How to effectively run a sales meeting in 20 minutes?

Sales meetings are typically held by the sales manager of a company and are attended by the entire team. It is usually attended by sales enablement leaders, sales reps and if necessary, personnel from other departments also.

“The goal of any sales meeting is to discuss the sales process, highlight the changes to be made, and focus on the overall improvement of sales by analyzing the status of potential deals.”

If you are a sales manager, then sales meetings become an integral part of your responsibilities in managing a sales team. These meetings are a treasure trove of information as they offer key insights into your sales funnel, and help to analyze the performance of the sales reps in detail.

However, it is also not very uncommon to see sales meetings revolving around unnecessary and irrelevant aspects of sales and your team. This is where proper planning can help.

There are a few ways to conduct a sales meeting and also ensure that it is actually beneficial. But the key mantra is to keep it short as time is of great essence in this rapidly transforming world. Keeping the meetings anywhere between 15-30 minutes is ideal, especially in the present scenario where most of the meetings are virtual and there are high chances that your team’s attention might wane off if you stretch it for a long. The first step is to set an agenda.

Why set an agenda for your sales meeting?

Without a well-defined agenda, these are some of the common problems you will end up facing in a sales meeting –

Meetings can become repetitive and boring. You and your team will get stuck in a rut which can lower morale and reduce the involvement of the team.
Meetings can lack active engagement making them completely pointless. It can lead to distracted attendees and divided attention.
It will make your sales meetings one-sided; the focus will be lost completely and the problems to be solved will be left hanging.
You will end up putting pressure on your team to meet goals without listening to their inputs. This can result in demoralization and a lack of interest.
Excessively long meetings can result in missing out on key points to be discussed.

All these problems can be overcome by setting a sales meeting agenda. It keeps the goals at the forefront, while also setting time aside to listen to the feedback of the sales team. An agenda consists of two important factors. The topics to be covered in the meeting and the flow of the meeting.

Topics to be covered in the sales meeting

Depending on specific circumstances, there might be different topics to discuss at every meeting. There are, however, a few subjects which must be covered in every sales meeting agenda to ensure productivity and improve the outcome of it –

The sales pipeline: Get quick updates on the status of sales from sales leaders or individual sales reps. This is essential to ensure the company is meeting targets.

Rafiki can help you with this by providing insights as to what the key deal risks or roadblocks were and what topics were discussed that could impact your pipeline from every sales call of a rep.

Roadblocks and obstacles: Discuss the issues facing sales reps while attempting to close a deal. Are the same difficulties spread across the team? What part of the sales call triggered deal risk?

These questions are easily answered by Rafiki with AI-based transcriptions highlighting the necessary topics of conversation related to objections and deal risks.

Metrics, metrics, metrics: Focus on the analytics. These are real numbers that show the rate of closing deals, the reps who are most successful, and what makes them successful.

Along with your CRM, Rafiki can make analyzing metrics at sales meetings easy. By collating data from every call, it can display metrics about an individual’s performance.

Goals and targets: Every sales meeting should have time dedicated to placing the goals and targets on the table. This includes team goals, individual goals, and organizational goals. By getting clarification on every goal, the attendee can leave the meeting with a sense of purpose and clarity.

The flow of the sales meeting

Most sales meeting agendas involve establishing a structure for the duration of the meeting. Crafting the flow will not only make the meeting efficient but also ensures that the meeting adheres to the time limits while covering all bases. Here is the flow of a typical sale meeting that you can replicate in your organization –

Organizational brief: Provide key updates and developments within the organization which directly impact the sales team and its goals and performance.
Review: Listen to feedback from the sales leaders and reps to gain insight into the problems faced during the week/month. Provide solutions or open up the floor to others who might have faced similar issues and overcome them.
Success sharing: Celebrate the small wins within the team. It could be a difficult customer who has been successfully won over by a sales rep, a new record for a number of deals, or even the first deal by a new employee. It is key to spend some time identifying and amplifying these wins. It boosts morale and motivates the team to work better.
Hear out suggestions: Set a few minutes apart to hear suggestions on how to work better as a team. This makes every individual at the meeting feel heard. It is also a great way to hear innovative ideas which can help everyone at the meeting and even the organization as a whole.
What next? : End the sales meeting with clear and achievable targets. Provide useful information which can be used to improve performance and end on a positive note.

Minutes of the meeting

The minutes of the sales meeting is usually taken by a designated team member or taken by different members on a rotation basis. However, ensure that it is not overlooked. For a sales meeting, use a combination of the 3 below types –

Action minutes: This includes the final actions or decisions taken to solve any problems or roadblocks discussed in the meeting.
Discussion minutes: This provides detailed insights into the points of conversation preceding the decision-making process.
Verbatim minutes: This usually includes stats or key points of note which are transcribed in their entirety exactly as spoken.

