You need to know where you're going before you can achieve your key goals, and from there you need to break down the strategies and tactics you'll use to get there.
All of this information can be included in a sales plan (and more). Read on to learn how you can write a sales plan that's right for your organization.
►What is a sales plan?
A sales plan lays out your goals, high-level tactics, target audience, and gambling data malaysia potential obstacles. It's like a traditional business plan but focuses specifically on your sales strategy. A business plan lays out your goals; a sales plan outlines exactly how you're going to make them a reality.
Sales plans typically include information about the company's target customers, revenue goals, team structure, and the strategies and resources needed to achieve your goals.
An effective sales plan should do the following:
Communicate your company's goals and objectives to your sales team.
Provide strategic direction for the sales team.
Describe the roles and responsibilities of your sales and leadership team.
Monitor your sales team's progress toward organizational goals.
►Sales planning process
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that sales planning doesn’t just encompass creating a sales plan document. For that document to be more than just something collecting dust on the shelf, a high-level strategy is required.
You should:
Collect sales data from the previous year and look for trends.
Define your goal and create sales targets that meet your revenue goals.
Determine the metrics that will be used to measure success.
Evaluate your current situation, including weaknesses that will act as obstacles and strengths that will help you.
Start forecasting sales based on demand trends and historical data.
Identify the gaps that need to be filled to achieve your goals.
Come up with new initiatives based on opportunities you've missed in previous years.
Engage stakeholders from departments that impact your results, such as Marketing and Product.
Summarize action items based on capacity and quota numbers.
►One thing to keep in mind is that sales planning shouldn’t end with the creation of the document.
You’ll want to reiterate this process each year to maintain your organization’s sales excellence.
Now that you’re committed to the sales planning process, let’s dive into the written execution component of sales planning.
A typical sales plan includes the following sections:
Target customers: Who do you intend to serve with your company's products and services?
Revenue Goals: The amount of revenue your team aims to generate each period.
Strategies and tactics: The specific actions your team will take to achieve revenue goals.
Pricing and Promotions: Documentation of sale pricing and any upcoming promotions that you can convert to customers.
Timelines and DRIs (Directly Responsible Individuals): Describe any important dates for deliverables and list who is responsible for their completion.
Team structure: Who is on your team and what their role is.
Resources: The tools your team uses to achieve revenue goals.
Market conditions: Relevant information about your industry and the competitive landscape.
