How to Improve the Dynamics of your Weekly Route Rep Meetings
Let’s be honest. Most route reps would prefer to slam their fingers in a truck door than attend their weekly route rep meeting. And, chances are, their managers feel the same way. Can you blame them? Think about the typical delivery team meeting. Each week, route reps sit through information-download sessions where they typically hear about standard procedures and information that doesn’t require a face-to-face meeting. Hopefully your sessions aren’t the norm, but this type of meeting is all too common in our industry.
The basic premise of a weekly route recap is a good one – get the whole team together to communicate and learn from each other. Unfortunately, along the way, most of these meetings have shifted from a pull-approach (having route reps share key insights with each other) to a push strategy (one that focuses more on top-down management). Often, the meetings become so monotonous that instead of fixing the problem, the frequency of the meetings is reduced. The good news is that meeting dynamics can quickly change and route results will improve once the sessions become more about the route reps sharing information than being manager-focused.
First of all, these meetings should not be optional. This is a team-based meeting, so it is imperative for all members of the delivery team not only to attend, but also to participate. The meeting should follow a set schedule every week and should last no more than half an hour. Now, you may be thinking that is impossible, and it may take a few weeks of practice to get everyone accustomed to the new way of doing things, not only is it possible, it will dramatically improve the results of the delivery team.
Meeting Part 1 – The Manager’s Opening
The meeting should open with an introduction by the manager to give quick updates to the team. This is not the time to remind them about checking their oil, adding antifreeze, filling out forms, etc. The manager’s introduction should last no longer than five minutes and should only cover material that is motivational or truly impacts the team. (Anything shared by the manager should be positive. Negative feedback should always be given on a one-on-one basis. The weekly meeting should be uplifting and promote team development.) For the rest of the meeting, the manager’s role is simple – moderate the discussions, give positive reinforcement and to listen. Twenty percent of the discussion should be lead by managers and the remainder lead by the route reps – not the other way around.
Meeting Part 2 – Route Reps Results
Next on the agenda should be a quick update by each route rep – and, we do mean quick. At the end of the week, each route rep should write their weekly results on the chart or whiteboard in the meeting space. Even better, have your route reps fill out the chart every day when they return from their deliveries. Begin by selecting no more than five performance metrics that you want to highlight in each meeting. If you are not already doing so, you can decide what the most important metrics are that you want to track as a team. We’ve seen successful growth-focused companies use metrics such as sales, retention, credits, net merchandise costs (input dollars less recovery dollars) and route growth. After the manager kicks off the meeting, each route rep can then take turns walking to the front of the room and reading their results for the week. Next, they can tell what they are most proud of that week and then share one area that they are working on improving. This should take no more than a minute or two for each route rep.
Standing in front of the group can be uncomfortable for some route reps at first, but the more at ease they get speaking in front of their peers and managers, the easier it will be for them to communicate and gain confidence with their customers. Make sure that you’ve created a comfortable environment within the group to encourage your route reps to open up and not be embarrassed or discouraged. In addition, the pressure of taking accountability for their numbers in front of the group each week will cause visibly improved weekly results.
Meeting Part 3 – Team Development
Spend five to ten minutes each week having a different route rep coach other members of the team on a relevant topic. Training and team development are often overlooked but this is an ideal time to discuss the best practices that your route reps are seeing every day. For your first meeting, ask one of the route reps who has been doing particularly well with one of your key performance metrics to share his insights on what makes him so successful in this area. Keep in mind, this should be a laid back discussion that gives route reps the opportunity to share what they’ve learned and be recognized for their achievements.
Meeting Part 4 – Wrap Up
The meeting should conclude with the manager thanking everyone for their participation and for working so hard on improving results. Then, based on opportunities discussed during the route rep presentations, the manager should select one person to lead next week’s training session. For example, ask a route rep who is proficient in an area that other reps mention they are struggling with to speak on that topic. This gives the presenting route rep a week to prepare his thoughts to share with the team. Finally, if necessary, provide a bulleted handout with any functional details that need to be conveyed but aren’t worthy of taking up valuable meeting time.
As a leader of your company, we encourage you to attend a weekly route rep meeting for yourself and gauge how much value your meetings truly have for your team. As mentioned earlier, it may take a few meetings to get route reps and managers used to a revised format and to get the meeting time down to thirty minutes, but the results are well worth it. You’ll not only see an improvement in morale, but you’ll also notice more self-accountability and better performance by your route reps.
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