Many years ago I worked for a small manufacturing company. As one of four regional managers, I was invited to Northern New Jersey once each quarter to meet with our Vice President of Sales for a five-day “Sales Meeting.” We really had a good time eating at our favorite restaurants in the area, but we all HATED those meetings!

We were never sure just why we were called in for a full week, four times a year. These meetings consisted of hours of boring discussions without meaningful decisions, bull sessions about sports teams or favorite cars and where we would have lunch. These hours were punctuated by moments of interesting discussions with engineering, marketing and manufacturing, which helped us feel a part of something larger than ourselves.

Here is what I observed about how not to conduct a sales meeting:

1. No advanced agenda.

We were often unable to contribute effectively to a particular discussion because we did not know the subjects in advance. Lack of preparation resulted in frustration and poor decision-making.

2. Failure to adhere to the established agenda.

The first morning of each quarterly event we were presented with the week’s agenda. We rarely stuck to those topics, and often got behind. At least two of the five days were wasted.

3. Avoiding the “elephant in the room.”

Sales were flat for four of the five years I was part of this group. While we discussed ways to increase sales (of course!), the “elephant” of our antiquated technology and poor market positioning was ignored.

4. Lack of a marketing and sales plan.

I do not remember any cohesive marketing programs or plans of action which would increase our market share or customer awareness. It was difficult to generate excitement in the field.

5. No business fun.

We had four talented, capable managers, who wanted to succeed and make money. There was no “motivational speaker” or trainer or consultant brought in to help us grow personally, to get outside our habits and look for innovative ways to grow our business.

6. No follow up from the top.

The CEO and the VP of Sales were great people. We became friends. But they had no action plans to work with us in the field to identify markets, build distribution or increase OEM sales. We may or may not see them in the field between quarterly meetings.

From these experiences I have three recommendations for effective sales meetings:

1. Identify and promote a specific and definite objective for each meeting.

2. Keep it short and stick to business. Generate excitement to make the meeting personally rewarding and business profitable.

3. Follow up with executive presence in the field to reinforce the initiatives or the plans decided in the meetings.

Field managers need to be accountable and feel supported.

Sell More — Serve Better

J. Mark Walker