If you need to design a business plan to successfully initiate a business… shouldn’t you do the same for ongoing sales success? If so, what would your measurement of sales success be? Tough question isn’t it? Let me help with 1-2-3 Sales Plan Success™.

1. Targets and Goals
“Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals.” – Aristotle

Personal Income: Put some real thought into this. Don’t put some obscure number here to impress others. This is the starting point to insure your numbers are accurate and attainable to achieve your personal income goal.
Sales Bookings: What do you need in new leads , new appointments, new presentations and/or proposal deliveries, and of course sales closings per month to hit your personal income target?

• What would your average 30-day running sales pipeline need to be to achieve these goals?

Vertical Market: What vertical markets should you focus on? What worked for you before might not work with the current economic conditions.
Top 10 Companies: Pick 10 companies that you want to focus on. This is above and beyond normal activity. Closing a percentage of these would create a very successful year.

2. Sales Strategy and Approach
“You have to do what others won’t. To achieve what others don’t.” – Anonymous

Sales Method: Presenting, Negotiating, Closing, and Follow up. What are you going to do to make your presentation better than ever? Are you crystal clear on how far you can negotiate? Have you changed your closing techniques for the times and economy? What, if any, follow up will you do? Why?
Lead Sources: Do you know what an ideal prospect would be for you?

• Best of the Best: If you had 30-40 of these you would be set.
• Interesting: You would be excited to meet them.
• Minimum: Acceptable, barely, but not a waste of time.

Times have changed and so have lead source avenues. Virtual is great but meeting face to face in a tough economic environment could be better. Here are some ideas to consider.

• Pay Per Click (Facebook, Linkedin)
• Canvassing (telesales, foot-blitzing)
• Direct mail (special offers, coupons, catalogues)
• Internet (personal blog, published articles)
• Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin)
• Networking groups, clubs, and/or organizations

Time Management: Do you track your metrics? Every successful sales professional tracks their progress and makes changes accordingly.

• What would be your typical workday for success?

3. Self Improvement
“Improve your business, your life, your relationships, your finances and your health. When you do the whole world improves.” – Mark Victor Hansen

Education: Are you self educating/improving or are you waiting for someone else to lead the way?
Physical: Get out and at least walk. Physical exercise clears the mind for great ideas and energy to pursue them.
Spiritual: We all have some sort of spiritual need. It calms the soul and helps us to be receptive.

Sales plans for business can be daunting at first. If you’re an upper manager get your people to commit to a sales business plan. Review it regularly. It will become instrumental in yours and their sales success.

Copyright © 2009 Chris Lott and Lottspace. All rights reserved.