You have to know that most sales reps hate their internal sales meetings.

Here’s why . . .

1) They don’t start and end on time which creates a bit of a problem when you consider they have other things (usually more important) to do!

Remedy: Be relentless when it comes to guarding everyone’s time investment. Start and end on time and follow an agenda. Be willing to (respectfully) shut someone down who’s running on a bit too long or those who keep going off topic.

2) They are filled with administrative things that a) A sales rep doesn’t care about (enough to miss precious time away from the field and b) Really would have made a better email than an agenda item.

Remedy: Don’t have meetings that are nothing more than administrative info dumps. Send an email. Your team will love you for it! And see item number 5 below.

3) They’re “Bitch Fests”! I shouldn’t have to remind you that it’s tough out there. The sales meeting should always help to reinforce a sales rep’s “body armor” not chip it away!

Remedy: Grow some balls and lay out the law that the purpose of the sales meeting is to regroup, recharge, share ideas, educate etc  . . . Not find new ways to be miserable. Oh, and this is one of the reasons why your meetings go into overtime and wait for it . . . wait for it . . . why your sales meetings suck!

Exception: I do think there are times when it’s healthy to vent. It just shouldn’t be a regular agenda item.

4) It’s A Lecture And Not A Meeting: Too many times it becomes the Sales Manager’s show with them rambling and the rest of the team pretending to be listening (but they’re really enjoying a really nice “outer body experience”) Then the sales manager gets mad that nobody participates. Go figure!

Remedy: Turn over the keys to your sales team. Have them present on different topics and facilitate discussions. And speaking of facilitating discussions . . . that’s exactly what you should be doing too. Facilitate don’t lecture!

5) Too Much Review Of Numbers Not Enough Educational Components: One practice that irritates me to no end is the review of each rep’s numbers in a meeting. Quite frankly, I could care less what Mary sold or what Todd is forecasting. To me that’s an email or leader board fodder. It also makes me question why I just sacrificed more productive activities to sit through it!

Remedy: Focus the bulk of the time allotted to sales meetings on topics that make your team smarter. I mean, if you only have about an hour with your team, what can you talk about to really maximize that time together?

Your turn . . .

What makes a sales meeting suck?

Sales Managers . . .

I can tell you that your sales meetings will no longer suck if you attend my online sales leadership course. We have an entire session dedicated to sales meetings and over a years worth of sales meeting topics for you to consider!

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