We’ve seen the trap. Companies develop a meeting agenda that they repeat year after year, changing out themes and looks, but assuming the way they’re communicating is fully effective.“This is the way we do it.” Or “This is our culture.”

Let’s use a sales meeting as an example. There will inevitably be an increase in sales directly following a national or regional meeting, however much of that increase is attributable to the introduction of new compensation plans, incentives, and products. But how much more might sales be increased by using the meeting to also strengthen the capabilities, loyalty and determination of your sales team?

If you’re thinking this doesn’t apply to you because you see your sales team cheering at your meeting, then you’d probably be surprised to hear about a recent convention of a top direct-selling company, which we were invited to attend:

The bulk of the general sessions focused on recognition, which went on for so long that the ceremonies lost their intended effectiveness. So much time was occupied in processing people and distributing give-a-ways, little time was left for business-building strategies, and no time was allotted to testimonials from successful sales consultants.

Following the convention, we asked a random sampling of attendees for their opinion, and they responded “I didn’t get my money’s worth”. We queried further to learn these attendees were measuring the worth of this convention by comparing their registration fee against the value of free product distributed during the convention. Clearly, for these attendees, the communication and messages were not valued.

Compare that to another successful direct seller’s convention where there were no free products given-away. Feedback from attendees: “Best convention ever!”

The difference? The attendees of the successful convention valued what they took away from the meeting – from pragmatic business-building tips to heart-felt inspiration, an outcome far more valuable than $75 or $100 worth of product.

Get feedback from your attendees about what worked and didn’t work in the past. While your future plans will not be solely based on attendee opinion, it is a good place to start. From there, consider engaging a professional to review past videotapes, scripts and agendas with a fresh eye to creating more impact where it counts.