Strategize as a sales team so that future performance beats past performance.
Take a TourSuccessful sales teams work as a well-organized unit. While every member of the team may have their own style and their own leads to follow, they should have an awareness of how the team is performing as a unit. Members of the team can also offer the best support and motivation for one another, especially if there are team goals to reach or bonuses to earn.
Sales meetings are a powerful tool because they give busy salespeople a chance to look at the bigger team picture rather than focusing on their individual performance. They also serve as check-in points for managers and other leaders who may have the sales data but not the human connection to the day-to-day sales events.
So, what is a sales meeting exactly?
The basic definition is a meeting that includes members of a sales team. If you look a little closer, the goal behind a sales meeting is to strategize as a group so that future performance beats past performance. The goal is to make sure every member of the team is aware of sales metrics and feels supported in their efforts to improve.
That’s why virtual sales meetings are soaring in popularity. They allow all members of a team to participate without extensive travel time. Keep reading for all the sales meeting inspiration you need to bring your team together virtually.
There isn’t just one purpose of sales meetings. Successful meetings will accomplish at least a few of the following goals:
Sales team meetings give every member of the team an opportunity to share their concerns and their successes. As long as the meeting is well-organized and properly controlled, every member of the team should take away something valuable, inspiring, or insightful.
There is no sales meeting formula that will result in stellar success for every team. In fact, most sales teams should take a different approach to each meeting because the circumstances and goals for each meeting are unique. While some sales topics for group discussion are easily introduced at all meetings, leaving room in the agenda for new topics and open conversations is essential.
Consider the four main types of sales meetings and the best application for each:
This is a sales meeting that includes only one sales rep and one leader. It’s much like a personal coaching session that allows each sales rep direct feedback and encouragement from a leader invested in their success and growth.
Leaders often use this type of meeting in conjunction with group team meetings. One-on-One sessions focus each sales rep on their own goals and development while the group meetings give a more sweeping view of how the team is doing as a whole.
Forecast calls are focused on delivering the sales forecast for an upcoming quarter or year. It’s much like the weatherman delivering the weather forecast on the nightly news, but there’s a lot more mathematics involved in predicting upcoming sales volumes. Sales forecasts have a longer reach in that they establish goals for the sales team going into a new period.
This is one of the more technical types of meetings for sales teams. It requires the most preparation from leadership to ensure the numbers are accurate and the future goals are reasonable for the team.
It’s all about the performance review in this type of sales meeting. Sales representatives gather with their direct leadership and often members of higher management to discuss the wins and losses of a closing quarter. There is often a forward-reaching perspective that allows everyone to voice their ideas and opinions on strategies to adopt in the quarter to come.
Most sales representatives get to sit this one out while the top-level executives and board members discuss the company’s performance and growth in painstaking detail. This is where executives advocate for support from one another and make big decisions that could change the direction of the company.
While this may not seem like a true sales team meeting, it is critical to how the sales team functions. Decisions made in a board meeting can make or break initiatives that help the team bring in leads and close deals.
How do you create a sales meeting agenda that wins the devoted attention of every sales representative and leaves them motivated to chase their most difficult leads and close the most challenging deals? It comes down to understanding a few sales meetings best practices:
Working with a sales meeting agenda template is a great way to get ideas for your next meeting. Make sure you modify it as needed to meet the unique needs of your team.
Are you all out of fresh sales meeting topics? That can happen whether you’ve planned dozens or are preparing for your first. The following list of sales topics may spark your creativity and help fill up the agenda:
If you’re still in need of sales meeting agenda topics, research the newest trends and technological developments in your field and related fields. You may also search out experts in your field accepting motivational speaking or group workshop classes at an affordable rate. There’s always something new you can teach or a topic you can dive into deeper.
There are so many educational and motivational sales meeting ideas. What if your team will respond more to fun sales team ideas? Here are just a couple to get your creative brain spinning:
Coming up with out of the box sales meeting ideas is easier when you focus each meeting on one specific lesson or theme. Make a list of specific ways members of your team could improve. Then find a way to put a lighthearted spin on those topics. It’s motivation and education with a slap of humor and a few good laughs.