Stop the Meeting Madness: Run Dealer Meetings That Get Real Results

If there’s one thing I consistently see in heavy equipment dealerships, it’s this: meetings either happen too often without a clear purpose, or they don't happen at all—and critical communication gets lost in the daily grind.

Sound familiar?

I’ve been there myself. When I was leading a dealership, I was notorious for letting meetings run way over the scheduled time. We’d start with good intentions, but without firm boundaries, the discussions would drag on and lose focus. After some hard lessons, I finally bought a meeting timer off Amazon. Setting that timer for the meeting’s allotted time—and having it visible to everyone—completely changed the dynamic. Meetings stayed on track, stuck to the agenda, and ended when they were supposed to. It wasn’t just about saving time; it was about driving real action and pushing decisions forward that we agreed needed to be made.

When meetings lack purpose, they drain energy and momentum. But when they’re structured right, they create clarity, accountability, and results. Let’s dig into what’s working—and what’s not—so your meetings become a real tool for moving your dealership forward.

The Problem: Too Many or Too Few

Too many meetings: If your team groans every time another meeting hits the calendar, you might be overdoing it. Repetitive updates with no clear decisions waste time and frustrate high-performing teams.  If your team says you are having meetings to plan more meetings, you are likely overdoing it. 

Too few meetings: On the other side, when department heads or service managers are flying blind, siloed from the rest of the business, you start seeing dropped balls, duplicated work, and missed opportunities. To build collaboration, you need an environment where your team works together and this can require meetings. 

In both cases, the problem isn’t meetings—it's a bad meeting strategy.

The Right Cadence for Equipment Dealers

Here’s the frequency I recommend for most dealerships I coach:

1. Leadership Team Meeting – Weekly, Bi Weekly or Monthly (60 - 90 minutes max)

Purpose: To review KPIs, resolve cross-department issues, and align on organizational priorities.

Key Topics:

• Department performance snapshots (Sales, Service, Rentals, Parts)

• Current roadblocks or customer concerns

• Strategic initiatives and next steps
  

Many dealerships find success with a two-meeting approach each month. The first meeting, held shortly after the month-end close (typically within the first 10 days), focuses on financial results and performance metrics. The second meeting, held later in the month, is more strategic in nature—centered on long-term initiatives and cross-functional alignment. While there may be some content overlap, these shorter, focused meetings often lead to more effective outcomes.

Geography can present challenges, especially for dealerships with team members dispersed across wide territories. Despite this, bringing leadership together in person at least once a month fosters stronger team cohesion, improves communication, and reinforces accountability.

2. Departmental Meetings – Weekly (30–45 minutes)

Purpose: Get everyone on the same page and tackle departmental issues head-on. Key Topics:

• Service backlogs or delays

• Inventory updates and parts availability

• Customer satisfaction issues

• Staffing and scheduling challenges
  

3. Monthly Scorecard Review – Monthly (90 minutes)

Purpose: Step back and look at overall performance trends. Key Topics:

• Financials and key metrics

• Process improvement ideas

• High-level forecasting and planning

Make Every Meeting Count

Here are a few battle-tested tips to turn meetings into tools that actually move the business forward:

Set a Clear Agenda in Advance. Send it at least 24 hours ahead. People should know what to expect and come prepared. Seek input and what decisions need to be made. 

Assign a Timekeeper. Stay on track. Start on time, end on time. Respect people’s schedules—it builds trust.

Track Action Items. Every meeting should end with WHO is doing WHAT by WHEN. Write it down and follow up. You should also reflect on what decisions were made and what was accomplished. (If you can’t reflect on the accomplished items, that is a reflective moment).

Limit Attendees to Only Those Who Need to Be There. Don’t make meetings a spectator sport. Invite only those who add value or need the info for the topics.  A best practice is to hold subsequent micro meetings that don’t waste the time of team. 

Use Visuals (Dashboards/Whiteboards/Scorecards). Don’t just talk numbers—show them. Visual tools boost understanding and accountability.

Final Thought

Meetings aren’t the enemy. Poorly run, purposeless meetings are. If you’re leading a dealership, it’s your job to make sure your team is aligned, informed, and focused—and the right meetings, done well, are one of your most powerful tools.  We must remember that dealerships have natural silos built within them. As leaders it is our responsibility to make sure those silos don’t get higher or more pronounced.  Meetings are an effective way to build collaboration and ultimately accomplish the results you are looking for.