Tweet

Does Your Team have the Right Sales Plan?

Guest post by: Dave Ferguson

Article Overview: Salesplans

Does Your Team have the Right Sales Plan?

When times are good, running a business is at times a piece of cake. Acquiring new customers comes easy, margins are good, and many companies build relationships based on mediocre service. In contrast, when the economic climate changes and cost-cutting is coming at you from every angle, a strategic business owner or manager must understand he or she cannot afford to operate the old way. Today, getting new customers can be flat out hard and at times a marathon. In addition, the acquisitions of new customers is increasingly expensive and let's face it, most times you're selling to strangers. Even if you land the customer, developing relationships take time and effort, and is consequently very expensive too. The old days of acquiring new customers at any cost are gone. Today, the investment in developing customers is such that you simply can't afford to fail. Unfortunately, most organizations and their sales forces either don't have a strategy or they ignore the one they have (which usually takes existing customers for granted). If you don't think relationships are the key to increasing sales in your organization, come to one of our "Sales & Marketing Boot Camps."

So how do we change this mindset and get our clients engaged in a true strategic sales plan? We start by getting them to come to a realization that it is more cost-effective and easier to sell to their existing customers first. Let's face it; they are already doing business with you. All you have to do is learn how to retain them. Unfortunately most strategies are built around new business and not going deeper with your existing customers. In essence, little or no relationship is built. "The revenue is in the relationships folks." Here's a good way to start:

1. Identify your Clients and Prospects: I am often amazed at how few sales people can identify their top clients and prospects when asked.

2. Understanding them: The key to success is first understanding the power dynamics of the target. In addition, you have to recognize that everyone has individual likes and dislikes, and that each person must be sold to accordingly.

3. Find out who the Decision-Makers are: Who are they, who assists them, and who really holds the power?

4. Test to see how they feel about your company.

5. What are their needs from you and your company? This requires a plan to develop each account on a continuous basis.

 

 

 

Once you have completed these questions for each target account, it times to implement your plan. It's important for your team to understand that your past relationships with this account could be based solely on past market conditions, so you may need to remind them that you may have to run a marathon versus a 5K. Effectively communicate your plan to your team-members: The more they know the higher chances of success! Good, solid relationships take time to develop. If you've got a lot of decision makers that have a good feel about your company your work is much easier. On the other hand, if your decision makers don't send out good vibes about your company, that marathon might be lengthened a bit. Realistically you will probably have a mix.

In my experience, I have found that taking the time to strategically look at client and prospect, much deeper than you usually would, is worth not only the time and effort, but also the expense.

Related Articles
  Sales Management 101: How You Manage Your Sales Action Team
  Team Effort
  More Sales Means Less Confusion
  What Is the Most Effective Quality Within Your Sales Team?
  What should my sales team expect from a successful Sales Coach?
  Do you have the sales force your strategy needs?
  The Sales Pipeline
  The War to Attract and Retain Sales Talent
  Are you ready for the Self Managing Salesman?
  Empower your Sales people with the right Sales Coaching Process!
  Team Development Sales Presentation Meeting Theme
  When should we appoint a Sales Manager?
  Questions Every CEO Should Be Asking His Sales Managers
  25 Ways to become a Great Team Leader
  Show Me The Money - Network Marketing Compensation Plans Compared
  It's Always Sunny...in the Workplace
  The 3 P‘s of Selecting A Network Marketing Company To Join
  Sales Training Courses that Bring Lead Generations to Life
  Fix the sales force you have
  Sales Coaching Action Plan

Article Tags: acquisitions, boot camps, business owner, climate changes, cost cutting, doing business, economic climate, existing customers, increasing sales, margins, mediocre service, mindset, new business, piece of cake, power dynamics, prospects, realization, running a business, strategic sales, target



Related Forum Posts
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Don't give up 40%! - Congrats on this milestone Evan... I agree with outsourcing any function that makes the business owner a Front-line worker as this is not best use of your time. I also agree with Louis that 40% is too much to give up. 40% may work if you have surpassed your income goals from the website and after you pay the 40% you are still within your monthly income goals. Would an RFP/RFI (Request For Proposal/Information) to companies like this Website Sales Team be a call you need to make?
New Small Business Topic - Hello everyone, I'm on the lookout for new topics to add to my site. We just launched a Franchising section and are planning Human Resources section. Do you have any thoughts for a new section? Here's a list of what we currently have: Angel Investors Branding Bank Loans Business Coaching Business Plan Franchises (New) Insurance Legal Marketing Public Relations Sales Small Biz Loans Venture Capital
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz] I second the request...
Business Innovation - Hi Simon If you can finish off the Business Plan and think about your strategic direction or how you are going to use your product to convince people it's a great idea, it will set the foundation for your programming project. You see, when you are looking for funding you will need a Business Plan and Strategic Plan that will convince companies to invest into your new idea. Has anyone achieved this idea before using another industry besides health and fitness that you know of? You should also design some mockups as a "preview" for your programming project. This will also help reduce your programming costs as everyone will know exactly what you want if you have detailed mockups already completed including any functionality you require. Starting mockups for websites and software applications on paper is the best way if you're not a guru in graphic editing software.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Leading from Authenticity is a Beautiful Thing

Sales is a Flawed Model

Fear Factors in Small Business: Sales & Marketing

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.