Sales meetings are snoozing... how to have kickass sales meetings?

I manage a team, a team you ask? Yes a big team, filled with BDRs, Inside Reps, AEs alike. All doing different activities, and I have 10 reports. I am trying to bring value to our sales meetings, a reason for people being there that doesn't just have to do with company updates.

I want to know, what makes a sales meeting a waste of time vs. interesting? How can I jazz these up to bring value to reps of all different experiences and positions!

Help.

7 comments

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lady_sales_savage

Good Citizen

Senior Account Manager

I like hearing about other people’s deals they’re working on. Especially when I was just starting. Maybe letting a rep talk about their top one each week or even one that is stalled and ask the team for advice ?

Mrsconcrete

Member

Sr director of sales

We've started doing this recently, what makes other people's deals interesting to you? My reps range from BDRs to Sr. AEs and I find it difficult to have them find value in what the other is doing

lady_sales_savage

Good Citizen

Senior Account Manager

Doesn’t ultimately a BDR want to move up to Sr AE? That was my experience and hearing how a senior sales rep talk about customers and deals should be interesting if that’s where they want to head. Also if they set up the meeting there’s some gratification of seeing what it turned into. Sr AEs might not find the BDR stories as interesting but should stil be able to offer input??

LordBusiness

Politicker

Chief Revenue Officer

I'm going to be 100% honest here, there is no way to make sales meetings not suck - but they are a necessary part of team communication (especially as your team grows, and information sharing becomes less tribal). I try to keep a structure to my meetings, and keep them between 30-60 minutes (at MAX). Most importantly, I speak transparently and focus on the WHY. If we are launching a new process - WHY, if we have new hires, WHY, if we are launching a new product - WHY. I've found that if your team understands WHY things are happening, the buy-in will be stronger. Meetings are boring - attempts to dress them up are generally perceived as "trying to hard" by teams anyway.

Mrsconcrete

Member

Sr director of sales

This is interesting actually, so are you just speaking for 30-60 minutes yourself and never have the team come prepared with their own matters to discuss? Do you find it more difficult in the Online zoom world we are in now?

LordBusiness

Politicker

Chief Revenue Officer

I've had a hybrid team from the beginning, so the Zoom meetings part isn't all that different. I may from time to time have a "guest speaker" to the sales meeting just to break it up, but the sole purpose is for the team to get a clear understanding of where we are, where we are going, and how we are getting there. The details are for 1x1 and smaller team huddles.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Lmk when you figure it out ok 😆