MDTP #75: Start your meetings exactly on time and end them exactly on time. Once you waste time your agents will stop attending.
Why Your Agents Secretly Hate Your Meetings and how to run an effective meeting…
The real reason sales meeting attendance is low is simple: you’ve violated trust.
You wasted their time. And when a leader wastes time, the message is clear: this meeting, this mission, and this team aren’t worth much.
A selfish team leader goes nowhere.
The single biggest value you can give your people is a meeting that matters. One that starts on time, ends on time, and delivers maximum value in between.
Respect the On-Time Performers
You begin exactly when the clock strikes—even as people are walking in late.
Why? Because the ones who showed up on time deserve respect.
They need to see that punctuality is honored and rewarded.
Those who arrive late will feel the eyes of the team. They’ll feel the sting of accountability.
That’s culture. That’s how you set standards.
The Core Question
The most important thing I look for in a teammate is simple:
- Can I count on you to work hard?
- Can I count on you to be on time?
- Can I count on you to do the right thing?
If the answer isn’t yes—you won’t last on my team.
How to Run a Meeting That Wins
- Be in the room 15 minutes early, greeting each person as they arrive.
- For 40 minutes, run the most valuable meeting of your life.
- High energy. Training, procedures, clarity. Boom. Boom. Boom.
- End on time, leaving them hungry for more.
When the meeting ends, let them mingle and ask questions—but you’re done. Respect the limit.
Rules of the Room
- No derailments: “We’ll handle that after the meeting.”
- No side conversations: Take it outside.
- No phones unless taking notes: Scrolling gets called out.
- No eating unless it’s a team meal.
- Appointments? Tell me beforehand. Leave early without notice? Stop and ask why.
- Phone call? Step out quietly. Respect the room.
The Principle
A meeting is a covenant. A promise that the time we spend together will make us better.
The team that starts and ends on time, every time, is the team you can count on in the field.
Don’t waste your people’s time. Respect it. Protect it. Maximize it.
That’s leadership.
