| Many sales trainers consider customer run | | | | around budget limitations? What is the best way |
| meetings to be a key component of sales training | | | | to structure an offer and product presentation? |
| for the sales force. They can be one of the most | | | | How can you find the right decision-makers? |
| effective on-the-job training methods for the | | | | 4. Create a warm, open atmosphere |
| sales manager to use. At the meeting your sales | | | | Most Customer Run Meetings take place in a |
| people hear directly from your clients on what | | | | conference room of the host's company. This has |
| they like and what they do not like. When | | | | the advantage of being able to include a factory |
| organising a customer run meeting there are a | | | | visit with the meeting, which usually goes down |
| number of important points to follow to make | | | | very well with clients. |
| them successful which are described below. | | | | Make sure that you create a friendly atmosphere |
| 1. Set yourself clear goals | | | | in the conference room. You can use the following |
| Successful customer run meetings are based on | | | | list to check you will get the right atmosphere: |
| careful planning. It is not enough just to invite a | | | | Is it clean and tidy? Are there pictures on the |
| few clients and put them in a room with some of | | | | wall? Are the seats comfortable? Are the tables |
| your sales people. Determine, in conjunction with | | | | arranged in such a way that the participants in the |
| your colleagues, exactly what information you | | | | meeting can communicate with each other in a |
| want to acquire from these meetings. | | | | comfortable way? Are paper and pens handy? Do |
| A frequent objection raised by sales people on | | | | you have enough refreshments for your guests? |
| the topic of customer run meetings is, "We are | | | | 5. Have a de-briefing immediately after the |
| constantly talking to our clients anyway, so why | | | | meeting |
| do we need an extra meeting?" Make it clear to | | | | This gives every sales person the opportunity to |
| your sales people that a customer run meeting | | | | summarize the information which has been |
| takes place in a completely different atmosphere | | | | acquired during the meeting and draw the |
| to other sales meetings and is therefore more | | | | requisite conclusions from this. |
| open and informative. | | | | 6. Draw up an action plan |
| 2. Invite the right clients | | | | Work out with your sales people the best way to |
| Invite two or three clients. The clients you invite | | | | translate the criticism and suggested |
| can belong to the same company if you are | | | | improvements into action. As sales manager, you |
| aiming to improve your relationship with that | | | | should also note down any issues that indicate |
| particular company. You should also consider | | | | that refresher sales training is required, either for |
| inviting clients from different companies. Your | | | | the entire team or for named individuals within the |
| choice of clients to invite should be based on what | | | | team. |
| kind of information you are aiming to acquire. | | | | Also make a note of some suggestions for future |
| Send your guests a written invitation and confirm | | | | customer run meetings. Try and summarize |
| the appointment in writing too. Place the | | | | every customer run meeting on the following lines: |
| confirmation in a separate file and also put the | | | | Goals: What were the goals of the customer run |
| aims of the meeting in this file. | | | | meeting? |
| 3. Ask the right questions | | | | Clients: What were the criteria used to select the |
| Most clients shy away from voicing criticism | | | | clients to invite to the meeting? |
| openly. Therefore, ask a "harmless" question at | | | | Results: Make a note of the five or six most |
| the beginning of the customer run meeting, such | | | | important results which the customer run meeting |
| as: | | | | yielded. |
| What is the main aspect of our product which | | | | Client reaction: How satisfied were the clients with |
| interests you? What do you watch out for when | | | | the customer run meeting? |
| you first meet one of our salespeople? What | | | | Sales people's reaction: How satisfied were the |
| does your first impression of our sales person | | | | sales people with the way the customer run |
| depend on? | | | | meeting went? What were the most important |
| Once the clients have warmed up and the | | | | pieces of information they gained from the |
| atmosphere is friendly you can get on to the | | | | meeting? |
| more critical questions, such as: | | | | Action plan: What suggested improvements came |
| How would you assess our service on a scale of | | | | out of the customer run meeting and how are |
| 1-6? What can we do to improve our service? | | | | these going to be implemented in the future? |
| Further topic areas for customer run meetings | | | | Running regular customer run meetings in this |
| include: | | | | way allows you to maximise the learning |
| How are new clients contacted? How can you find | | | | opportunities for your team and should form part |
| out about the client's branch of industry? How can | | | | of a balanced approach to delivering effective |
| you defuse typical objections? How can you get | | | | sales training. |