Getting participation through Buzz Session

IV. The Buzz Session

In most sales meetings, participation is quite desirable. That’s why it has been stressed throughout this book.
The buzz session is a splendid means of getting participation. It’s chief use is in breaking a large group into several smaller groups so that individual participation will be physically possible. It gets the timid fellow in the “act/’ prevents a few loudmouths from hogging the show.

An entire meeting may be constructed around the buzz session technique. On the other hand, a buzz session can be staged as one of several events. If you’ve ever heard a buzz session, you know how it got its name. The talking sounds like a swarm of bees! A buzz session is sometimes called a “six by six,” for reasons that will become obvious.

How to conduct a buzz session?

To conduct a buzz session, you should first announce the topic of discussion. It can be any subject on which discussion is desired. Then divide the group into smaller groups of about six people each. The six persons to buzz with each other can pull their chairs into a circle.

Where auditorium style seating is used, persons on the odd numbered rows can turn around to face the people behind them. The six persons must necessarily face each other. It’s essential for understanding.

Give the groups about six minutes in which to elect their chairman and discuss the topic. A chairman should get participation of all members of his group. When the allotted time has expired, call a halt to the buzzing. Then ask the chairmen to give their reports. It’s that simple. For best results, however, you should tie the reports together. Summarize. Draw conclusions, being sure to thank the participants.

The opinions voiced in each small group are not ordinarily recorded. Buzz sessions are not that formal. But an interesting twist was given at a buzz session of specialty salespeople. Chairmen were given two pieces of paper with a carbon between them. Opinions of their respective groups were recorded in duplicate. When the buzzing was stopped, the carbon copies were collected. Then came a 20-minute period in which the chairmen made verbal reports.

Two stenographers were in an adjacent room. During this twenty minutes they cut stencils based on carbon copies of the reports. They rapidly ran the stencils on a mimeograph machine. By the time the last chairman had reported, there was a mimeographed job of the entire proceedings. The stenographers actually brought the mimeographed sheets into the room before the last chairman finished his report! Every person in the room was given a copy. Every person was surprised, too.

I.* The Problem Solving Conference
* State the Problem
* Get the Facts
* List Possible Solutions
* Select the Most Likely Solution
* Effect the Solution
II.* The Workshop
* Plan a General Assembly Select Both Positive and Negative Problems Appoint Committees to Tackle Problems Recall the General Assembly for Reports
III.* The Brain Storming Procedure
* Select Non-technical Subjects Permit No Negative Comments Let Imaginations Run Wild Evaluate Contributions Late:
IV. * The Buzz Session
* Announce Topic of Discussion Divide People Into Groups of Six Allow Six Minutes for Discussion Accept Reports of Chairmen Summarize and Draw Conclusions

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