And you, do you have a sales plan ? Entrepreneurs, sales directors and sales managers have always owed their fortune to good sales plans. You should always know where you are going before hitting your target and up to that point you should still clearly decide on strategies and tactics to adopt.
All of this information and more can be included in a sales plan. Read on to learn how you can create your own that is right for your brand.
In this article we will talk about:
What is a sales plan?
The sales planning process
What should be included in a sales plan?
How to write a sales plan
Tips for Creating an Effective Sales Plan
Sales Plan Examples
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What is a sales plan?
A sales plan encompasses the objectives, tactics, target audience, and potential obstacles. It is like a traditional business plan but focuses specifically on sales strategies to achieve the goals set. It gathers information on the target audience, conversion goals, team structure, strategies, and resources needed.
An effective sales plan should be able to:
Communicate your brand and sales team goals
Provide strategic direction to the sales team
Define roles and responsibilities within the sales team
Monitor the sales team’s progress on certain goals
The sales planning process
This process, keep in mind, does not simply involve creating a sales plan document. Getting the most out of that document requires a good strategy.
Here’s why you should:
Collect sales data from previous years and research new trends on which to base sales forecasts
Identify which targets meet your goals
Determine the metrics that will determine the success of the plan
Analyze the current situation, focusing on the weaknesses and strengths
Identify any gaps that could be filled to reach your target
Start new ventures based on opportunities you might have overlooked in years past
Engage stakeholders in industries that impact your audience
One thing to keep in mind is that the sales planning process does not end with the creation of the document. This plan must be continually updated to keep the sales machine well-oiled and performing.
What should be included in a sales plan?
A respectable sales plan includes the following sections:
Target customers : those your company aims to sell products and services to
Revenue Goals : How much revenue your team aims to make in a given period
Strategies and tactics : The specific actions your team will take to achieve revenue goals
Pricing and Promotions : Pricing and promotion documents that will help you convert customers
Deadlines and DRIs (Directly Responsible Individuals): clearly indicate the dates for deadlines and the lists of those responsible for observing them
Team Structure : The people on your team and their roles
Resources : The tools your team uses to achieve its goals
Market conditions : relevant information on the relevant industry and competitor landscape
How to write a sales plan in 10 points
1. Mission and background
First, describe your brand’s mission and vision . Write a brief history of the company, this will provide insight as the plan gets into more detail.
2. Team
Okay, now describe who is on your team and what roles each person plays. For example, you might manage five salespeople and work with a sales enablement professional and a sales ops specialist.
Include the number of colleagues, their job titles, and when you plan to bring them onto the team.
3. Target market
Whether you’re writing your first sales plan or your hundredth, knowing your target demographics is crucial. What are your best customers like? Are they all in a specific industry? Do they all have the same problems?
Keep in mind that you should have different buyer personas for different products. This section of your sales plan can change a lot over time as your strategies evolve and change.
4. Tools, software and resources
You should also include a description of your resources. What CRM do you plan to use? Do you have a budget for sales incentives? This is where you describe the tools that salespeople use to succeed in their jobs.
5. Positioning
Now make a list of competitors and explain how your products can be compared to others, where others are stronger than yours and vice versa. Also, go into the issue of prices: yours versus theirs. Also discuss market trends, try to predict changes and how these can affect your sales plan.
6. Marketing Strategy
In this section, describe pricing or quotes and any promotions you are planning. What are the key actions you will take to increase brand awareness and generate leads ?
Write down the impact on sales, so you have a solid reference on which to base your next steps and understand what went well and what needs to be revised instead.
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7. Prospecting Strategies
How will your sales team korea whatsapp number powder qualify leads generated by marketing strategies? Don’t forget to include criteria to determine potential new b2b reviews customers to save time and resources (a CRM platform can help with this, for example with automated lead scoring ).
Identify which sales methods your team will need to adopt to increase sales ( inbound and outbound ).
8. Action plan
Once you have understood where you want to go with your strategies, you will have to understand how to get there. Deciding which tools to use, when and with which team will be crucial at this stage, only in this way will you be able to successfully achieve the objectives set.
9. Objectives
Many sales goals are revenue-based, for example, you might set a total sales goal, $10 million per year. Alternatively, you might set a volume goal, which can refer to new customers or new sales.
These goals should be related to the business goals. To give you an idea, if the company is trying to make a market breakthrough, your goal might be “buy X market share” rather than “sell N new businesses.”
Of course, you may have more than one goal, so it helps to identify the most important one and then create a ladder in order of importance. Then, create a timeline with regular benchmarks , so you can make sure you’re keeping track of your sales efforts .
10. Budget
Describe the costs associated with achieving your sales goals. This typically includes salaries and commissions, training, tools and resources, contest prizes, team building activities, travel costs, etc.
Tips for Creating an Effective Sales Plan
We’ve given you a good overview of what your sales plan document should include. Now let’s dive into the details and discover some tips and tricks on how to create a sales plan that will help you hit your desired numbers and exceed your wildest expectations.
1. Use industry trends to strengthen your plan.
When presenting your sales plan to a stakeholder, use industry trends to highlight how your plan will be effective.
2. Specify the technology you will use to track success.
This will help you show stakeholders how you measure the success of your strategies. Some tools may include CRM and dashboard tools .
3. Support your budget proposal with solid data.
Collect and present past performance data to support your budget plan.
4. Create different plans for different teams.
If you create sales plans for business development, inbound sales, outbound sales, field sales, and so on, you can become increasingly specific in your goals.
5. Be careful with marketing inputs.
Alignment between marketing and sales is critical to the success of a sales plan.
6. Talk to your representatives to understand their difficulties.
It can be all too easy to get lost in the numbers and forecasts. That’s why it’s equally important to know your reps and their perspective.
7. Complete an in-depth competitive analysis.
You should always keep in mind clearly what your competitors do and how they behave while you are creating a sales plan aimed at the same market in which they are also active.
Sales Plan Examples
Of course, not all sales plans are the same and there are different types you can create for your business. Here are some examples:
30-60-90 day sales plan
This master sales plan is defined not by theme but by timing.
Marketing-alignment sales plan
Generally, a sales plan is already aligned with your marketing plan, however you can always create one if they are not aligned yet. The focus should be on establishing ideal customer profiles and buyer personas and aligning your sales and marketing strategies.
Sales plan for strategic company development
With this type of plan, you can focus on attracting new business to your company by networking with other companies, sponsoring events, and doing research. In such a sales plan, you will need to choose the right KPIs that best reflect the performance of these specific channels.
Market Expansion Plan
A market expansion plan (new markets or territories) outlines a list of tasks and targeting metrics . This type of sales plan is specifically designed to target a target market in a new geographic area. Typically, distribution costs and time zone differences between reps and buyers are taken into account, as well as other logistical factors.
New Product Sales Plan
If you are launching a new product, you may want to create a specific sales plan to generate revenue from its launch. This will include conducting a competitor analysis , determining a sales strategy, strengthening brand positioning , and securing channel partners.
Create a sales plan that grows with your business
Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all sales plan. The only wrong way to use a sales plan is to write it at the beginning of the year or quarter and never return to it. You should periodically review and update your sales plan as the year progresses to ensure you stay on top of things. By continually updating and improving your sales plan, you can ensure your business is generating revenue more effectively than ever before.
Download the Sales Plan Template here [in Microsoft Word© format]
If you need more inspiration, try checking out the template we created outlining the key elements of a sales plan.
This template will walk you through each step of writing your own.
