December Workshop:
Typically, when I ask about sales goals, I will hear general answers such as “I’d like to do better than last year” or “I’d like to do X dollars of overall business next year.” I will typically follow up on those answers by asking someone how they plan on achieving those goals.
After I ask that question, I’ll usually get a blank stare, or people will tell me that things just work out or that their sales plan is wishing and hoping. Identifying your sales goals (the destinations) is the easy part - the difficult piece is developing a trackable plan (the road map) to achieve sales success.
We’ve already identified that you need to have the end goal or destination in mind - how much business you want to develop.
After you’ve identified the destination, you need to develop a sales plan to help you identify how much activity needs to be completed to accomplish your goals.
When I work with clients, I help them work through a formula to determine the amount of activity that needs to be completed and the number of new prospects that need to be generated to hit their goal. I focus on sales and business development activity with my clients because I want them to focus on the actions they can control - their sales activity.
It’s impossible to know whether that next prospect you speak with will be qualified or disqualified. It is possible to control the amount of sales activity you engage in to ensure that you will be in front of enough new opportunities to hit your goals.
The formula to build your plan takes discipline and accountability. Once you build that sales plan you will have the roadmap to be successful.
1. Overall sales goal
2. Dollar amount of the average sale
3. Number of total sales needed to hit your overall goal
4. Closing percentage on your opportunities
5. Percentage of first meetings/calls that turn into proposals or quotes
6. Number of conversations needed to get meetings
The numbers are different for everyone, and you should sit down with someone who can walk you through this formula. Sales professionals who create an accurate roadmap know the exact amount of sales activity that needs to be completed on a weekly basis to allow them to arrive at their destination and achieve their goals. Once you understand this, a plan can be put in place so that you (or your team) are held accountable to execute effectively to accomplish your goals.
Polin Performance Group provides real-world sales solutions by training you and your team with the sales skills needed to maximize business development performance and increase revenue. Ask about our sales training programs and fractional sales management services.
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Amplify Sales Results with Polin Performance Group.
Polin Performance Group provides proven strategies to increase sales, maximize performance and increase revenue for your B2B business. Our Business Development Services include Sales Coaching, Sales Training, Sales Consulting and Process Development, Workshops, and Fractional Sales Management.
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