The Four Ps of Successful Meetings

My wife and I love to explore. On weekends, we’ve been known to jump in the car or on the bike with no particular destination, just a direction. For us, there is an excitement to the unknown, the unexpected surprises. Often for us, it’s about the journey, not the destination. While this adventurous spirit may work for trips and exploration, it does not work for meetings.

It seems more and more our days are filled with meetings. Some virtual, some in-person, some with clients and some internal. There is a recipe for successful meetings no matter which you are having. In this space we like to focus more on sales and sales management, but the concepts and formula is the same:

P – Purpose: Regardless of the type of meeting, knowing the purpose of the meeting is critical for a successful outcome. The navigation system on your car displays a map to show you where you are, but it’s only when you put in a destination that you know if you’re headed in the right direction. Meetings need a destination.

P – Process: What’s going to happen during the meeting? What are the components that will lead you to the destination you’ve chosen? Activities, questions and research. What do you need in the meeting to reach your intended destination?

P – Pay-Off: What will make the meeting successful for you and for the participants? In planning the meeting, it’s important to know how investing the time will be of benefit.

P – Preparation: Are you prepared with the right information, content or action steps for the meeting? Have you planned in advance? Advanced planning and asking yourself the purpose, process and pay-off questions will lead to more productive and enjoyable meetings.

For sellers, this is important planning to maximize the gift of time with clients and prospects. For managers, planning is critical to ensure that your teams get the most out of the meetings you lead.

Think back on the meetings you’ve had in the last few weeks. Chances are the ones you found most beneficial had a purpose, process, pay-off and planning. Those that didn’t surely feel like a waste of time. Who has time to waste?

Jeff Schmidt is SVP-Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau. You can reach Jeff at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com or follow him on social media: Twitter and LinkedIn.