March has plenty to celebrate, from Women’s History Month to St. Patrick’s Day, the arrival of spring and the long-awaited end of winter. For sports fans, March brings the frenzy of March Madness, when college basketball teams compete for a national championship.
While the tournament itself only lasts a few weeks, every team knows the truth: championships aren’t won in March. They’re won through preparation, which happens long before tip-off.
The same is true for earnings calls.
For many companies, fiscal years end and begin in the spring. If you’ve just wrapped up your latest quarterly earnings call, congratulations — take a breath. But only briefly. Just because your next earnings call isn’t until the summer doesn’t mean you’re in the “offseason.”
The most effective leaders use this window to refine their strategy, sharpen their messaging, and strengthen executive delivery. The companies that communicate best on the next call are almost always the ones doing the work now.
Review the Tape: What Did Your Last Call Reveal?
The period immediately following an earnings call is the most valuable preparation window you’ll get. This is the time to step back and evaluate what actually happened, and not just what you planned to say.
Ask yourself:
- What landed well in the prepared remarks?
- Where did energy or clarity dip?
- Which lines were quoted by analysts or picked up by the media?
- What questions emerged during Q&A that surprised you?
- What themes are already beginning to take shape?
In our executive communications coaching and investor relations training sessions, we often record practice runs or roleplay and review them with leadership teams. Seeing your performance from the audience’s perspective — in real time and through professional evaluation afterward — often reveals insights that are easy to miss in the moment.
Great teams don’t just celebrate the win; they study the film.
Your Prepared Remarks: The Playbook
Once you’ve analyzed the previous call, it’s time to refine the next one – starting with prepared remarks. Think of this as your playbook. Prepared rOnce you’ve analyzed the previous call, it’s time to refine the next one – starting with prepared remarks. Think of this as your playbook. Prepared remarks establish the framework for the conversation and outline the key themes that will likely surface again during Q&A.
These remarks should:
- Establish the tone for the conversation
- Reinforce company strategy and priorities
- Provide clear context around performance
- Shape the lens through which analysts interpret your results
Especially at the start of a new fiscal year, this moment matters (even if you suspect you may be repeating a few of these points again when the questions begin). Prepared remarks often become the foundation executives can lean on when Q&A starts, serving as a reminder of the narrative and priorities you’ve already laid out.
Think of prepared remarks not as the entire game plan, but more as the opening play – one that positions your team to respond with clarity and confidence when the real back-and-forth begins.
Q&A: Where the Real Game Happens
Prepared remarks set the stage, but Q&A reveals what the market truly cares about. After your last call, take time to reflect on the discussion that fPrepared remarks set the stage, but Q&A reveals what the market truly cares about. After your last call, take time to reflect on the discussion that followed:
- Which questions were asked repeatedly?
- What questions didn’t come up, but might next quarter?
- Where did responses feel confident and concise?
- Where did answers feel reactive?
This is where preparation becomes critical. The strongest executive teams begin drafting responses to anticipated questions months in advance.
Just as importantly, the preparation shouldn’t rely on one “star player.” Earnings calls require alignment across leadership (finance, strategy, operations, and communications). The entire team should be prepared to deliver consistent, confident messaging.
In our group executive communications coaching sessions, we rehearse Q&A scenarios that go well beyond the expected questions, including the difficult ones that leaders hope never come up. Because when pressure rises, preparation becomes the difference between reacting and responding with authority.
Don’t Fall Into the “Offseason” Trap
One of the most common misconceptions after an earnings call is this: “We have months until the next one.” In reality, the market doesn’t pause between calls. Analysts continue forming opinions. Competitors are shaping narratives. Expectations evolve every day. The months between earnings calls are not downtime – they are for key preparation time.
Use this quarter to:
- Pressure-test messaging
- Tighten your storytelling
- Rehearse delivery and executive presence
- Strengthen alignment across leadership
No team wants to be the number one seed that gets knocked out early because they assumed they could coast.
Advance Your Message
In March, every team is trying to advance. Your messaging should be, too.
Preparation isn’t about reactive damage control. It’s about strategic positioning. The organizations that show up strongest on their next earnings call are the ones that began preparing long before the spotlight returned.
At Yes& CommCore, we work with executives and investor relations teams to sharpen their messaging, strengthen executive presence and communication skills, and rehearse for the moments that matter most – from earnings calls and analyst meetings to investor conferences and financial media interviews.
If your next earnings call is months away, now is the right time to start. Book executive communications or investor relations coaching today before the next call arrives, and the clock is already running.