Chad DyarThe four-minute pre-call brief I use with account teams:
What does the prospect most need to feel by the end of this call?
What did they say last time we need to build on today?
If the call goes sideways, who takes the baton?
That's it. Same destination for everyone. The performance is still improvised, but now the whole ensemble is improvising toward the same place.
From Think on Your Feet, Land on Your Numbers.