SalesForceXP: July/August 2008 Coverstory: 5 Questions That Will Improve Any Sales Meeting

What Works: Sales Training

5 Questions That Will Improve Any Sales Meeting

By Kevin Eikenberry

Everyone I know has been to meetings that were, to put it politely, less than effective. These five questions can make any meeting more effective - if you both ask and answer them before your meeting. Each question has a companion question to further help you improve results.

1 - What is the desired outcome of the meeting? (How will you know the meeting was successful?)

This is the first and most important question to ask before any meeting. Too often, meeting planning revolves around the topic - which doesn't define success at all. I'm not sure why anyone would meet if they don't know what they want to accomplish, but it happens thousands of times every day.

2 - Who needs to be there? (And who doesn't?)

The best meetings have the right people (and only those people) in attendance. Once you know what you want to accomplish, then (and only then) should you think about who needs to be there. Let the desired outcomes drive who you include in your meeting.

Doing What They Love

Build a better sales team by steering salespeople to their strengths.

Many sales managers build an agenda for an off-site training session by concentrating on their team's weaknesses, but consultant Terri McCartney says a smarter move maybe to focus on what they do well.

Top performers invest zero time trying to change their weaknesses into strengths, she says. They do not try to be something they are not.

Instead of fixing what isn't working with each rep, McCartney suggests aligning them with peers who have complementary skills, thereby creating a strengths-based team.

Different salespeople enjoy different aspects of the sales process. Some enjoy cold calling or researching new prospects; others prefer building relationships once the introduction has been established. Determine whether there's a way to structure your sales process to allow each member of the team to focus on the aspects of sales that they enjoy.

"Many companies in the training industry actually make a fortune playing up the fear of skills-deficits," McCartney says. But working on weaknesses can deplete your reps' inspiration and energy, while focusing on strengths and building complementary teams will boost confidence and increase efficiency.

3 - Is the agenda prepared? (If not now, when?)

Listing your desired outcomes is the first big step toward completing your agenda. Add the timing, order of events, as well as the location, length, attendees, etc. and get that to people ahead of time.

4 - What can I do to prepare? (How can I help others prepare?)

It's imperative that those you have invited understand the agenda, how they can contribute, and what preparation is necessary. Beyond your planning role, as a meeting participant you also need to consider your preparation for the content of the meeting. Think about the information or ideas that you need to bring with you. If you need input from others or need to review something, make sure you have done that as well.

5 - What can I do to make this meeting succeed? (What is my responsibility?)

There are many things you can do to make the meeting more effective, including:

Keep it on schedule
Actively participate
Maintain an open mind
Listen
Make sure everyone is contributing
Ask questions

When everyone attending a meeting thinks about their responsibility - and acts on it, you'll be amazed at the results. If you want better meetings, ask yourself these questions and take action on your answers.

Author, speaker and sales coach Kevin Eikenberry is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (www.kevineikenberry.com).
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