Creating an Annual Plan for Sales Reps – Part 2
Part 2 – Define the Strategies!
Contributor: Andrew Amrhein, Sr. NCG Business Coach
Welcome back! Last week we began discussing the steps for creating an Annual Business Plan for your Sales Reps. When you’ve seen the planning process work so well for helping to achieve the company goals, why not follow the same process with the Sales Team? Help them foresee the year ahead with goals, strategies and energy.
If you’ve not yet listened to our podcast episode on this topic with Jim Falk, Estimator at Nolan Painting, what are you waiting for?
We’ve created a template to help break down the steps and be clear on what creates a plan for success. Last week, we focused on the first three steps of the planning process – the “What” component. What are we trying to accomplish? A brief reminder of the first 3 steps of the plan:
Step 1: Look at how your previous year wrapped up
Step 2: Draft your Goals for Current Year
Step 3: Validate with a Revenue Cookbook
To learn about these steps more in depth, hop over to Part 1 – Establishing the Goals!
With Steps 1, 2 & 3 complete, you’re now ready to attack the strategy, the commitments to growth, and development needed to make the goals come to life. This week, we’re focusing on the “How”. How are you going to accomplish the newly established goals and plan?
Let’s resume!
Step 4: Strategies in Your Plan
This is the time to ask questions – how are we going to this? Where will the leads come from? Are there specific target customers or demographics we’re going after? If in the commercial world – what prospects are we mining after this year?
We encourage you to look at it two ways: define what is going to help you hit your goal, personally and as a company unit.
- Personally – what are the ways you can personally contribute to your own success? What will benefit the company?
- Company – what are the things we can do as a unit that can help make us all successful? The community outreach, the brand building, referral opportunities?
Writing down these strategies towards the achievement of your goal keeps you accountable and aware. We all have head trash to work through – strategize around the areas that you need to focus on. It’s the only way to build confidence and throw out the trash taking some mental space.
Step 5: It’s time for the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
We must adopt the same principals that you would for a Company SWOT analysis, but now that focus is on yourself. How are you performing? It’s the gut check time.
The strengths are fun to list and are good to reinforce. But, we should be spending more time on the weaknesses. Have an honest evaluation. Are we clear on what our weaknesses are, or what challenges us? It actually feels more overwhelming when you don’t have clarity on what the issues are. When you can zero in on the issues, focus can happen.
This is the growth opportunity.
Step 6: The Personal Development and Growth
Sales is a battle- how are you going to stay motivated? Find resources & always be learning!
Read Books & Listen to Podcasts
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Games People Play by Eric Berne
- Can’t Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar by David Sandler
For an extended list of recommendations, visit our website.
Focus on Continuing Education– Learn more about the industry, the psychology of people, and participate in sales trainings
Motivation & Affirmations – “ Never be finished” – Keep learning, growing, reading. Do the self talk – you control your mental thoughts.
Find the Work Life Balance – Foster the relationships with your family and friends. The balance can invigorate you.
Step 7: Business Development & Prospecting
Identifying the behaviors you’ll be executing on to generate more buzz for the company.
- Document how you are going to reach out to prospects, who’s in your circle of influence?
- How involved can you be in community networks, trade groups and events?
- How are you helping to create raving fans? It’s a great way to grow the referral tree.
With step 7 complete, you’ve now wrapped up the last stage of the plan. You’ve strategically taken an internal temperature on your areas of focus and have planned for the year ahead. We encourage you to give these steps a try and create your personal sales plan for the year. Put energy into your growth and stay tuned for more sales training topics from The Sales Guys on our podcast channel, Out of the Hourglass!
All the best,
Andrew Amrhein