Archive for February, 2006
For meetings lasting a day or longer, the element of suspense can work wonders. There are several ways to rig up a candle so that it will dramatically trigger some type of action. It could eventually burn down to a fuse, in this manner setting off an explosive. Or it could burn down to a string, finally severing the string with its tiny flame. The triggering action should cause something important to happen, or at least be the signal for something important. It could signal the unveiling of a new product or the naming of a contest winner. The candle is lit at the start of the meeting. Everyone is asked to estimate the exact time the triggering action will take place. An appropriate reward is offered for the best guess. This helps create interest and suspense. To capitalize fully on the stunt, call attention to the candle at intervals during the meeting.
And those who like things cold instead of hot can forego all this hullabaloo with a candle, and accomplish the same thing with a block of ice. The name of a contest winner is written on a slip of paper, placed in a waterproof envelope, and frozen in the center of a large block of ice. Or a new product makes its initial appearance in this way, having been frozen inside a block of ice.
An important new sales tool, details of a new merchandising plan, or the outline of a new advertising campaign are other items that might be dramatized either with a candle or a block of ice.
Planned interruptions produce a change of pace
Planned interruptions add zest to the staging of a program. Instead of every new participant being introduced, one of them “interrupts” by approaching the speakers’ stand at the proper moment. He barges in with a wise crack or two. Before making his presentation, he is finally introduced. A planned interruption is even more surprising when someone in the audience interrupts the proceedings. Questions are often planted among members of the audience. Planted questions are nothing more than planned interruptions.
Then there’s the telephone, which can be located near the speakers’ stand and rigged to ring at a certain time. Not only does the interruption by ringing give a different flavor, but the ensuing one-way telephone conversation can be quite meaningful. It can start the introduction of the next speaker or the next subject. It can serve as a call from an important person who could not attend the meeting. It can represent a complaining customer, or help clinch a major point.
Contests will change the tempo. One side of the room is pitted against the other, or the new men against those with more experience. Another in-meeting contest is the quiz down, similar to the old fashioned spelling bee. Persons missing a question are eliminated, and the last remaining contestant is the winner. This event is made to move rapidly. It’s desirable to increase the pace as people are eliminated, otherwise, the majority will be spectators too much of the time.
A steak and bean dinner has served as a good means of varying the pitch. It’s usually based on a sales contest that takes place outside the meeting. The sales staff is divided into two groups. The winning team is served steak at a dinner meeting which climaxes the contest. Members of the losing team, on the other hand, must eat beans. They’re served bean soup, bean salad, baked beans as an entree, and jelly beans for dessert!
But there’s nothing to be gained from bloating half the sales force, if not demoralizing it. Some of the most productive salesmen will be on the losing team. These individuals will have lost through no fault of their own. Therefore, when the winners have been served steak and the losers are resigned to their fate, steak should be brought in for the losers, too.
Progressive sales executives sometimes season their meetings with quiz programs. While there are many different ways of conducting such events, here’s a “for instance” or two: Most salespeople are extroverted. They do not enjoy reading sales manuals or dissertations on company policy. It’s therefore necessary, from time to time, to stimulate their study of company literature. This can easily be accomplished by a quiz program.
Before the meeting, significant sentences are selected from various pieces of literature. Only the more important points are chosen, the things every salesman should know. At the meeting, each man is issued a set of company literature. Then the preselected sentences are read by the emcee. As each sentence is read, the first person to find it in the literature wins a point toward the prize. He jumps up and shouts the title of the publication containing it, as well as the number of the page on which it can be found.
The person who wins the most points is awarded a prize. But here’s the real payoff after each sentence is found in the literature, someone is asked to explain it. He enlarges on it, applies it to the salesman’s job. This results in a better understanding of procedures and policies. Product information can also be learned in this manner.
Sales trainers have found written tests a good means of lending variety. True-false tests are most popular, although multiple choice and completion type tests are also used. Every salesman grades his own paper. The grade is actually of little importance; the underlying teaching point is the significant thing. In a discussion following each point, the trainer brings out the why and wherefore, letting everyone know what he’s expected to do as a result. Still other quiz programs have been patterned after those seen on television. It’s not difficult to work up an event of this sort, one that is profitable, yet enjoyable. Give it a try.
