Having attended numerous sales kick-off meetings I’ve seen some really big mistakes that cost companies time and money.

Here they are in no particular order

Focusing On Things That Really DON’T Matter To Your Team

How do you know what matters to them? How about asking them? I know, this is why I make the big bucks!

In addition, have them all fill out this checklist. It will give you thoughts on topics that are meaningful to your sales team.

Structuring It As A Lecture Instead Of Interactive Discussions!

Sales reps don’t want to be preached to, spoken at and lectured endlessly.

You’ll want to have plenty of discussions and encourage an environment where reps WANT to contribute.

Your participants will also find it a hell of a lot more interesting and you’ll have less “outer body experiences”.

I use a simple formula during my talks to make it interactive. Email me and I’ll send it to you.

Hiring A Speaker Who Has Too Much Fluff and Not Enough Substance.

Pumping up the troops is important but you need to understand that without actionable tips and how to’s, it doesn’t last very long.

Additionally, you don’t want someone who offers lots of philosophical and no actual tips.

Note: To learn about my keynote speaking approach, topics and availability, please click HERE.

No Accountability

One of the things that kills the momentum of a great kick-off meeting is having a whole lotta nothing after it.

The only thing worse than that, is having your entire sales team either get on board with the ideas shared, or conveniently forgetting about them.

You need accountability!

At the end of my training programs, I always have the participants create a quick plan based on what they just learned.

Otherwise, I just entertained a bunch of people instead of helping them to kick ass.

Have your reps create a quick plan and submit it to their managers.

The plan should be reviewed regularly during their one on one’s.

You can also pair them up as “accountability partners”

People love to talk about conquering the world when their all hyped up at a meeting.

Pairing them up ensures that they at least put in the effort once they get back home.

I’ve found that get a friendly kick in the ass from a peer can go a long way!

No Communication Plan To Keep The Ideas Alive

Most training is forgotten about by the time the participants get to the airport.

Create a plan to keep the ideas alive.

Include things like;

Reinforcement Emails

“At A Glance” PDFs

Short Webinars and Videos

Progress Reports From The Team During Meetings and One on Ones

Assignments

Having Teammates Present On Topics Discussed

Forwarding Articles and Blog Posts That Reinforce (and expand upon) The Topics Covered

So there you have it;

Some deadly sales kick-off mistakes and how to avoid them!

Please pass this along to someone on your team or in your network!

Hire Paul To Speak At Your Sales Kick-Off Meeting

     I help sales reps, sales leaders and business owners sell more! To learn how, please click HERE. For speaking        availability and rates, email me  paul@yoursalesplaybook.com