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Super Sizzlin' Sales Meetings
www.melindabrody.com
407-294-7614
Super Sizzlin' Sales Meetings
Stale doughnuts, day old coffee. Where are the sales? Where are the contracts? Hopefully, this is not how you inspire your team! As a Sales Manager, your objective in a Sales Meeting is simple...
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- Educate!
- Motivate!
- Involve!
- Inspire!
EDUCATE
A major component of a Sales Meeting is education. In planning your agenda, allow a minimum of 30 minutes for training.
When you organize your training outline, you must vary your training methods to keep the session interesting, motivating, and relevant. Use lecture/role play, brainstorming, and interactive exercises. An outside trainer will add significantly to your training effort, if your budget allows. An outside person reinforces what you've been saying for months! Also, an outside person brings in a new perspective and adds a fresh new approach to your sales meeting. Call your local association and see what national speakers are coming in and contact them to see if you can bring them in while they are in your home town and split the travel expenses.
Ultimately, you are the company sales trainer - you must bring the cutting edge sales ideas to your team every week. Here are some creative ideas:
- Begin a "Book of the Month" Club. Every Sales Rep reads the same book on sales. (Check out the selection at the NAHB bookstore!) Have a discussion on one chapter each week.
- Have sales meetings in the model that is the worst seller and have sales team come up with 20 benefits of the plan.
- Have each Sales Rep write up difficult objections they have encountered and have the group brainstorm possible responses...
With all the memos, administrative changes, and contracts, it is very easy to side step education and put it in the "time allows" category. Put it first on the agenda. Start your meeting on an upbeat, educational note.
MOTIVATE
One Sales Manager I know started each meeting with a positive comment about every Sales Rep in attendance.
"Sue you had five return appointments - terrific."
"Bob, your contracts are coming in better, keep it up."
Everyone's face was beaming! Praise, Praise, Praise, you can not ever give enough!
Another successful Sales Manager started his sales meeting with upbeat music. Everyone practically bounced into the conference room. They were all smiling (even if they thought it was corny, they loved it!) A great way to motivate a sales meeting is "Success Announcements" - big sales for the week, goals exceeded. Pump up the sales team. Inspirational sales stories are excellent. Tell of a great Sales Rep who started at the bottom. Read an inspirational story.
INVOLVE
Do you have some seasoned salespeople who resist sales meetings? Do they conveniently schedule appointments when the sales meeting day arrives?
A great way to involve top salespeople is to recognize their strengths and ask them to share! Ask them to "teach" your next lesson plan on a topic they excel in. They will be flattered that you asked and will surprise you with an excellent session.
Involving adults is essential to learning. Role plays are a must. You will hear moans and groans, but you must win this argument. There is nothing like acting it out!! Have the group anonymously evaluate the role play so valuable feedback can be given. Offer feedback yourself using the "sandwich technique".
Start with a positive, offer suggestions, end with a positive. Use the term, "technical assistance".
Example: "In role play, you listened very well to the prospect's objection. You made eye contact and showed concern. You may need some technical assistance in probing for more information. Perhaps ask why the prospect did not like the kitchen area. Overall, your response was effective and you used great empathy."
Involve all the way through your meeting, ask questions, brainstorm difficult situations, role play in training. The more involved, the more interesting your meetings will become.
INSPIRE
Every sales meeting must begin and end with some inspiration! Have your team walk out the door charged up to meet the next prospect or make the next follow up call! Inspire them with success stories, accomplishments, and company achievements!
If they feel proud of the company, they "sell" this feeling and will pass it along to the prospect. Too often, as Sales Managers, we get bogged down in the administrative detail. We forget to share the BIG PICTURE with our team. They need to know so they can feel good and pass the good word.
Four simple words....
- Educate!
- Motivate!
- Involve!
- Inspire!
Your next meeting will sizzle! Don't forget to ditch the doughnuts - bring the fresh fruit!
Melinda Brody, MIRM has been inspiring and evaluating salespeople for almost two decades. She offers sales seminars, keynotes and video mystery shopping services for builders across North America.
