other made in the past. Re-fighting past battles is useful to nobody. Make sure all meeting attendees understand that this is a time for forward-looking collaboration and construction, not for complaining or airing personal grievances. Everyone should approach the meeting ready to listen with genuine respect to the ideas presented by their fellow attendees. This is the only way meetings will become greater than the sum of their parts. If you incorporate these key "tone-setters" into your planning process, then you'll be in an excellent position to run an efficient, well-structured, valuable meeting. And even if your organization does require a significant mindset shift towards true collaboration, the effort to make that change is well worth the effort. Doing so can eventually result in sales and marketing meetings that yield actionable results — and in turn, those actionable results can lead to more closed sales and higher profits for your business. Look out for next month’s blog, which will focus on creating an effective meeting agenda. Learn More About Hosting Successful Sales Meetings A healthy relationship between sales and marketing is vital to an organization’s success. Dive deep into this effective strategy in a new book called Sales & Marketing Alignment. If you'd like more insights on how you can improve your sales leadership, contact us. Or sign up for our newsletter for more valuable resources.  It's been said that "the most reliable way to predict the future is to create it." We could apply that to countless aspects of life. But let's focus on improving sales performance for the moment with a vital sales success tip. Wouldn't it be nice if you could not only visualize the ideal outcome for an upcoming sales meeting, client call, or coaching session, but actually work backwards to trace the steps needed to make that outcome a reality?
Well, the good news is: You can. And all it takes is a relatively straightforward exercise we call the "look back." What Is the "Look Back" Exercise? The "look back" exercise has been called different things by people in different fields. For instance, in chess it's known as "retrograde analysis." Others refer to it as "inversion," or "backtracing." Whatever you want to call it, the point of the exercise is, first of all, to see yourself in the future. Visualize yourself in the event or experience that you are planning. Then, work backwards from that future point to make sure the "current" you positions yourself for success when the time arrives. "Look back" exercises enable participants to clearly identify what they need to do in the present to prepare for future wins. As an added bonus, you can do your "look back" with your sales team, or by yourself! In fact, it may be helpful to train your team on the basics of this exercise. Try it during your next sales meeting! Then, encourage each one to use it as a self-coaching tool. Why Is It important? The "look back" exercise is a critical sales success tip because it helps you connect the present with the future in a coherent, intentional way. It can remind you that a successful outcome several weeks down the road is really the result of progressive, deliberate actions taken today, tomorrow, and each day thereafter. Put another way, a "look back" session helps you to develop a workable game plan for creating the future you want. How Does It Work? In the context of sales, a "look back" exercise can be used in several ways. Again, it is inseparably connected with visualization. You're seeing the best version of your future self in that meeting, in that coaching session, or on that sales call. So the two big questions that you must answer within an effective "look back" exercise are:
As you can tell, "look back" exercises can get very deep, very fast. In the sales industry, here are two common real-world scenarios in which a "look back" may prove extremely beneficial: 1. Sales managers preparing for team meetings. If you're a sales manager preparing for an upcoming team meeting, there are a ton of different factors to consider during your "look back" session besides the basic meeting agenda. For one thing, you want to give attention to how your team members perceive you. Do you want to be seen as a coach? Are you someone who is really understanding and approachable? What outcomes would you like to see? Upon reflection, you may see the need to spend more time with certain team members in the present, so as to get them in the right mindset when the meeting day arrives. 2. Sales reps preparing for client meetings. Conducting a personal "look back" exercise can be a great preparation tool for any sales rep with a big client meeting on the horizon. Think about the kind of experience you want the client to enjoy. Do you want to position yourself as a fun, engaging guide who's ready to contribute to the client's success? Will you be able to back up your proposed solutions with hard data? What would success look like for the client? Now is the best time to anticipate questions and concerns that may come up during the conference. As a result, you can outline effective ways to address each one. And if you find yourself hitting a wall, it may be a good idea to bounce your ideas off your coach. You could even do a "practice run" ahead of time. Who Should Use "Look Back" Exercises? The short answer? Anyone who wants to be a change agent and create high-impact meetings. Of course, in the sales world this definitely includes team managers who want to achieve optimal outcomes from their meetings. It also includes customer-facing reps who want to take advantage of each interaction with prospects to help them progress through the sales funnel. "Look back" exercises can be performed on an individual basis, or as a group. In either scenario, they are great ways to create intentionality by focusing on the desired outcome, and then mapping back to the present to start taking the required steps. It can be all too easy to go through professional life hopeful of positive outcomes. However, we're often unsure of how to influence them. "Look back" exercises are invaluable because they cut through much of the uncertainty. Use a "look back" in preparation for your next meeting. As a result, you're proactively thinking about what you can do in the present moment to make the future moment a success. In other words: You're doing more than just predicting the future. You're creating it. And when it comes to improving sales performance, either individually or as a team, it's hard to top that! If you'd like more insights on how you can improve your sales leadership, contact us. Or sign up for our newsletter for more valuable resources.  Things are changing fast in the world of sales. One of the most significant changes brought about by the pandemic is the transition from in-person visits to virtual client sales meetings. Whether you handle your sales calls by phone or video conference, connecting with your customer in the same way that you did with in-person meetings is vital.
