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Think about the number of hours you spend in meetings every week.
Now think about the time that you spend preparing for these meets.
Based on a report by Atlassian, most employees spend about 31 hours every month in unproductive meetings. Spending such a huge chunk of time in meetings significantly hampers employee productivity.
Yet, another study by Verizon Conferencing suggests that around 91% of employees consider meetings a fruitful experience as it is a chance for them to contribute and receive actionable feedback meaningfully.
These two diametrically opposite views underline the major drawbacks inherent in most meetings that are considered unproductive. One, they aren’t well-structured, and two, they are not data-driven because, as Peter Drucker states — If you can’t measure it, you cannot improve it.
What are 1-1 Meetings?
The most impactful and high-leverage activity for running a sales team is conducting 1-1 meetings.
Managers block a dedicated time on their calendars with each employee for an open-ended conversation. It is a space for mutual feedback and discussion of coaching/mentorship opportunities.
Well-structured 1-1 meetings with your reps are crucial to boosting productivity for a sales team.
Did you know? Teams that conduct regular 1-1s and coaching sessions notice at least a 20% increase in productivity and profitability.
If 1-1 meetings are so effective, why aren’t more managers and team leaders conducting them?
Sales teams face three main challenges that hinder them from conducting 1-1s with their reps:
- No data-driven talking points to discuss the progress and blockers
- Lack of time, resources, and skills to provide coaching opportunities and valuable feedback
- Do not have an in-depth understanding of performance in terms of their efforts and conversion rate
Tips for Your Next 1-1 Meeting
The lack of data-driven talking points is the biggest challenge teams face while conducting 1-1 meetings with their sales rep. If you do not know the exact performance metrics of your reps, how will you talk to them and coach them for improvement?
Accountability drives greater productivity. But it is important to set guidelines for regular check-ins and have systems that help you conduct efficient meetings and coaching sessions.
15 Questions To Ask Your Sales Rep In The Next 1-1 Meet [Download Free Template]
Based on our research, we have compiled a list of four best practices that sales team managers, leaders, and coaches can easily adopt to conduct meetings with their reps.
- Shortlist or group your reps in buckets to save time
- Identify & enhance your rep’s existing skillset
- Have data-driven talking points
- Identify current challenges & gaps in coaching sessions
Did you know? 69% of managers are uncomfortable communicating with their employees.
A predefined structure and access to data-driven talking points can make 1-1 meetings easier and a lot more meaningful for you and your team. 1-1 meetings are a golden opportunity to work on communication and interpersonal skills. The goal is to make your workspace safe and create an environment that encourages growth.
1-1 meetings help the team run a lot more smoothly and keep the manager in the loop of any blockers or wins of every member on the team.
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