Archive for September, 2005

It is hoped that many sales executives will benefit personally from the ten-year collection of “how to” information contained in this book. Some may get promotions due to it.

The president of a large corporation declared, “If there’s any one ability that makes a man stand out, it’s the ability to conduct sales meetings.”

When you conduct a meeting you show what you know about public speaking, human relations, employee training, showmanship, selling, and sales management to mention but a few! The fellow who conducts good sales meetings is always in demand. He can get a job, a better job, a pay raise.

Perhaps you’re the owner of a company and, thus, are not seeking advancement. In your case, the opportunity to increase sales may be your greatest interest. There can still be personal benefit, however. There’s the benefit that comes from being a strong leader . . . from deceiving respect instead of commanding it. Someone said, “The boss may not be right, but he’s still the boss.” That’s true. But he can be the boss and be right too! There’s satisfaction in doing a big job the right way-in spite of the fact that you’re the boss!

What good sales meetings will do for you..

* Increase Sales
* Improve Communications
* Help Introduce New Policies and Products
* Facilitate Group Training
* Motivate Your Salespeople
* Act as an Idea Exchange
* Stimulate Creative Thinking
* Result in Problem Solving
* Provide Personal Benefits

It’s said that we use only 10 percent of our mental capacities. True or not-most of us do little creative thinking. We’re too involved with routine matters.

Ever done any brainstorming? Brainstorming is a specialized type of sales meeting. The purpose of it is to stimulate creative thinking. One creative thought might eliminate your greatest problem! A single new idea might double or triple your sales volume! A fellow in Duluth, Minnesota, stated, “My prior associates worked together at solving problems but did no creative thinking. Here at this company we have regular meetings involving creative thinking. They’re both satisfying and rewarding.”

Brainstorming has paid off for many sales executives. It can pay off for you.

You Can Solve Problems.

Group thinking is widely used in business today as a means of solving complex problems. Many firms have increased sales, while others have reduced selling costs, and some have done both.

It’s easy to stage a problem solving conference. One person suggests the first step toward solving a problem. The next missing link is provided by another person. Someone else fills in the third gap, and before long a solution is reached.

One of the nation’s leading airlines arranged for regular problem solving conferences years ago. The director of operations said, “Every major problem involves more than one member of the staff. Why not let all concerned, tackle it together?”

Your Sales Staff Can Be Motivated.

Is your sales plan effective? Do you offer a quality product or service? Are your sales personnel well trained?

A sales manager might say “Yes” to the foregoing questions. Even so, another ingredient is also vital. Motivation is needed. His staff must be motivated to carry out the sales plan, to offer the product or service, to use the training they’ve received.

Good sales meetings can bring about this motivation that is so necessary. Having been made more capable of doing his job, a salesman is more willing. And has more confidence and enthusiasm. Some firms have a brief sales meeting every day-yes, every day! The reason: motivation. A pep talk or two at the beginning of each day generates heavy sales activity.

You Can Exchange Ideas with Your Staff.

An exchange of information is usually quite profitable. Firms over the country have reported a long list of benefits.
* It acts as a safety valve for employees’ feelings. Why let emotions be stifled until the boiling point is reached?
* Misunderstandings are cleared up. This makes for greater harmony throughout the organization.
* You can check on employee training. A salesman is not necessarily trained even though he has been exposed to training.
* Persons recently absent can be brought up to date.
* Errors in sales strategy are prevented. Thus sales are made that otherwise would have been lost.
* Systems and procedures can be improved. For instance, there may be a better method of merchandise control … or of merchandise display.
* Plans can be coordinated. This eliminates duplication of effort. It also precludes wide gaps in planning.
* Salesmen are made to feel important. Inferiority complexes are minimized.
* The men gain confidence because of their increased knowledge and speak to customers with greater conviction.
* Having learned more about their fellow workers, the men gain new respect for each other, reducing friction.
* Teamwork becomes smoother since employees are more willing to work with each other. And better teamwork can increase sales or lower the cost of selling, or both.
* Loyalty to management is developed as management becomes better understood. Salesmen are willing to work harder and longer.
* Turnover is reduced. A happy and well-informed worker is less likely to go to work for a competitor.
Yes, all this can be accomplished in sales meetings-and more. Small meetings conducted by a sympathetic supervisor can bring a valuable exchange of ideas.