At the end of the meeting, a copy of the minutes is sent to everyone who attended. This is a record of the happenings. It keeps the key aspects of the meeting at the forefront of the mind and allows everyone to refresh their understanding of the various topics of discussion. It also acts as a refresher before the next sales meeting.

You can also use Rafiki to transcribe your internal meetings, intelligently segment the conversations into key points and convert them into comprehensive minutes of meetings. This means you do not have to assign a team member to take notes anymore. They can contribute to the meeting in better ways.

How does Rafiki help run effective sales meetings in 20 minutes?

Rafiki brings all the stats and data-related sales calls to one seamless platform. This helps analyze and draw conclusions from the overall performance of the sales team in advance of the actual sales meeting.

This makes it easy to highlight the steps to improve sales strategy during meetings without needless conversation or excessive speculation. With Rafiki, there is no need to rely on anecdotal success stories anymore. The real ones and what makes them deal closers are all out in the open, making it easy for every sales rep to emulate.

Leading your sales team to greater heights has never been easier. Book a demo with Rafiki to know more.

How To Master Sales: 10 Sales Techniques That Boost Profits

Sales representatives often face multiple failures in their careers. The primary reason for this is poorly implemented sales techniques and an inability to capture customer interest. However, in the present day, this is no longer a problem.

There are hundreds of documented strategies and techniques that are tried and tested by several organizations. The reps can simply pick one of these strategies and adopt it to produce the best result for them.

Here are 10 such sales techniques and strategies that can enhance your sales pitch –

Know your customer

Before jumping into a sales call, always do your research. Knowing the customer and familiarizing yourself with the ins and outs of their business is the first step in most sales prospecting techniques. It is also common to see sales reps talking to all their customers in the same way, particularly if they are similar in what they offer.

This is undoubtedly a grave mistake. While it may cut down the time spent on researching before every call, it is sure to reflect in your attempt to create a personal rapport with the customer.

When you know your customer well, conversation flows easily. Highlighting the pros of their business while adding how your product or service can enhance their productivity can be an excellent approach to draw the customer. It also builds mutual respect between you and the customer, which is crucial for a successful sale.

Customers are the heroes

Capturing the interest of a customer, particularly when they fail to see why they might need a particular product or service is difficult. As a sales executive, it is your responsibility to paint a picture that they can understand.

“Everyone likes to be a hero, and in a sales call, it is always the customer. “

This sales technique requires you to have all the data ready for the customer to believe that they will benefit from what you’re selling. On top of it, drill down to the different pain points they are experiencing that they would have overlooked or failed to communicate. Elaborate on how your service is perfect to solve these pain points.

This helps the customer to be fully aware that they can now fix an existing issue, thereby making them the hero of the story. And as a sales rep, you have now made your product or service a must-have for the customer to become a hero. A win-win scenario for all.

Study the sales system

A sales system ideally helps reps to get organized and know how to respond to various aspects of a sales call. In short, it provides direction to the conversation and gives a structure to the call, which is essential for smooth conversions. It also saves time and can be easily applied. Before any sales call, good closers always study the sales system thoroughly.

A tool that can help you study it is Rafiki. Rafiki is an AI-based application that can make studying sales systems and processes a breeze. It has a personalized dashboard that provides a breakdown of your sales techniques that have worked in the past. This makes it a great tool for any sales rep looking to improve their techniques and up their conversion rate.

Retain value

This is an important sales technique that is often overlooked, particularly in the rush of closing a sale. Offering discounts can come across as overselling. While they may sometimes result in a sale, it lowers brand and product values drastically. In some cases, it might even result in the customer backing out entirely due to a sales rep’s seeming lack of confidence in the product’s ability.

One of the best sales closing techniques is to remain calm and explain what the customer would gain out of his/her purchase is invaluable. This adds value and authenticity to what you sell.

Challenge the status quo

Too often, customers fail to engage in sales calls, simply because they do not want to change the status quo. They fall back onto the old adage of ‘If it’s not broken, why fix it.’ This can be a huge mistake, particularly in today’s rapidly changing technology-based world.

As a sales rep, it is important to get this across to the customer. Cite examples of competitors who might be changing their ways of working. Explain how they can stay ahead by investing in your product or service. Provide circumstances that are sure to pop up in the future which can be mitigated right away by your service. Such sales closing techniques are sure to get the client thinking, which is often a great way to segue into a full-on sales pitch.

What’s your value wedge?

Every sales rep knows the USP of what they are selling. This is usually the point of emphasis in any sales call. However, what is more important to the customer is how your product or service is going to add value to them. For a successful deal, find the value wedge.

