Sales Training and Company Planning Meetings

Every October many companies, law firms, and other organizations start to look at the reality of their numbers, and resolve to do more the next year. Too often they write off the final quarter and begin making excuses to cover up the cold hard facts of the current year.

There is a lot of rationalization that takes place:

"It is the economy"

"We had turn over"

"Our competitors cut their prices"

"They 'moved my cheese'"

"Nobody returns phone calls any more"

"Our parent company wont invest in social media"

"The team is lazy"

"Customers don't know what they want"

"People are waiting until next year to buy"

But rationalizations will not put money into the bank. Actions are the only thing that can turn things around and get the ball rolling for the rest of 2010 and move you into 2011 with momentum.

The end of the year is an ideal time to hold sales training, team building, planning, and other company-wide motivational and educational events. Waiting until January means more wasted time, and plays into the mistaken view that November and December are non-work focused months.

Countless businesses stopped doing company meetings over the last two years. They were hoping to "save money" in a down economy and thus find prosperity. But you cannot save your way to success,.... it takes commitment, hard work, and sales!

The good news is that these company meetings are coming back. Businesses are again investing in their people, hoping to inspire and motivate them, but also to equip them with the tools and skills necessary to make things happen.

Not everyone is embracing the power of training their people: I spoke to a lawyer last week whose office is below the firm's annual projections. He fears cut-backs. When I asked about training, he said they were too cheap to spend money on the attorneys business development skills (meanwhile they are staring at lousy numbers, hmmmmm?). He is personally investing in business coaching, as he wants to make sure if they close the office he will have a portable book of business and a reputation to ensure himself a future.

If your company is not committed to training and including the team in planning, then your people may see it as a sign that you are not committed to their long term success. Thus they could be looking around at other options. You can't win loyalty when you do not invest in your staff. You either lose their productivity or the people (or both) when you run from educational and motivational events.

Now is the time to plan your team meeting for the end of the year and ensure you start 2011 with the best foundation for success.

Have A Great Day.

thom

Thom Singer is available to facilitate company meetings, sales training, keynote presentations, presentation skills training, and other live (or online) events. More information at www.thomsinger.com.