Sales planning and organization can be a critical element for your business.
Planning sales activity and organization is essential in any customer driven model. Because it will allow sales representatives to be more effective and productive. Sales Reps should start by knowing what they want to achieve. Preparing an agenda and define what the priorities are and where to focus activity efforts.
Managing Sales activity has inumerous variables and challenges. Among others, we need to master the product, understand price policies, marketing plan, have a good training, and many others. Today we talk about preparing the agenda.
There are, from the outset, business objectives to fulfill and, of course, customer expectations to satisfy. The secret to success is knowing how to align both dimensions. Ultimately, this balance is only achieved with good planning.
Where is the organization going
Each salesperson must know where the organization is going: understand the strategy and defined goals & objectives. Then, will have to master individual goals well, and discuss with sales management what the tactical plan is to achieve them. Companies always want to increase sales, but they will only succeed with an appropriate strategy and with the necessary resources for that purpose.
Prepare the agenda
In addition to knowing the goals, one must define what has to be done to overcome them. Are we focused on developing sales for a particular service or product? Do we have few marketing leads and need more prospecting activity? Or, on the contrary, have we built a good pipeline, which needs better follow-up and fewer new visits?
Is the geographic area covered, that is, have we regularly visited our main customers in recent months? Is there a detailed knowledge of the business potential in the area, or a list of clients we manage? Answering these questions will allow to prepare the agenda and guide your work in the right direction. Sales rep must then know where are they going when leaving the office. Finally, whatever the path, planning should be granulated on a weekly basis.
Overview
After the sales meeting, each salesperson must have a view of their agenda by 6pm, where they will go, and what they will do. Surely the priorities will be different, whether we are at the beginning or at the end of the month. Ultimately, knowing what needs to be done to surpass the performance targets defined by the company.
Business impact
Sales activity has operating and financial costs. Right from the start, the cost of time and travel, people and other. Commercial is a critical variable in the business, so the sales teams (reps and managers) responsibility in managing and optimizing activity is of paramount importance in the business.
Tips for effective business planning
We leave some suggestions for a sales rep to better plan the agenda and keep the focus on the essentials:
- Master the numbers: objectives and performance to date
- Know the company’s priorities
- Define what is needed to do to overcome goals
- Make good time management: calculate the impact of travels
- Dedicate 80% of the time to the 20% of customers who really make the business – and build loyalty!
Sales reps should not deceive themselves – they are ultimately paid for a sale, not a mile traveled.
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