Getting meeting time with your prospects and customers is not easy. This is why you must maximize your interaction time…you may not see that person again for a long while.

The best way to create a guiding meeting agenda is to structure your preparation according to the following categories, with a few hints about what should drive your thinking.

1. Client Name

2. Attendees. Obviously, you’ll include titles for all attendees so your management can see who is in the meeting. (Whether or not your manager is joining the meeting, they’ll want to know who you’re meeting with.)

3. Meeting goal. The meeting goal is what you’ll state on the agenda the prospect sees. But you’ll also want to establish what YOU want from the meeting, and thus, you need to write it down under MY Meeting goal. (That also shows your manager you’re thinking strategically about the time spent with the prospect.)

4. MY Meeting goal. See #3.

5. Issues. "Issues" is a code word for "objections." Some sellers would rather use the word "issues" versus "objections" because they feel it’s gentler. Suit yourself…whatever word you use, you must proactively surface objections from your prospect in every interaction with them.

6. Strategic questions. Yes, write "strategic" before the word "questions" on this meeting prep template…it’ll make you think about your questions and force you out of only asking tactical questions.

7. Stories. Nobody recites value propositions in a linear way anymore – if you did, the buyer would tune it out. So, think of anecdotes that can package your VP in a way the customer will appreciate.

8. Next Steps. This goes on the meeting agenda as a prompt to close the meeting by agreeing on what comes next, specifically, what the prospect can do to contribute to forward progress.

Reviewing a formal agenda at the start of your meetings commands attention and shows the prospect that you’re in control and will not waste their time.