Tips for organising the Perfect Retail Sales Meeting

Since many retail outlets nowadays are open all week, planning team meetings and internal conferences presents some challenges. Therefore we hereby present you with 12 take-aways for building the perfect retail sales meeting.

1. Make it accessible.

• Vary the location (e.g. Pick a venue that is a short commute from the airport ).
• Be sure to pick a location that is accessible by public transportation if you have a lot of younger team members.
• Provide refreshments and time for relaxation on the first afternoon as many participants will be coming in from retail outlets and sales calls, so they will need time to freshen up and rest.
• Select an interactive dinner format to accommodate associates from stores who may arrive later. (Alternatively, schedule a reception with hors d'oeuvres around 7:30 PM and start dinner service with the salad course pre-set at 8:30.)
• Be prepared to offer dinner as a room service option if the flights of some participants are delayed and they are too tired to join the group.
• Build the agenda around team member availability. For example, schedule sales training for Sunday morning when stores are closed.
• Videotape core segments. 

2. Update the troops re: corporate performance, strategy and targets for the coming year.
3. Reinforce core values.
4. Provide interactive sales and customer service training. Meetings are the perfect opportunity to provide 2-hour to 1/2-day training modules. You can build on these with webinars and online training throughout the year. 
5. Build in lots of time for questions. Use a variety of formats from cracker-barrel sessions to shorter open questions periods that involve the whole group.
6. Try team building with a twist. Some years you may opt to devote a portion of your meeting to a team building simulation.  You can  for example think of a winter survival team building simulation with integrated outdoor activities. 
7. Involve suppliers. The stronger the bond between suppliers and the sales team, the easier it will be for the team to convey product benefits to customer. Select 1 or 2 suppliers every year. Build in time for them to make presentations, set up interactive product displays, and answer questions. Invite them to join the team for the dinner and entertainment.
8. Ask the hotel to assign a dedicated on-site concierge for the group. It will make your life a lot easier and ensure that you can respond quickly and effectively to unforeseen eventualities.
9. Seize the opportunity to recognize top performers or those who have provided long service. 
10. Don't forget the fun factor and be sure to give the group some downtime to enjoy the venues'  facilities. Also intend to provide a hospitality suite for refreshments and relaxation.
11. Make the final dinner memorable and interactive. We have used elements such as improv, sketch comedy and interactive dinner theater that includeded, music, cabaret and dancing. 
12. End with a powerful keynote. 

Contact us for more information.

Obvius Team