Meetings, we’ve got meetings. Why?  Another meeting? About what? We meet, but no one decides anything. Nothing happens. We met last week and all anyone did was gripe.

I hear more complaints about meetings than I do about the people who run them. Well, OK, it’s a tie.

Meetings fail to produce the desired results, or any results at all, for many reasons: no direction, poor leadership, weak content, no agenda, hidden agendas, the tendency to get sidetracked, a boring atmosphere — or all of the above.

Yikes!

And look what it costs in the lost productivity of those attending.

Ouch!

Well, that got me thinking. What are meetings for anyway? And then it struck me. The secret to the perfect meeting: Meetings should be for a single purpose.  Whatever the objective, to make it pay off, define it as a single purpose.  Here’s a simple formula for a successful meeting:  1. Define the single purpose.  2. Define the objective(s).  3. Define the expected outcome.  4. Create the content.  5. Make the content transferable.  6. Select the presenters. (There may be others besides you.)  7. Think about the politics when inviting participants.  8. Make it attractive to attend. (Do people want to attend the meeting, or do they have to attend the meeting? Here’s a harder question: Do they want to listen to you, or do they have to listen to you?)

That’s just the beginning—well, almost the beginning. Why don’t you first define all your potential “single purposes”? There’s the real beginning. Once you settle on the purpose of the meeting, the content and objectives are easy to define.  The secret? Ask others for agenda items, input and ideas before the meeting and you will have a positive beginning. Start with a temporary agenda and ask for feedback. (Hint: Anyone who responds “Looks good” is lazy; take him or her off the list.)

Want a list of meeting “single topics” to review and add to? Here are the most common reasons to meet:  1. To inform.  2. To organize.  3. To create a game plan and assign responsibilities.  4. To brainstorm an idea.  5. To discuss or advance an idea that has been accepted.  6. To regroup.  7. To discuss results so far and act or react.  8. To debrief or discuss a result.  9. To train.  10. To calm a rumor or break bad news.  11. To maintain a regular schedule—a daily/weekly/monthly meeting (sales, staff, executive committee).  12. To celebrate.

And this last list is a “meeting reality” checklist:  1. Is this meeting really necessary? What is the value of the communication or the expected outcome vs. the cost of holding it?  2. Is there some other way to discuss or disseminate this information? Conference call? Short individual meetings by phone? E-mail?  3. Should you get input or ideas from other attendees first?  4. How will this meeting affect morale or productivity?  5. How will this meeting affect profitability?  6. Can you use this meeting to praise someone or everyone?  7. Can you make the meeting 30 minutes shorter than you planned? (Answer: probably.)

Other meeting ideas…  • Serve good food.   • Have someone take notes. Then send the notes summarizing the meeting, as well as the names of those with responsibilities, to all participants.  • Afterwards, send an action-based e-mail that may recap the meeting as well, and don’t forget to throw in a few compliments. Try to inject a thought or two.

The meeting is a vital tool for your business growth and sales growth. Your ability to master the process determines who will grow faster—you or your competitor.

Free GitBit: Want an agenda for the perfect sales meeting? Just go to www.gitomer.com; register if you’re a first-time user, and enter the word AGENDA in the GitBit box.

Jeffrey Gitomer, author of “The Sales Bible” and “Customer Satisfaction Is Worthless, Customer Loyalty Is Priceless,” is president of Charlotte, N.C.-based Buy Gitomer. He gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings and conducts Internet training programs on selling and customer service at www.trainone.com. He can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com