It is possible to build that same sense of excitement and personalized care in a virtual client sales meeting. Using new methods and simple techniques, you can create the same productive atmosphere. In fact, it's often the simple things that make the biggest difference. Try these practical tips to maintain a personal connection during virtual client sales meetings. 1. Prepare Yourself You wouldn't attend an in-person sales meeting without reviewing the customer's account and customizing your product/service offerings just for them. Maintain the same level of preparation for virtual client sales meetings. That includes reviewing personal notes. What do you know about their family, business history or any other general personal interest topics? Preparation also includes your tech tools. Don't assume your client knows how to use these tools. Not everyone has experience with Zoom or other forms of software. You would not want to make your customer feel inadequate. Give them the option of phone or video conference. Here's a list of top tech challenges I've noticed when scheduling virtual meetings. Review these, and be proactive about giving your clients a heads-up about potential challenges. The bottom line is, take the same amount of care in preparing for a virtual meeting as you would an in-person one. 2. Prepare Your Team If you're a sales manager, it's up to you to set your team up for success. Ensure they have the right tools to engage with clients online or over the phone. Do your reps have effective apps, laptops, tablets, Bluetooth devices, and most importantly, a solid internet connection? Do they have a tech resource if they need support for any of these tools? Don't forget the training! Some of your team members might not have used a video conferencing app before. Show them how powerful these tools can be. Provide training regarding both the technical aspects and basic etiquette. Also, remember that tools are not always tangible things. Tools also include support, such as role-playing sessions with managers or other team members, or brainstorming meetings to discuss specific techniques for unique clients. 3. Limit Distractions Yes, you have seen the viral videos of the cat interrupting an online meeting or someone's kid running through a screenshot. They make for funny YouTube clips, but you don't want those types of distractions when you're trying to duplicate the professional feel of an in-person meeting. Before your virtual client sales meeting begins, devise a way to block your meeting area from pets and ensure your kids understand the importance of not interrupting your meeting. It's essential that you focus on your meeting and minimize any possible distractions ahead of time. Turn off your mobile devices and other digital notifications to ensure your client feels like they have your undivided attention. 4. Break the Ice In the past, there was always a time at the beginning of the meeting when you broke the ice — a few minutes of casual conversation to get to know each other better and establish trust. Don't bypass this step just because the sales meeting is virtual. When you learn more about your customer's personal life, you can determine how it's affecting their business one. Ask about their family. Where are they from? How did they get into this business? Balance nosey with showing personal interest. 5. Be Aware of Your Background When you're having a virtual client sales meeting from your home, you may be showing your audience more than you want to. Before any online meetings, determine how much of your home and space the client can see. Clean and organize the space to give it a professional look. You don't want your client distracted by a stack of dirty dishes or a trophy from third grade. Consider choosing a room with a plain wall and placing your computer in front of it. Access More Resources Engaging your clients during virtual meetings is just one challenge to our new work dynamic. Keeping your sales team engaged while they work remotely is another hurdle. I just addressed that topic in this recent blog. Gain more insights on how to improve sales performance for your SMB, sign up for our newsletter. Contact us directly, or explore our website for other valuable resources and webinars.  Meetings are just a part of life for most sales managers. They have periodic meetings with senior management. They may occasionally meet with high-value clients. And, of course they hold regular sales meetings with their team.
Anything we do repeatedly eventually becomes a routine, and any routine can deteriorate into a rut. If you're a sales manager who's holding weekly (or perhaps daily) sales meetings, then the last thing you want to do is have those interactions with your team become part of a rut — e.g., time wasters or, even worse, finger-pointing disputes. With that in mind, here are three keys that will help you keep your sales meetings productive, uplifting, and motivating. Key #1: Understand Your Team as Individuals In order to have a productive sales meeting with your team as a whole, it's important to be mindful that each team member is unique. Personality, emotional makeup, communication style, goals, desires, concerns - all these factors differ from person to person. You must understand where each team member is coming from in order to communicate with them effectively. Think of this as "laying the foundation" for a great sales meeting. Schedule some one-on-one time with each team member throughout the week. Observe how they react to constructive feedback, and any stressful sales calls that may come their way. Note their strengths and growth opportunities. By building a "mental profile" of each team member ahead of time, you'll be able to generally predict how they'll behave in a meeting. Most importantly, you'll glean ways to help them grow as a sales rep within a group setting. Key #2: Set Clear Expectations At the beginning of each sales meeting, it's best to leave nothing to the imagination. Make the format, flow, and purpose of the meeting crystal clear to your team members. For example, everyone should know:
That last point is important. You don't want your meeting to turn into an interrogation session for underperforming sales reps. It's often best to give each sales rep some uninterrupted time to express his or her thoughts. This will enable your team members to be themselves without fear of censure. Which leads into our third key... Key #3: Establish a Judgment-Free Zone Last but not least, you want to make sure that all of your team members view the meeting as a "judgment-free zone." The purpose of a sales meeting should be to exchange ideas and information — never to lecture or criticize team members over performance. In fact, welcome the uncensored input of each team member. Their insights will help you to continually improve your sales process day after day. At times, keeping the meeting "judgment-free" may require that you bite your tongue. Even underperforming reps that legitimately need some constructive feedback should be made to feel respected during these meetings (and during future one-on-one sessions). The old saying "once bitten, twice shy" definitely applies in this case: You don't want to do anything that will scare your reps away from giving their honest, unfiltered opinions in a group setting. Use Sales Meetings to Boost Productivity There are challenges when it comes to preparing, coordinating, and leading sales meetings. However, if you implement the three keys discussed above, your team will enjoy productive, and even refreshing meetings. Use your sales meetings to motivate the team to try new things. Energize them to "get back to the trenches." Ultimately, your entire team's performance will improve, and your business will grow as a result. If you'd like more insights on how to improve sales meetings and sales performance in general for your SMB, sign up for our newsletter. Contact us directly, or explore our website for other valuable resources and webinars. |
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