Your competitors are sure to offer several features similar to what you are offering. How do you differ? How does the difference help the customer? The answer to this question is your value wedge. Use it in your pitch to truly magnify how big an asset your product is going to be to the customer.

Adapt for virtual calls.

Too many sales reps make the basic mistake of approaching a virtual sales call or a telephonic call the same way they would a face-to-face meeting. This is a big no-no. For instance, an excellent PPT might work well in face-to-face interaction, but it is useless if the customer is not paying attention in a telephonic call (very common). Instead include easy-to-understand metaphors and analogies to get your points across without losing customer’s interest.

Rafiki again comes to your rescue in this. It can offer an in-depth analysis of various calls that unlocks the best sales techniques for your business. It also lists phrases and terms which have been shown to result in conversions. This can help you prepare for closing any deal.

Utilize objections as opportunities

Most sales reps find it hard to handle negative responses from customers. It throws them off the game and can send a sales call spiralling downwards. Practice and knowledge of necessary data can help handle the situation.

If you sense hesitation or outright rejection from the customer, it is always wise to backtrack. Ask what the problem is, and see if you can take it from there. The best sales reps always have solutions at hand. Explain cautiously and wait for a response before proceeding with the rest of the pitch. Every objection is an opening to explain why your product or service is valuable to them.

End every meeting with an action

What seems like a successful call can sometimes get lost in the follow-ups or before the deals are signed. This can easily be avoided by following a simple, yet highly effective sales technique. At the end of the call, rather than an assurance to schedule a follow-up, set a date and time on your calendar and request the customer to do the same as well. Another option would be to get all required data over the same call, rather than pushing it to a later date. This will ensure that your deal is one step closer to getting finalized.

Use sales enablement tools

Sales enablement tools have become pivotal in handling sales teams. They have helped optimize the sales pipeline in new and innovative ways and are constantly evolving and upgrading.

How Rafiki can help?

A tool like Rafiki transcribes every call, merges seamlessly with whatever CRM is being used by the customer, and provides a number of game-changing features. With clear-cut data that shows the indicators of good conversations, Rafiki is a great learning platform for sales executives. Comparing calls with peers, finding the exact sales system which works – everything is easily accessible without the hassle.

For managers of sales teams, Rafiki helps monitor performance and identify the changes to be made for higher conversion rates. It also gives information that can help modify the sales pipeline as required. For sales reps, it showcases sales techniques used by the experts and provides a framework to follow to close more deals.

To know more about Rafiki and how it can boost your sales techniques, contact us today.

9 Ways to Increase Sales

How to increase sales? How to be successful in sales? – These are the questions on every sales rep’s mind.

Sales calls are more than just a sales rep’s attempt to close a deal. It involves planning, conscious thought, action, and a certain spontaneity which could be called luck; or, it could be simply called knowledge.

Most things can be learned, and a willingness to improve coupled with a keen thirst to know more is easily the best assets needed to slowly but surely increase sales.

Think of the standard sales process as a foundation – the bottom-most lego block. Boosting positive outcomes needs more than just a base, it requires structure. Below are 10 such building blocks which can enhance the quality of sales calls thereby bringing an increase in sales.

#1 Know what you’re selling

This might seem like a given. But you’d be surprised at how often reps fail to know the nuances of what they are selling. Knowing is not equal to having a basic understanding of the product or working off that one walkthrough you received. It involves digging deep.

Study what you’re selling like you are the customer. Identify the USP and learn how to present it. This is the most important step to boost your confidence during a sales call. You can’t be fazed by any query, since you know all there is to know. This is a vital step to increase sales.

#2 Listen. Listen. Listen.

“Most people think ‘selling’ is the same as ‘talking’. But the most effective salespeople know that listening is the most important part of their job.” – Roy Bartell

A motivated salesperson is not in a rush to make the sale. There is no hurry in their demeanor and patience radiates from their every word. When you are on a call, the pace is set by the customer. Listen to them.

When you listen, you gain valuable insight into what the customer needs. This allows you to provide the solution. Too often, sales reps provide a default explanation with details that have not been requested by the customer. This can be mundane and off-putting and are usually a result of not listening. Always listen, then respond.

#3 Ask the right questions

After prospecting the ideal customer, you make your pitch. The customer, who seemed interested at the beginning, is gradually losing interest. What do you do?

At this stage, you already know WHY your customer might need your product. Remind them of it. Ask if they notice the problem your product or service can rectify. This draws their attention. Now, explain the solution.

In some cases, the customer is unaware of the problem they may be facing. Question them. Probe with intention and isolate the reason they might benefit from what you’re selling.

#4 Provide the right answers

Just asking the right questions is not enough. Educate yourself enough that whatever the customer query is, you have the answer.

