If you want sales success, then the truth is you have to have a plan. As the late great Stephen Covey said, “Start with the end in mind.” Or what I often say, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Your sales plans should be SMART. Every sales person sets (and very often exceeds) big, hearty sales targets. The very act of setting goals helps to set your intention and starts you on the right track. Get cracking with these sales success planning tips and bonus spreadsheet.
Sales Success Planning Tips
Set monthly and annual sales targets.
When I talk to business people, most of them set annual dollar targets. In order for you to understand how to achieve these, you must break them down into months and even weeks. Think about these targets in terms of sales to existing clients and new clients.
Know your sales metrics.
Break your sales targets into activities that will help you turn your targets to reality. What this means is working out how many phone calls, new meetings, proposals etc. you need to complete in order to meet to your target. Again so they are easy to track, break them into monthly and weekly numbers. Need some help with this? Help is at hand with this spreadsheet to Sales Success.
Track and report on your sales success.
Once you have your numbers, you have to know how you are going against these numbers. This is about knowing and measuring each activity and the sales that come through your door. end results (sales in the door).
Make your sales success public.
Keep your targets top of mind by putting your sales targets on a wall where you will see them everyday. Use this to track your sales success progress weekly, monthly and quarterly.
Be accountable.
It is difficult to keep ourselves accountable, especially if you are the boss. Try setting up someone externally that you report to weekly or at least monthly.
Celebrate your sales wins.
You’ve broken down the numbers, put your shoulder to the wheel, tracked your progress and WON some new business. Celebrate your wins and share the celebration with your sales accountability partner and team.
As one of my first managers said to me, “Don’t expect what you don’t inspect.” So whatever your goals are, make sure you set up a way of recording, tracking and reporting them. Don’t forget to download this spreadsheet to get your ‘crunchy’ goals. To your sales success in 2015 – 2016, Frances
