Audience: sales reps
Message: You have broken records; congratulations.
Tone: informal, motivational
Timing: 2-3 minutes

They tell us that old salespeople never die—they just get out of commission. If that’s the case, you people are as young as ever because I saw some hefty commission checks leave our offices this past quarter. To paraphrase General George Patton: You have accepted the challenge, and you are feeling the exhilaration of victory.

You have broken all past records, but let me see if I can put the puzzle pieces back together long enough for you to taste the victory. In the first quarter of last year, you sold $(amount) of (product). In the last quarter of last year, we shipped $(amount) of (product). That’s more like a race record set by tortoises than hares. Then in the first quarter of this year, our benchmark was $(amount) in gross sales. Second quarter, we shipped $(amount) out the door. By third quarter, we had racked up a respectable figure of $(amount). Then somebody put the accelerator to the floor in the last quarter. You can congratulate yourselves for selling $(amount) worth of the best (product) in the nation.

And I’m left trying to figure out how you did it—where the momentum developed.

For starters, you had some specific goals for each model in the line.

Second, you had increased advertising in (title of print media).

But most of all, I think what took you to victory was your own growing awareness of what the product can do for our customers. And once you yourselves became sold, you had little trouble communicating that confidence to your customers who’d taken a wait-and-see position.

There’s one thing to be learned here for future situations: Enthusiasm doesn’t have to be assigned to the newest item on your order form. Some of you may decide to go back through your bags of goodies and see what staple products you may have overlooked. This (product) line may not have been the “firstest with the mostest.” But it certainly has been the bulk of our bottom line this past quarter.

Enthusiasm is the fuel that drives a lot of engines. This product line was simply a little more sluggish at the start. You got the lead out and the commissions started to roll in. We appreciate your efforts.