10 Ways to Prepare A Successful Sales Meeting

Sales meetings can be stressful for everyone involved. Furthermore, there are a lot of managers that do not know how to run a successful sales meeting. With so many numbers and stats to review, it can be difficult to stay on track.

Here are some tips to successfully prepare for a sales meeting that will motivate your team and prime them for achievement.

#1 Send Out An Agenda

One great idea that many leaders do is to create a meeting agenda to help keep things organized while respecting everyone’s time. Your sales team should have a binder where they keep meeting notes over time. Many large organizations use branded binders for this–here are some examples.

But, don’t just keep that agenda to yourself. Send your meeting agenda out to each attendee before the meeting starts. This checklist allows everyone to know what to expect, and then they will be able to plan their notes and questions accordingly.

If you don’t know how to write an agenda or what to include, focus on laying out your main talking points. You email should just be a brief introduction to the meeting along with a bulleted list of what will be covered. This helps you get better feedback from attendees because they’ll be able to come prepared.

#2 Emphasize The Value

It’s no secret that most people do not enjoy attending meetings. This couldn’t be more true for sales people, either. A salesperson focuses on things that directly promote sales. And, since meetings fall into the category of “non-sales related activities,” it can be hard to get them excited to talk. That’s why you need to sell them on the value of the meeting.

Why should they care about attending? What will come of it? This will help everyone walk in with a positive and productive attitude. In turn, the meeting will be more efficient.

#3 Motivate

You should take every opportunity you have to motivate your team. Sales meetings are no exception as inspiration is a key factor in all positions involving sales. For a few tips, check out this post from MoData.

#4 Provide a Clear Objective

Every meeting should have a clear objective. This allows everyone to stay focused throughout the meeting, saving time for you and all attendees.

You are likely going to cover different topics, but having an objective ensures you stay on track. It also helps you avoid overwhelm. Decide what the most relevant points are and stick to them. Don’t be redundant either. Move quickly from one point to the next to stop people from disengaging.

#5 Keep It Short

Similar to the redundancy tip, you should do your best to keep meetings as short as possible. Always end your meeting on time too, because it shows that you respect everyone’s schedule.

One way to help meet your end time is to start the meeting at a specific time, even if some people are late. Waiting until late parties arrive is almost disrespectful to those who are on time and now have to sit through an extra-long meeting that they likely didn’t want to attend in the first place. Anyone who is late can catch up later on.

#6 Layout Actionable Items

For some topics, you will be able to give attendees actionable takeaways that they can put to use in order to perform better. When possible, make sure you summarize a discussion with actionable steps your sales professionals can integrate.

#7 Give Goodies

Goodies, snacks, and drinks always go a long way for engaging people and putting them in a good mood. It also helps them to build a more positive attitude towards you and the meetings you hold.

If it’s going to be longer than a 15-minute meeting, consider offering drinks at the very least. Snacks are very helpful for meetings held in the morning or at lunch, and for any meeting lasting an hour or more, but don’t serve junk food. A lunch meeting even justifies offering a full meal so everyone can be content and on-topic.

#8 Use Visuals

A visual always goes a long way in engaging people and getting your point across. Videos and pictures help, and so do PowerPoint slides. Any sort of graphic you add that reinforces your point will be a big help.

#9 Leave Time for Feedback

You should always budget time for discussion and feedback. This helps make sure everyone can share valuable input without anyone going over the time limit. They should have time to discuss success stories, ask questions, and give their opinions.

#10 Follow-Up

Always follow-up with your attendees after the meeting with a recap email. This helps you make sure everyone digested what you said, gives them the final chance to ask questions or give feedback, and instills accountability.

The importance of preparing for sales meetings cannot be understated. Follow these tips and you’re sure to have a meeting that is successful as it is appreciated.