Don't underestimate the importance of a powerful sales meeting. And don't underestimate the challenges a poor sales meeting can create for you. All of us have sat through one and some of us have delivered one…a sales meeting where there is no value.

Why is your sales meeting so important? It's one of the most critical hours of the week in your office. This is the true measurement of the effectiveness of your leadership. Here are the top five ways to have successful sales meetings:

Demonstrate true leadership

Start your meetings on time and end them on time. If you have a Top Producer who tends to be late to demonstrate his or her importance, don't allow it. Sit with the latecomer privately and ask for their support and your expectation for them to lead by example. In the long run, they will respect you for that.

How important is a meeting that never starts on time or ends on time?

Have a printed agenda and pass it out at the meeting. Leave room for participants to take notes. A typical agenda looks like this:

• Quote for the day

• Office Production (not individual)

• Updates (mortgage/title) any vertical business that you are supporting

• Upcoming training schedule (give a synopsis and the importance for attending)

• Marketing Update

• Training (present a 15-20 minute training module) This could be sales, prospecting, new contract issues, motivational, etc…

• Provide time for your office administrator with any important announcements or office details

• A very quick haves and wants session

• E-tour (instead of driving around looking at homes on tour have E-tour!) Put your last seven days of listings on power point and show them on the big screen.

• Recognition. I have always used two trophies that are presented to different agents each week. "Manager's choice": You get to choose someone to recognize for that week. (not about production, it's about overall contribution to the office). They keep it until the next meeting. And "Agent's Choice". This is where agents get to recognize an agent each week.

Care about your agents

Know your craft and theirs. This is the best way to care. Let them know what the future market is looking like.

What are experts saying? Provide printed material from the experts for them to review. Offer them solutions. Always stay positive.

Recognize agents for all the good they do beyond productivity.

If you are getting less than 70 percent attending sales meetings, call those who are not attending. Ask for their commitment to attend. …Commit to them that the meeting will be valuable, then demonstrate it. By communicating to them that you are aware they are not attending sales meetings shows that you care about them.

The customer message

What are your agents saying to clients? What are they committing to at listing presentations? How is their follow-up? This is the time to influence that message. How are your agents presentation skills? For that matter…how are yours? You must make the commitment to better your presentation skills and ask for that commitment from your agents. Have someone video tape your sales meetings. Videotape your agents' listing presentations (offer this in the sales meetings…every week).

Training, training and training

At least 30 percent of the meeting should be devoted to training. This is your chance to provide value to the agent and influence the message to the customer. Great managers are great trainers. Improve your agents skill level. This prevents discounted commissions. The basic business model is Value = Quality/Price. If your agents are feeling discount commission pressure, empower them to be better! More skills and a better presentation will increase retained commissions. If you bring in a guest speaker make sure you review their entire message before for letting them loose on your office. Also, give them a specific time frame that they must stick to.

Install energy

Attitudes are contagious - is yours worth catching? Energize your sales meetings. Be positive. They need to see that you love this business and that you love them. Enjoy this time of the week, if done correctly your meeting should be very rewarding. There is one way to have this passion in your sales meeting. Know your subject matter. Be prepared. And above all, believe in what you are saying. Gain alignment and the entire office will feel the energy.

Follow these five points and begin to deliver value driven meetings. Your agents will love your for it.

Published: August 25, 2004

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Rich Casto is the founder of The Real Estate Coaches, a recruiting and management solutions company that supports brokers, owners and managers in the management and recruiting solutions arena. He can be reached at 702 240-0908 or coach@therealestatecoaches.com. Visit his website at TheRealEstateCoaches.com.