Would your store meetings be completely unappealing if it weren't for the donuts?

There's no reason to suffer through meetings that adjourn with a collective sigh of relief. Learn to make meetings worthwhile and rewarding for everyone involved — even without donuts.

Why are we here?

The meeting topic is the first issue to consider. Do your meetings have set topics, or are they conducted freestyle with an open forum and perhaps just a few general announcements?

While open-forum meetings can be beneficial, there's no way to ensure that outcome. There's also a real possibility that an unstructured meeting will take a wrong turn and deteriorate to a juvenile gripe session about petty issues that don't concern the staff as a whole.

This is worse than a waste of time, it's a resentment-builder. The complainers usually end up getting more irritated and may even recruit some followers. The innocent bystanders wonder why they had to get up an hour early to attend a whining session.

Valuable meeting time should never be wasted. Have a purpose, formulate a plan and see it through. The purpose of a formal store meeting is to develop and enhance — as a group — the philosophy and goals of the manager, the store and the company.

Here are some general do's and don'ts regarding meeting topics:

Don't include:

1. Reprimands for violations of policies or procedures, even if the entire staff is guilty

Far too often, these types of issues are dominant themes in store meetings. If the entire staff is guilty, perhaps the specific behaviors for compliance were not communicated clearly and effectively to begin with. In that case, the person responsible for implementing and enforcing the policy or procedure needs the guidance, not the staff.

If there are only a few offenders, don't wimp out and admonish your entire staff to avoid a one-on-one conversation. Why would you even consider bringing your whole staff down for the indiscretions of a few?

A general warning or scolding for the purpose of preventing future violations is only evidence of a lack of ability to address violations on the spot. That's the only real way to enforce rules. Discipline only the individuals who need to improve.

2. Issues that don't pertain to all participants

Don't force people to sit through discussions that don't involve them. Hold separate meetings, if necessary, or conduct your meetings in shifts.

3. Issues that are not on the meeting agenda

Have you ever watched a product-training session turn into a debate about inventory levels or discounting? Discussion of certain topics may raise new or related issues that need to be addressed, but don't get sidetracked.

If you want to have a successful meeting, set an agenda and stick to it. List any new topics that come up on a flip chart and either include them in a future meeting's agenda or agree to provide necessary answers/information to your staff by a certain date.

Do include:

• Selling technique/customer service
• Product knowledge
• New policies/procedures or policy/procedure changes
• Selling games and contests
• New staff members/formal introduction and welcome
• Details regarding advertising, promotions or sales
• Brainstorming new ideas on a given subject

Be resourceful

Your resources for meeting topics and agendas are virtually limitless, so be resourceful.

Gather all the product-training materials your vendors have to offer, and if they don't have anything to offer, pester them until they produce. It's in their best interest to provide information about their products' features, advantages and benefits. If they want to keep selling merchandise to you, you've got to have all the support you need to sell it.

Vendors often produce videos and other instructional materials that can be easily adapted to a store meeting format. They may even offer to send a company representative to conduct a product training session at your meeting. Review and confirm the agenda with the representative, and put the meeting on the calendar. Salespeople enjoy being sold on the products they sell — it makes selling with enthusiasm easier.

There's one topic that can never be exhausted in store meetings: selling. It's the meaning of life in retail. Meetings devoted to developing and sharpening selling skills are always worthwhile.

Enriching your staff through store meetings doesn't have to be a laborious task. If you make a habit of collecting meeting topics and explore the limitless resources available to you, you'll find that it's one of the easiest ways to consistently provide your staff with the tools they need to succeed. Why not plan on it?