Owning Your Meeting with an Agenda
Good morning,
Your and your client’s most valuable resource is time. Agendas dramatically increase the chance time in a meeting is well spent. Walking into a sales call without a clear agenda is like going into Target without a clear shopping list and leaving with double the things you thought you’d buy. Don’t let other forces dictate outcomes. Let’s dive in.
Five key reasons why an agenda focused on outcomes is a requirement for any successful sales meeting:
Focus and Efficiency - Sales calls without agendas are prone to wandering off course. An agenda keeps the meeting on track by establishing clear goals and outlining the topics for discussion. An HBR study indicates agendas can increase the effectiveness of meetings by up to 80%.
Control and Confidence - Agendas empower you to take control of the conversation and steer it towards the desired outcomes. They project confidence and preparedness. You’re demonstrating to your client that their time is valued.
Customer-Centricity - Your agenda still needs to be anchored to something your clients find useful. Validate by sharing the agenda beforehand and seek client input. This shows you’re genuinely interested in addressing the client's specific problems rather than merely pushing a product or service. And, more often than not… as long as you’re focused on improving customer outcomes, you’ll likely get a reply saying “Agenda looks good!”
Value Check-in - After you walk through your agenda, ask “How does this agenda sound? Do you think we can cover these key areas this meeting?” If yes → Proceed. If no → Propose a shorter agenda that covers the business-critical topics for the meeting and suggest making more time for the other content in another meeting. Every piece of your agenda needs to have a reason for being there.
Managing Derailments - Clients will inevitably have questions and concerns, some of which could potentially sidetrack the meeting. A well-crafted agenda helps you gracefully address concerns while still staying focused. For example, a few months ago a client raised a complex question that risked taking up half the meeting. I acknowledged its importance and suggested noting it down for discussion after covering the agenda items we both agreed upon. This reassured the client that their concern was important without completely disrupting the flow of the meeting.
An agenda should act as a guide, not a rigid rulebook. Sellers have to stay agile to adapt to client cues and unexpected developments. If a particular point sparks genuine interest from the client, recognize they perked up. Be comfortable allocating more time to probe more on potentially critical points, even if it means adjusting your agenda a bit.
I remember early in my sales career I took the advice of owning the agenda to heart. But I was so committed to the agenda and content I had prepared for that I treated the agenda almost like a checklist. Don’t be like old me. Use the agenda but stay flexible. And, for everyone’s sake, stop starting meetings with established customers by asking “What’s top of mind for you?” You’re the expert in the room. You likely know what’s top of mind for the client— or what should be top of mind for them— and it should be on your agenda.
It’s straightforward, really. Have an agenda in every meeting and stop wasting time. Yes, even in informal meetings. After the meeting’s complete, reflect on whether the interaction was structured and useful.
72%— a significant majority of employees— say the most important element to a successful meeting is setting clear objectives (source). Make it easy to set meeting objectives with your agenda.