How to Run Successful Sales Rep 1:1 Meetings

Managers/Leaders: What does it take to run a successful sales rep 1:1 meeting?

Ten bucks says you and your rep have different definitions of “success” here.

As a Rep, we want:

1. Some solid “atta-boys” – show me the love!
2. To feel “seen” by management – time and access is a big deal
3. To gain some insight into the team – department and company 
4. An understanding of where we stand on the team
5. Development on how to do even better
6. Insight into career options and how to get there
7. A clear understanding of our next goals and how to reach them
8. To leave feeling important and pumped up to perform

As a Manager, we want:

1. To be sure our Rep knows where they stand against goal
2. To be sure our Rep knows how they’ll make their number this month
3. Clear up any behavioral or skill issues
4. Be sure they’re cool

Mostly, we need to be done with this meeting and get on with the next one right? Maybe during this time we could also look at the pipeline, the call coaching scores, review company announcements, and check off all vacation requests? Like really, can we just check them completely off the “to-do” list for at LEAST a month?

If I’m reading your mind right now, it’s because these are the questions I get when teaching managers the ropes. Things like…

“Why do I need a separate deal strategy, pipeline, and 1:1?”

“Do these need to be monthly or is quarterly OK?”

“I can do all this in less than 30 minutes, is that OK?”

And the fundamental difference here is that we have 8-15 of these to do a month and our reps have one. We need the team to perform and cause fewer issues, and they need to feel connected to their boss, their team, their career growth, and their company. And you guessed it, their 1:1 time is where it happens.

A recent Forbes article taught us that today’s hiring generations care most about 3 things:

1. Career development
2. Skill development
3. Access to leadership (that’s you, baby!)

Ready for a perspective bomb? Imagine you have kids (if you do, imagine you have easier kids 😉). Yeah, you could probably keep them alive with 60 total minutes/day of feeding, maybe some basic hygiene and transport, but keeping them alive is very different than ensuring their happiness and development as human beings. We’re all trying to spend MORE than a few hours/day with our families right?

I know, your reps are not your children.

Or, are they?