“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” – