No matter how many sales team meetings you conduct each year - weekly, monthly or otherwise - there are a handful of topic categories that make sense to re-visit every year. As you make your 2012 sales team meeting plan,here are 10 topic categories most sales teams can benefit from reviewing every year.
1. SWOT. Look at your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats and make a plan to address those each year. They change from year to year.
2. Objections. These can also change year to year based on the economic environment, your industry, competitor moves and your own pricing, products and business practices.
3. Seasonal selling plans. Before selling seasons or holiday seasons, it makes sense to set a plan to either capitalize on a selling season or keep deals moving during a vacation/holiday season.
4. Current Events. Take time each year to look at the economic and business environment at your top customers. What is happening in their business and how should you respond. Your customers' businesses change year to year.
5. Book Discussion. Read a new book and discuss as a team. Keep growing, developing new ideas and gaining knowledge.
6. Guest Speakers. Invite guests to join or lead meetings each year. Fresh perspective is a great infusion of energy.
7. Pipelines. Look at pipelines, analyze current pipelines and make sure everyone is clear what a healthy pipeline looks like and actions to take to get there.
8. Challenges. At least each year, put common challenges on the table for discussion. Leave with solutions to 5-10 common challenges and make progress year after year. Don't settle for the same problems year after year. Be problem solvers and, therefore, leaders in your companies.
9. Start, Stop, Continue. Assess your sales practices for what is working, what is no longer working and what you should try.
10. Competition. Take time to review and analyze your competitors. They are changing year after year. Make sure you know what they are up to and what you should do to compete.
Happy New Year from Meeting to Win.