Taking a trip? Most prudent travelers create some sort of plan before venturing on any type of journey. Where to begin the trip, what items to pack and what markers you'll encounter to aid in getting to your destination are just a few of the details to be addressed.
Sales people, regardless of the product or service they're selling, should employ this same philosophy and create a sales plan for themselves. Like a simple vacation plan, a sales plan does not need to be complicated and lengthy to be effective. With volumes of books and various web sites touting the benefits of having a business plan, few, if any, have addressed the benefits of sales people having a specific sales plan.
Selling is a journey, with the destination being the completion of the sale. The simpler and easier the plan the more apt a sales person will follow it.
Having a plan is a key element in the success of any business venture but most sales persons don't think they need to make a specific plan for themselves because the business plan addresses the selling function. My philosophy, relative to a sales plan, acknowledges that each sales person needs a personal plan for himself or herself, one that deals exclusively with how they will interact with corporate or personal goals and objectives; a plan that takes into account the individual style, comfort level, aptitude, time management and other personal traits.
If you work for a company, invariably they've created a plan for its sales team. There are quotas, goals, reporting criteria and everything in between. To their detriment, most sales people view this as the only plan that they need to follow.
Certainly, the corporate plan is of importance in maintaining employment. Your corporate business plan, with their sales component (if there is one) is different than what I'm suggesting.
A corporate plan is different than an individual's plan for selling and achieving success. Every individual sales person needs his or her own sales plan, whether you work for a tightly controlled entity or are self-employed with little if any supervision. Don't make the trip without a clearly defined road map showing your starting point, various stops and markers along the way and ultimately the continuation to your final destination.
A comprehensive sales plan will take into account company goals and objectives but not end there. How much money do you need to earn? What volume of sales does that require? How many sales must you make to have a successful closing of the sale?
How many appointments do you need to get to identify a bona fide customer? How many customer presentations do you have to make before you can sign a sales contract and/or application? What system have you established for measuring your effectiveness?
What's your most productive sales schedule? What is the most effective way to interact with internal players? What types of marketing materials are effective? What system do you have for measuring the effectiveness of sales aides?
How will you grow professionally (attending sales seminars, reading sales materials, listening to audio sales tools, hiring a personal sales coach, etc.)?
Without a specific, personal sales plan, you are planning to fail in sales. If you are enjoying success without a sales plan, imagine how much more effective you would be if you created and adhered to a specific sales plan.
I am unwilling to provide the reader with a template for a sales plan. Quick fixes don't work. Templates can be effective in certain situations but don't require enough thought and introspection by the sales person.
The highest and best use of most templates requires an understanding and integration of corporate and personal sales goals. A professional sales coach is an invaluable asset in creating a successful sales plan. If your sales coach hasn't done a sales plan, or doesn't subscribe to their effectiveness, I respectfully submit that you get a second opinion.
To quickly arrive at your sales destination with a minimum of detours and distractions, you should create a road map for your success. That road map is a comprehensive sales plan.
