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Guest post by: Deb Bixler Become an Author

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Do you struggle when planning your monthly direct sales trainings?

Are your direct sales training meetings poorly attended?

Is training meeting time stressful?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then this direct sales team meeting planning template will change your life. There is a simple system for putting together interesting, fun, keep-'em-coming-back sales trainings.

Network Marketing-Direct Sales-Party Plan meetings

It does not matter whether you are a party plan, network marketing, or direct sales company, this template for planning trainings will work for you. Most companies have three services which vary from company to company. In any of those business models they are:

• Bookings, prospecting, finding business
• Sharing the opportunity, recruiting
• Showings or presentations and/or product knowledge

After you figure out what your three main training topics are, then you can apply them to this three-part template. For the purpose of this article we will talk about a home party plan company. If you are a network marketing company or a direct sales company that does not rely on the party plan for leads do not judge yourself out. This still applies to you. Just divide the meeting up into your appropriate parts as they relate to your business.

Every meeting has the same 5 parts. In our example, the training will be divided into its 5 segments.

• Networking time
• Part 1 Presentations: discuss presentation skills, sales skills, product knowledge
• Part 2 Opportunity: work on recruiting skills, interview questions, recognizing red flags, etc.
• Part 3 Bookings: dedicated discussion of finding business, leads or bookings and becoming better at it
• Wrap-up

Plan Your Meeting

Plug one of your three meeting parts into the template each month. Then further define your training by selecting one of the following presenters to apply to each segment.

• An outside speaker
• A newbie
• A seasoned rep
• A consultant who is not that good but did something well
• Another leader in your organization
• You
• A video
• Home office representative
  
  Now pick a format for each section of the training meeting:
• roundtable
• divide into groups
• lecture
• networking
• game
• theme
• combination of two of the above

By applying different presenter, different formats, and different material on the same topics that focus on the key skills necessary to be successful in your direct selling business, you will train everyone on what they need and not alienate the seasoned reps with boredom.

The beginning of the meeting is always networking. The end is a thank you and wrap-up and more networking. Delegate parts of these sections out at each training for the next meeting. Utilize the skills of your organization to assist with the meetings. If you have a very social person, then they should be the greeter. If there is an awesome recruiter, then that person may be the one in charge of taking the visitors and new consultants under her or his wing so that they do not feel left out. A sign up sheet for duties is always helpful. Have a routine of passing it around for sign up for the next training meeting. Examples of what should be on it are: clean up, set up, paper products, snacks, beverages, carry stuff to car, and the like.

The networking portion at the beginning is very important. Incorporate networking games or activities into the arrival time so that everyone is forced to chat. Do not have chairs set out during set up. Force the mingling. (Everyone can grab a chair when it is time to sit down.)

Direct Sales Sales team Meeting Games

There are many networking games that are fun and encourage developing relationships.

"On colorful note cards jot down something about each person that you know that everyone else may not. As the consultants arrive, they pick a card and try to find their match. The cards may say things like:

• Going to nursing school
• Husband installs carpet
• Has triplets
  
  Etc.

"Another direct sales training meeting game that is good for networking is what I call the peanut butter and jelly game. On colorful note cards write matching or complimentary items and people have to find the compliment that goes with their card. For example:

• Peanut butter and Jelly
• Turkey and Stuffing
• Ham and eggs

Keep The Comng To Meetings

These types of games are fun and will help people develop friendships. When you have friends at the training meeting, you keep coming back.

Six Sales Meeting Tips

1. Do not be the presenter every time and do not "add on" when the other presenters are done.
2. The networking segment is very important. Put time into making it different each training meeting.
3. Use themes to generate interest.
4. Keep them guessing by using the different formats and presenters.
5. Delegate and be specific. Tell your presenter exactly what point you want covered, but not what format or how to say it.
6. Chat with the presenters before the meeting about their topic and what they are going to do.

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