I see it every day y’all.

The game plan behind 1×1s… they scare me to my bones.

Want to learn how to do them better? Keep reading.

Let’s start with the don’ts behind 1×1s.

There are many of these (and I go deep into this in my Sales Leadership Academy) but we’re only gonna focus on the big 3:

1. Don’t stack them back to back

2. Don’t combine different types of 1×1s (I’ll list some below)

3. Don’t ignore the structure and length of your 1×1

The key to all of these is intentionality.

Y’all know this about me. Intentionality trumps everything.

Imagine if you have 5 back-to-back 1×1s. Are you really going to bring your best self to that 5th and final one??

Probably not. And let’s be real folks. Chances are that at least 1 of those 1×1s will go long, which means you’re probably going to eat into other 1×1 time.

So be intentional with your time and your energy. You have to show up proper for every single one of your reps.

Another big thing I see lots of managers do is combine all the different types of 1×1s into 1 jumbled update.

Do you really think you’ll be able to make progress on ANYTHING if you do EVERYTHING?

Again - this is something that slows progress and builds frustration.

Now that you know what not to do. Let’s get into the good stuff (right after this section).

I’m going to be joining Devin Reed and Maya Connet (VP Inside Sales @Clari) on Tuesday, March 14th at 3:30PM EST to chat about the 3 Tech Stack Non-Negotiables to Stop Revenue Leak.

You’ll discover:

• How revenue leaders are integrating AI into the revenue process

• How to connect your teams - from reps to execs - with a single source of truth

• How to embed your sales strategy into your sellers workflows to increase adoption and results

If you’re looking to maximize your team’s potential and revenue attainment, this session is for you.

Register here to save your spot. 

Alright - we’re back. So what does good look like when it comes to 1×1s?

The first thing you want to do is understand the different types of 1×1s.

The 3 most common are:

• Deal Reviews

• Coaching Sessions

• Career Pathing

Please for the love of god - don’t try to combine these 1×1s. You won’t get anywhere.

Once you understand the type of 1×1 you want to execute your job as a leader is to PREP against the right one.

The prep for deal reviews is MUCH different than Career pathing. This is why you can’t just book and look at these meetings.

Intentionality is everything.

The next thing to do is understand your 1×1 cadence and length.

In my experience, the best 1×1s are 45 minutes long and are weekly or bi-weekly depending on the needs and tenure of my reps.

It’s also recommended to do these at the start of the week (Monday’s and Tuesday’s hit the best for me).

Some reps need weekly attention. Others not so much.

You can’t call the same plays for every rep.

So there you have it.

Specific and tactical ways that you can improve your 1×1s.

Go try these out and let me know how they go.

Happy selling y’all