How To Plan a Meeting

By Michael Crom, Executive Vice President, Dale Carnegie Training

Dear Carnegie Coach:

Help! My boss, the company’s director of sales, just told me I was in charge of planning this year’s sales meeting. I’ve been to the sales meetings for the last couple years, but I don’t know where to begin. It’s six months away, which seems like a long time, but I’m already starting to panic. – Rosalee

Dear Rosalee:

There are two words that sum up meeting planning: communication and details. If you give both those words your utmost attention over the next six months, you’ll have a great meeting! Now, for a little more specific advice:

1. Start with a vision.Get your boss and anyone else he or she feels could contribute into a room and ask them what they want to achieve at the upcoming annual meeting. You’ll know some of this based on what they’ve done in previous years. However, you want to create a unique vision for this specific meeting – is it about teamwork, new products, rapid growth, etc.? Fun themes such as Wild West or Roaring 20s can add excitement but unless your boss insists on a theme, I’d stick to planning a good solid meeting.

2. Look at what was done in the past couple years for a guidelineas to what they want to include in the upcoming meeting. Make a list of each event and ask if they think that’s appropriate for next year or if they’d like to change it in any way. Chances are, they’ll have some new products to introduce and possibly some new marketing campaigns. Sales meetings inevitably include an awards banquet and often have training sessions. There also usually are planned outings. You certainly don’t have to do everything the way it’s been done before, but you also don’t want to change any “sacred cows,” traditions that management and employees alike look forward to every year.

3. You’ll need to decide where the meeting is being held very quickly.If it’s at your home office every year, you’re in luck. However, if you move to different resorts around the country, as many sales meetings do, you’d better check with your boss to see where he’d like it to be. Be sure to tour the facility before making a final decision.

4. Start working on the details with the facility managers– either your internal facilities people or the resort’s conferences department. They will be able to lead you through all the choices regarding rooms and food.

5. Connect with the speakers.Although the agenda likely won’t be set until a few weeks before the meeting, your boss probably has a good idea who should speak at the meeting. Contact these people and ask what technology they’ll be using and if they have any other special needs such as flip charts. This information should be forwarded back to the facilities people as soon as possible.

6. Keep the reps in the loop. If you haven’t told them the dates for next year’s meeting, do it now. Then give them periodic updates about the location, the meeting’s agenda and the activities they can participate in. Make sure you know who is responsible for their travel arrangements. If you are, then you have another set of details to worry about: type of room, transportation to and from the airport, flight times, etc.

You have your job cut out for you, but meeting planning can be very fun. Just keep track of all the details and, when in doubt, communicate.

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How To Plan a Meeting