YourSalesManagementGuru

Blog archive

Your Second-Quarter Plan

It's the middle of March -- are you ready for the second quarter?

For many of my clients, we have each member of the sales team prepare a six-month business plan and a shorter quarterly action plan. As I was preparing a client audit today, I realized it was time for this client's sales team to evaluate their performance.

The six-month sales business plan is much more than a simple sales forecast. It's a tool designed to help the salesperson set goals and objectives in a variety of areas. The quarterly action plan is a more tactical plan to execute on key actions to achieve the goals from the business plan.

There are several aspects to this systematic approach to coaching a team:

  • First, the team must prepare and believe in the plan/document they are using. This normally does not always happen until the first formal review period when they see results (or lack of results) versus their plan.
  • Second, the sales manager must have a monthly discussion with each salesperson about their actual performance versus the plan.
  • Third, the plan must include the necessary actions to improve overall performance.
  • Fourth, the two plans must be designed to work together and not conflict.

In building either plan, consider these key elements:

  • What training and development programs are important to reinforce?
  • What prospecting and activity goals are important to manage?
  • What revenue/margin goals need a focus?
  • What account or territory-intelligence and relationship-building is important?

What are you using to build a more systematic approach to hitting your objectives? What did I miss?

Posted by Ken Thoreson on March 10, 2014


Featured

  • How Microsoft MSPs Can Build Their AI Value Proposition

    For MSPs to build a successful generative AI practice, they need to know their customers' data. This requires hiring a data analyst -- or becoming one yourself.

  • Nerdio Hands Microsoft MSPs an Assist with 'Modern Work' Upgrades

    Neridio is rolling out new improvements to its Manager for MSP platform aimed at simplifying partner deployment of multiple Microsoft services, including Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Intune.

  • Image of a futuristic maze

    The 2024 Microsoft Product Roadmap

    Everything Microsoft partners and IT pros need to know about major Microsoft product milestones this year.

  • Windows Server 2025 Now Generally Available

    Microsoft's next-gen server platform, Windows Server 2025, is now ready for production environments, the company announced Monday.