Consider the occasional use of entertainment
Where a light touch is needed, outside entertainers can be used to good advantage. Whether it’s a short juggling act or a pretty girl who sings a song, there’s a time and place for entertainment. On occasion, a sales meeting is an appropriate time and place. The size of the audience is one of the determining factors. The theme, length, and objective of the meeting should also be considered. Prime consideration, however, is the need for showmanship.
Conduct interviews with members of the audience
As you can see, there are many ways to toss a change-up. So there’s no reason for a program to be loaded with one boring talk after another. Relief from the usual series of talks can be realized in hundreds of ways. Members of the audience are called to the speakers’ stand for brief interviews. Or the emcee walks into the audience, possibly with a portable mike, to conduct interviews which brings about audience participation, and is much to be desired. More important-it varies the routine.
Provide a goal at which to shoot
Every salesperson does better when he has a goal. After all, how can he hit the bull’s eye unless he has a target at which to shoot? Since goals spur salesmen on to greater accomplishments, sales meetings have often been based on goals. For example, an enterprising sales supervisor arranged an unusual but successful meeting . . . When people entered the meeting room they were surprised to find a beautiful new automobile on display. They found a flashy speedboat, pictures of a lovely new home, a chic model wearing a mink stole, and several other attractions. Each item was tagged so that persons viewing it could tell what had to be done to earn it. These were not prizes, but were suggested goals. During the meeting the value of goals was discussed, and all present were urged to set goals for themselves.
The idea paid off handsomely. It caused increased effort on the part of nearly everyone on the sales staff! It also put showmanship in the meeting, causing it to be anything but run-of-the-mill. Incidentally, when arranging a meeting of this type you can probably borrow the merchandise from local merchants.
A variation of the foregoing plan has been used in connection with Christmas. Suitable merchandise was displayed in the meeting room. Items included toasters and roasters, as well as luxury items, including jewelry, watches, and luggage. The meeting was conducted in November. The articles of merchandise were suggested as short range goals Christmas presents. The audience was told how many extra sales would finance the purchase of each item. Most salesmen wanted Christmas presents for their families and worked hard to earn the articles desired.
Of course, the merchandise could have been offered as prizes, but the details are not our concern here. The objective of this section is to show how to put variety in sales meetings.
A sales promotion manager devised a sensational way to introduce a new merchandising aid. He conducted a coroner’s inquest!
Several days before the meeting, he showed the new aid to several top salesmen. In the interest of field testing, a few were permitted to use it. Then came the meeting . . . When the sales promotion manager was introduced there was no mention of his subject. As he rose to speak a recording of a funeral march was played. A mock funeral procession entered from the rear of the room! It was lead by an “undertaker,” complete with dark suit and stovepipe hat. Two “pallbearers” followed, carrying a “casket.”
When the procession reached the front of the room, the speaker called it to a halt. The music was also stopped, and the emcee asked for an explanation. “We’re burying an unsuccessful salesman,” explained the “undertaker.” When asked the cause of death the “undertaker” replied, “I don’t know, but we’re burying all of them. Something is putting an end to all the unsuccessful salesmen.” The speaker had the casket placed on a table while a coroner’s inquest was conducted. Ten “witnesses” were called to the front and seated apart from the audience. They were questioned one at a time.
The first expressed the opinion that unsuccessful salesmen were being eliminated by a new sales aid his department had designed. “It’s a tool so powerful that no salesman will hereafter be unsuccessful.” Other witnesses confirmed the opinion. Salesmen who had field tested the item told of their success in using it. By carefully selecting the “witnesses” and asking well prepared questions, the speaker had a very rosy picture painted.
A gavel was banged and the verdict announced: “The findings are that death was caused by the new sales aid. This new aid is bringing an end to all unsuccessful sales efforts.” At that moment the “corpse” jumped out of the “casket!” It was a real shocker since the audience had no reason to believe someone was actually in the box! He ran to the speakers’ stand and grabbed the new sales aid. Then he raced out of the room yelling, “Don’t bury me I want to use it too!” This event lasted only 22 minutes. It did ten times as much good as a speech of the same duration. Try it!
