A sales leader approached me this week with an interesting question – “Venkat, give me three questions I should ask in our weekly sales reviews.”

Here’s what I shared to help him elevate these routine check-ins into customer centric strategy sessions that can move the needle.

Let’s dive in together,

#1. What acknowledgments did you receive from your customers this week?

Always start your meetings on a positive note.

With this question, what you’re really looking into is,

• Are the customers finding value?
• Are the customers finding the engagement to be effective?
• Are they freely vocalizing their needs?

This question uncovers the value your team is creating for customers. It helps identify new and existing levers to sustain & go deeper into the account.

#2. What actions did your customers take last week? What are the actions your customers will take next week?

This question often catches salespeople off guard as they walk into these meetings with an individualist approach – what did I do this week?

It’s not about you, it’s always about your customers.

This shift in perspective helps track real progress, identify blindspots and preempt bottlenecks  in the sales journey.

#3. What should we do to get the customer to move to the next stage of their buying cycle?

Here, what we’re looking at is – how do we help a customer make a decision effortlessly?

This question prompts your team to think strategically, instead of reactively, on facilitating the customer journey.

Use these in your next weekly sales huddle and reach out to me with your experience.

Remember, it’s not about what your team did – it’s about what your customers are doing and how you can support their journey.

Good luck, and here’s to more productive team meetings!

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