Precious meeting time - it's an opportunity to interact, engage and hear FROM your team. Yet, what happens most of the time? The leaders talk AT the team. It's all done with the best of intentions - and yet the result is the same: snores being stifled, multi-tasking because it's so easy to be on-line while looking interested, lots of bathroom trips, doodling, note passing and side talks.
How to keep the bore at bay? Focus on communicative meetings. What in the world does that really mean anyway? To me it means that it is two-way communication. No more meetings with death by PowerPoint. Download a free sales meeting kit here.
The president of a mid sized company was sharing with me how she really wanted to 'mix things up' at her upcoming company meeting. Having been privy to a previous meeting, I knew that the general format included over 90% of the time spent with the employees sitting and listening (for hours) - maybe with a few handouts of text and numbers in their hand - in a darkened room with MANY PowerPoint slides shared.
Enthusiastically, I offered to help her make it more interesting, fun, and communicative - both ways! I asked her how she was planning to mix things up like she stated. She responded that they didn't really have time to do much differently, and that she would take some time to let them do brainstorming.
How to keep the bore at bay? Focus on communicative meetings. What in the world does that really mean anyway? To me it means that it is two-way communication. No more meetings with death by PowerPoint.
The president of a mid sized company was sharing with me how she really wanted to 'mix things up' at her upcoming company meeting. Having been privy to a previous meeting, I knew that the general format included over 90% of the time spent with the employees sitting and listening (for hours) - maybe with a few handouts of text and numbers in their hand - in a darkened room with MANY PowerPoint slides shared.
Enthusiastically, I offered to help her make it more interesting, fun, and communicative - both ways! I asked her how she was planning to mix things up like she stated. She responded that they didn't really have time to do much differently, and that she would take some time to let them do brainstorming.
It was clear she didn't want help and was being polite. She had her agenda set and was moving on to bigger and better presidential items for the next month. Guess what happened? It was another snore and bore fest for the employees!
Okay, you get the picture of what those employees just sat through, don't you? You've probably been in meetings such as this. The bigger question, then, is this - do your meetings follow this format too? You might be excited about the topic and all the detail, but is your audience?
If you want to make your meetings more communicative, it isn't that hard. It does take some forethought and reflection. For each 'point' you want to share, ask yourself (or others): How can this be shared in the most concise way? Which details really need to be shared verbally, versus other communication formats?
Okay, you get the picture of what those employees just sat through, don't you? You've probably been in meetings such as this. The bigger question, then, is this - do your meetings follow this format too? You might be excited about the topic and all the detail, but is your audience?
If you want to make your meetings more communicative, it isn't that hard. It does take some forethought and reflection. For each 'point' you want to share, ask yourself (or others): How can this be shared in the most concise way? Which details really need to be shared verbally, versus other communication formats?
1. Strive for a full 50% of the meeting to be active, participative, and discussion-oriented.
2. Ask for input in advance of the meeting. A warning for this one - if you ask for input, OPEN your mind to what you might learn and how you can incorporate it.
3. Share the 'stage'! Who else can be involved? Different styles, voices, energy levels and approaches help mix things up for everyone's interest.
4. Do you have a lot of information that MUST be shared? Break it up into 10-15 minute segments. Find a way to quiz, recap or do something interactive in between to keep people interested.
5. Going to use PowerPoint? You should! Just use it appropriately. Some quick tips on powerful PowerPoint use:
- No more than 24 words on a slide
- Use a color theme throughout - a dark color on a light background is easiest for most eyes to read.
- Use graphics instead of words whenever possible. A quick example: To start a meeting or make a point - use a quotation, a cartoon, a question or a graphic. For example, one powerful meeting opener started with 28% alone on the screen. The audience was trying to guess what that number meant - it generated energy and buzz. And it was the percentage of profit increase from the previous year.
Communicating collaboratively throughout your meeting will take some of the pressure off of you. You will have less PowerPoint slides to create, less talking points to prepare and the responsibility of the success of the meeting will be shared with your audience.
The best part may be the energy that employees will carry back to the real 'work' after the meeting - instead of the snores they were stifling during the meeting. That energy will lead to more sales!
The best part may be the energy that employees will carry back to the real 'work' after the meeting - instead of the snores they were stifling during the meeting. That energy will lead to more sales!
Nancy Bleeke helps companies and individuals increase sales 5 to 25 percent in just six weeks by using her "inside" experience building sales performance. She develops and delivers timely sales skills, tips and tools for global sales teams.
Nancy is also a principal in Sharpenz...Half Hour of Power. Ready-to-go sales training kits for 30 minute sales boosts are available through Nancy's Sharpenz.com. Visit Sharpenz now to download a free sales booster.
Nancy is also a principal in Sharpenz...Half Hour of Power. Ready-to-go sales training kits for 30 minute sales boosts are available through Nancy's Sharpenz.com. Visit Sharpenz now to download a free sales booster.
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