Make it fun. Training is most effective when it's interactive and enjoyable. For example, many sales associates would rather have a root canal than role play interactions with customers, but the experts agree that role playing should be a part of every sales meeting. But it doesn't have to be boring. Try role playing “American Idol”–style, with everyone voting for the best role player, and the winner taking home some cash. Set up a Wheel of Fortune with parts of the sales presentation on it and dollar amounts. Have associates spin for a chance to win money for nailing the presentation's script. Or do the Objection Face-Off, which is a version of the old hot potato game. One person tosses a ball to someone else as he calls out a common objection, such as “I can't sell my house.” That person provides a scripted response and tosses the ball to someone else, calling out another common objection. The catcher has to call out a response immediately or he's out. If he can't give the proper answer, he's out. The winner gets a prize.
Always end on a positive. Sales associates work in a high-pressure, increasingly difficult field. They face constant rejection and the knowledge that their income is directly tied, in large part, to industry forces over which they have no control. The sales meeting should give them a boost to face the obstacles and view them as opportunities. Leave them with a motivational story, a quote, an article, a movie clip—something that will pump them up and help keep them focused and energized.
“End on a high note,” Barnes says. “I want them walking out the door with the ability to go through the wall.”
SALES MEETING LOGISTICS
We asked the pros about everything from snacks to how to set up the room for a sales meeting. Here's what they told us.
- Best day of the week: Friday
- Best time of the day: Morning, starting no later than 9:30 a.m.
- Best location: In the model, which is where sales associates work. It offers the best training opportunities. If you have more than one community, move it around so associates can see all the products the company offers. It really helps with cross-selling. From time to time, meet in the design center.
- Room set-up: Skip the classroom setting. You want interaction, and you don't want anyone to be able to hide in the back of the room. If you're in a conference room, try putting the tables in a U-shape.
- Food: Keep it light and healthy. This isn't the buffet at Shoney's. Bagels and cream cheese, yogurt, granola bars, and fruit are good choices, along with coffee, juice, and water. Skip the doughnuts and monster-sized muffins. An occasional big breakfast is fine, but offer it ahead of the meeting so people are finished and ready to work when the meeting starts.
- At every sales meeting, you should: Celebrate successes. “A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae away from a kick in the butt,” sales trainer Nicki Joy says, “but it's miles away in terms of results.” Also, practice role playing. If the words “role playing” scare people, call it “simulated sales situations” or “scenario training.”
- You should never: Humiliate a sales associate or use an associate as a bad example. Remember, praise in public; criticize in private.
SAMPLE MEETING AGENDA
Whether you send the agenda out 48 hours in advance or hand it out as people walk in the door, it's important to have an agenda and stick to it. If you're not sure what to include, here are a few suggestions:
- Celebration of successes
- Pre-assigned book review
- Competitive analysis of another builder or community
- Guest speaker on product knowledge, a sales technique, financing, or other pertinent topic
- Individual customer progress reports; brainstorm ways to overcome objections and close sales
- Sales training, including role playing; make it fun and interactive
- Motivational message—maybe an article, a story, or a movie clip