You Can Introduce New Policies and Products

Any major change, such as the introduction of a new policy, can be discussed at a sales meeting. By calling your men together, you attach importance to the event, moreover, you can show exactly how the new matter is to be handled.
Good personnel practices suggest that changes be explained in advance. This makes a change more acceptable. Sometimes it is advisable to go a step further and sell your staff on the change. Sales meetings are good for both you and your staff. You can explain proposed policy so those affected will know they’ve been considered. And you can sell the change, causing all concerned to accept it.

Your Sales Staff Can Be Instructed and Trained.
Of the many benefits that come from sales meetings, instruction and training stand out.
“You’ve gotta tell ‘em how and show ‘em how,” exclaimed the field sales manager of a milling concern. “Then have ‘em practice it. These things can best be accomplished in group meetings.”

Sales meetings offer a time-tested opportunity for training your salesmen. A great deal of information can be put across to many people in a short time.

What is the purpose of a sales meeting? Generally, sales meetings are conducted for the benefit of those who attend. But let’s talk about you and how you can benefit from good sales meetings.

Sales Meetings Increase Sales
Your greatest benefit will be an increase in sales. While this increase cannot always be measured, it is the main reason for having meetings and the natural result of good meetings. You should expect an increase in sales. If necessary, you should insist upon it.

The Sales Manager of an Eastern concern stated, “We’ve tried ‘em all contests, push periods, red-letter days everything from Christmas bonuses to a founder’s day banquet. But the best way to stimulate sales is by meetings regular and well planned sales meetings.”

A case in point: a chain system of variety stores had few meetings. “Most stores had monthly get-togethers,” a vice president reported. “And to be honest about it, those monthly meetings were sometimes skipped. But last year we insisted on weekly meetings-good weekly meetings. And sales increased 16 percent, apparently for that reason alone.” So there’s good reason to use the information in the following chapters. Your sales volume is a cinch to zoom upward!

You Can Improve Communications

Modern business is complex. It calls for specialization, each worker being a small cog in the machinery. This makes it more difficult for an employee to see the overall picture. The need for communications, then, has become greater. Keep channels of communication open. Unexplained intentions are usually considered evil. “Unless there’s something wrong with the deal, why don’t they let us in on it?”

Several salesmen left their jobs with a furniture manufacturer. Finally the cause was explained: “We thought we’d be let out,” stated one of the men. “Everybody knew sales were off and that a new owner was taking over.” Unfortunately, the men were victims of rumor. Sales were off but little. Profits were as high as ever, and the new owner intended to keep the sales personnel intact.

There’s a “grapevine” in every company. Telephone conversations are overheard, letters are read by typists and file clerks. Information leaks out sooner or later. Let workers get the story straight. Let them get it from you. What you tell them will be much more accurate than what they hear from each other.

Although you should communicate with all employees, it’s especially important to communicate with salespeople. Your sales staff is in constant contact with the public. When you communicate with salesmen, you communicate with many people.

For instance, your salesmen are in constant contact with customers. When you communicate with salesmen, you are indirectly communicating with customers.

There’s a sales meeting somewhere. Morning, noon, or night- a sales meeting is taking place. There are more this year than last, and next year there’ll be more than ever. Sales meetings are popular because of one thing . . . they pay dividends! They’re often the difference between profit and loss, the difference between success and failure. Sales meetings are that important.

Meetings can work wonders for the people attending. After a snappy meeting in Akron, Ohio, a salesman remarked, “I learned more about selling in one hour than I had in the last year!” Another commented, “I always get ‘pumped up’ when I go to sales meetings. I’d be lost without them.”

Good sales meetings are profitable for all concerned. However a sales meeting must actually be good for everyone to benefit. If there’s reason to believe a meeting will not be successful, improve your plans … or don’t stage the meeting. If there’s doubt about the need for a meeting, establish the need … or don’t call the meeting.

A poor meeting is torture. Even a mediocre meeting is not acceptable. An effective sales meeting is instructional and inspirational, both interesting and exciting. Everyone attending becomes a participant, at least in spirit. They accept and approve, nodding their heads in agreement with the speakers and demonstrations.