Not all customers are equal. Some take a passive stance and prefer to let you set the tone for the conversation. Others are aggressive and need to know every detail before they are satisfied. Knowing your product or service is key to winning over the latter customers. Learn every statistic and feature of what you are selling and know exactly HOW to present them in answer to any question.

#5 Adapt to the situation

Too often, salespeople create a rigid framework for how every call should go. This is done preemptively and can be a good starting point. However, to actively increase sales, the rep must adapt to the customer. Analyze the tone of the customer, read the cues.

If they seem uninterested, explain a different aspect of the product or service. If they are attentive, consider pitching. Read the situation and react intuitively for the best possibility of closing a sale.

#6 Learn from the experts

A successful salesperson has a lot to learn from the experts to improve their sales practices. Right from knowing the topics to capture customer interest, to picking the right time to mention them; you can learn from their experience.

This is where Rafiki can help. You can easily track how expert salespeople close deals. Rafiki ups the ante by not only transcribing the calls but by providing detailed reports on the pattern of conversation. In short, Rafiki demystifies the sales calls, takes them apart, and provides the stats on what works.

Now all you have to do is apply the techniques.

#6 Review yourself

The best sales reps know exactly what went wrong in each call and make the change in their next. This knowledge comes only by reviewing every call you make and breaking it down. Exactly where did the deal seem like it might fall through? Was there a trigger that cued the customer to close the deal?

These answers can be easily obtained using Rafiki. By seeing your topic pattern, and comparing it to those of successful reps, you can change exactly what went wrong the next time. You are sure to see an increase in sales.

#7 Know how to respond to objections

Many sales reps flounder when customers have objections. These could be speculative questions as to why they don’t need the product or service. A good salesperson knows how to meander through this and put forth a strong case, which inadvertently can increase sales.

But how do you know what is the perfect time to pitch the product or service in such a conversation? Rafiki can again help. With a curated analysis of the best moments related to each topic, you’ll know exactly when to say what. A smooth segue can save many a sale.

#8 Don’t let failure deter

The goal is to increase sales. This doesn’t come easy.

Study your sales funnel. How many conversions are you achieving? Celebrate the wins. While there might be better performers, every call is a step closer to increasing turnover rates and achieving newer targets. An increase in sales is not an overnight achievement. Progress takes place with time, patience, and an endless willingness to learn.

#9 Follow up

This is a key aspect that is often overlooked due to a perception of lack of interest from the customer. One call is not the end-all unless a customer explicitly requests not to call again.

Whether it is repeat emails to nudge prospects or calls to understand the needs of the customer, it is vital to follow up to increase sales. Don’t be pushy, but persistent.

Sales calls are a meandering path that should ideally lead to one destination – closed deals. Getting there is a challenge, but by applying new skills and techniques, anyone can become an expert salesperson.

Now that you know the different ways to increase sales, it is time to know more about Rafiki.

Secret tips to increase the sales

Know your Prospect

You need to understand who your prospect is and what motivates them to buy your product. It is vital to understand their needs before making the sales call. By knowing the prospect, the product, and the sales strategy well, one can make a successful sale. Through this practice you will ensure that the prospect takes you seriously – This builds a good first impression.

Researching your prospect is not a difficult task. Finding details about them in their LinkedIn profile or company website will give you a handful of information that is sufficient for a personalized approach. Here is a thumb rule – learn 3 things about your prospect before you get on a call.

Pick the right time to make the call

We all have our happy times. So do research and check the best time to reach the prospects. Nearly half the time, the calls will be handled by the Personal Assistant or Receptionist. Have a solid plan to get past these gatekeepers and reach your prospect.

One idea is to sound like a senior employee of your organization (if you are not). Be relaxed and keep your tone calm. Speak confidently, concisely, and slowly.

Make an impression that you already know your prospect well by using their first name and using the details that you found during the research. Importantly, don’t try to sell your product to the PA or receptionist as they are not the decision-makers.

Talk about you too

Ask as many questions as possible and make the sale look like it has already happened. The best way to sell a product is by connecting emotionally. Once you know them better it is time to talk about you as well.

Any prospect would like to connect with a trustworthy business and you should make sure that you take them through social proofs about your brand. Let them know how long you have been doing the business and how you worked to achieve what you are today. Closing a deal is a two-way street. Once you have built enough trust go ahead and complete the sale.

How can Rafiki help you?

Rafiki is a comprehensive tool that takes apart any sales call and provides analytical insights. The ease of use coupled with its various features makes it a breezy experience to break down the best way to increase sales. Whether an experienced sales executive or a budding new rep, Rafiki can help you up your game with real stats from real sales calls. To know more about Rafiki, contact us today.