Every year at this time, executives and sales leaders start planning for their national sales meetings. Some of these meetings will take place in the fourth quarter and others in Q1 of 2019.

The purpose of these meetings? To bring sales teams together and gain clarity and alignment around the marching orders for the coming year.

During these meetings leaders layout strategic plans, priorities, playbooks and targets that will be used to drive sales initiatives in the months ahead. They do everything they can to ensure every salesperson walks away from the meeting with a deep understanding of what will be new, different and expected.

Salespeople then go back to their office or territory with renewed energy and excitement. After all they have a new quota to chase, new market segments to pursue and maybe even new products to sell.

Yet, with all the hustle and prep most sales leaders go through to get new revenue targets defined, product demos prepared, quotas assigned, sales tools developed, and presentations finalized … many sales meetings don’t answer the two most important questions every salesperson has when they walk into their next sales opportunity …

  1. How does all of this change the conversation I have with prospects and customers?
  2. What’s the new, differentiated story I need to share to make my number this year?

As you prepare for your 2019 national sales meeting, ask yourself:

  • Do I have a new story that supports the strategic initiatives and priorities that will be rolled out to sales next year?
  • Is that story packaged in a way that salespeople can easily digest and deliver?
  • Has that story found its way into our new playbooks, sales tools and presentations?
  • What training, education and coaching programs have I prepared to ensure our salespeople feel comfortable and confident sharing the new story?

It’s alright if you don’t have all the answers right now. However, it’s not OK if you don’t have a game plan for connecting the initiatives, priorities and products you roll out at your meeting … with a new, differentiated story that your salespeople can share to make their number.

Don’t forget. Once the national sales meeting is over, your ability to achieve 2019 targets is directly connected to the story you arm your salespeople with and their ability to deliver it in everyday selling situations.