1. Welcome to our sales workshop Writing a Sales Plan
Workshop led by:
Bob French & Dale Radcliff
Hosted by:
THE ALTERNATIVE BOARD San Mateo County October 26, 2010
Please fill out the top half of the Gold Sheet in your package…
What is the purpose of a business?
What is a sales plan?
Why create one?
What comes first?

2. Today’s workshop structure
Objectives
Interactive format w/ handouts
Sales challenges in today’s economy
Perspectives on sales / planning
Discuss & analyze sample sales plans
Complete gold sheet
Wrap up / take away’s?
Finally - What’s the ‘one thing’?
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3. Our objectives for today
Provide a model - build & tailor to your business
Provide information tools and materials you can use now
Contribute to your thinking
At least one good idea to put into action
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4. Today's business environment
Things are different
Customer mind sets have shifted
More caution in marketplace
Business is no longer coming in through the door
Decisions are slower
Competition is more intense
Significant pricing pressure
What else? Price increase
Attrition?
Weekly per sales rep
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5. Sales implications Need more prospects to stay even
Takes longer to close a sale
More contacts involved in the decision
More deals lost to ‘no sale’
Expect last minute changes
More service / more communications required
Sales people working harder
What else? Price increase
Attrition?
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6. Changes & adjustments Strategy changes:
Selling more to existing customers
Larger companies going down market
Smaller companies offering / doing ‘more’
Number of suppliers being reduced
Companies widening their service offerings
Adding more services / packages
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7. Some observations / conclusions
Those companies who are sales focused are still winning
Executing the fundamentals well is still key
Sales are most frequently lost to lack of clarity & insight
Even more focus needed on relationships
Companies reducing sales & marketing will lose
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8. A Sales Plan Is your customer acquisition process
Defines: - Who you’re going to sell - How you will sell them
Need a plan for the company and for each sales person / key person
The Business Plan provides the context and comes first
A sales plan is different than a marketing plan
P.S. In sales, there is no substitute for activity
Company sales plan AND a indivdual sales plan
Who you’re going to sell
What are you going to say
How you are going to reach them
How will you secure a decision?
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9. Key elements of a Sales Plan
Sales objectives / forecast
Sales strategy(s)
Sales process / system
Action plan(s)
Tracking, measuring, reporting
Accountabilities, combined with compensation and rewards
Budget
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10. 1. Define your sales objectives
Where’s the potential?
Clearly and specifically identify what revenue you expect from, e.g.;
Each sales person / by territory
New customers
Existing customers
Products / services
Markets / niches
Selected accounts
Web based
Third party referral program
Alliances
Other?
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11. 2. Sales strategy / discussion
Strategy is the broad approach you will be taking to achieve sustainable sales results over time
Strategy first, then tactics
Designed to overcome barriers
Critical to long term success
Usually long term and takes resources
Should always be improving & refining
Has to be implementable / simple
What is your message? Ties to value proposition
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12. 3. Sales process / discussion
The specific steps you take to achieve results;
A good sales process generates predictable results
If it’s repeatable, it eventually will generate momentum
A good sales process anticipates objections and increases the probability of a close
Assign probability percentages to each stage of your process / steps to close
Your sales process should be continuously refined as circumstances change
Define the steps to a sales
Key is activity, directed activity
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13. 3. A sample sales process / discussion
Preparation
Initial contact
Secure appointment
Conduct sales call(s) / follow up
Proposal and/or demonstration
Finalize negotiations
Prepare contract
There are many variations of sales processes. Typically the more larger / complex the sale, the longer the sales cycle.
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14. 4. Action plan For the company and by each sales rep
An annual, quarterly, monthly plan
Revenue
Key activities / standards
Major milestones
Could be also be by region, division, product, geography, etc
What else? Sales performance must be monitored on at least a quarterly basis.
Weekly activity plan per sales rep
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15. 4. Action plan – con’t
Can include; collateral materials, sales tools, contests, promotions, trade shows, skills training, website, client entertainment, networking…
Lead generation programs eg. telemarketing, direct mail, marketing, webinars…
One page is good
Must have a monitoring process
What is your focus / driver, your 80/20?
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16. 5. Tracking, measuring, reporting
Develop your pipeline report of prospects
Review progress monthly in writing
Review and adjust quarterly
Done for the company and by each sales rep
Review activities weekly
Weekly and/or monthly sales meetings
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17. 6. Compensation & rewards
Commission based salespeople expect to be held accountable
Be very clear on your expectations
Welcome and promote a sales person’s financial success
Recognition & appreciation are incredibly motivating
The compensation plan usually changes yearly
Are you rewarding to support your focus?
the comp plan tells the sales person what to do
The unintended consequences of a poorly designed comp plan can sink the ship
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18. What’s the one thing, if done well, that will make a difference?
Finally…
What’s the one thing, if done well, that will make a difference?
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19. Please fill out your gold sheet
and turn it in………..
Your feedback is very important to us :)
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20. Thank you for your participation
Contact information:
Bob French
Chief Executive, TABsmc
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433 Airport Blvd, Suite 109
Burlingame, CA 94010
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