Good Selling!
Derby Management...for 25 years
-Sales & Marketing Productivity Experts
-Business & Strategy Planning Specialists
-Senior Management Coaching for CEOs & VPs
Box 171322, Boston, MA 02117
Jack's Cell: 617-504-4222
In almost every industry, Monday morning sales meetings are part of the DNA of running most organizations
Rarely are the commitments going to be team agreements, They're just simply going to be assigned to one or maybe two people. Getting those commitments is the easy part.
But, also make sure that there's total agreement around the table or conference phone as to exactly what was said and exactly what was agreed upon. This sounds equally easy, but way too often in group meetings, the reality is that at least one person walks away with a lack of clarity either on what was said or what was agreed on, resulting in time being wasted once again. Just take two minutes to make sure that there is total understanding of the issue and agreements leaving the meeting, and that there's no one who did want to raise the question of... "I'm still not clear on the issue, or the action, or the timetable."
We would be wise to think about the Chinese proverb...
"He who asks questions is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask is a fool forever"
We do pretty good at meeting protocol of starting and ending meetings on time, but then we're running off to another meeting on a totally different subject, or it may be that there was a subject or two that was discussed that lacked total clarity on the part of all of the stakeholders at the meeting.
We need to practice religiously the ancient Chinese proverb...
“The palest ink is better than the best memory.”
If you are having a meeting that there are no notes being taken by the assigned DNT (Designated Note Taker), then there's no real meeting. We're not talking "he-said, she-said" transcription notes here.
Another Chinese proverb...
"I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand"
Make each meeting personally interesting by discussing at least one, and preferably two "Best Practices". In Sales, this is especially meaningful since it gets right to the heart of the most impactful type of training which is peer-to-peer learning. Just an explanation of one sales or sales management tactic that was successfully used during the prior week or month.
All this should take is a maximum of 15 minutes at the end of every weekly sales meeting. In fact, you don't want it to take any longer. This process of consistently including "Best Sales Practices" is just the icing on the cake portion of the weekly "here's-what-needs-to-be-done-this-week-meeting". Provide the Best Practice...and then drive it home with the storytelling of just one recent example that worked.
Another Chinese proverb...
"The difference between a good cook and a great cook, is the training of just one hour a day"
As we now enter into the most critical part of any sales year, let's make every meeting count. As professional athletes and sales warriors, there's no time to waste, and ensuring effective meeting management is one of the most efficient communication tools that we can use during this crazy, hectic time of year.
Good Selling!
Derby Management...for 25 years
-Sales & Marketing Productivity Experts
-Business & Strategy Planning Specialists
-Senior Management Coaching for CEOs & VPs
Box 171322, Boston, MA 02117
Jack's Cell: 617-504-4222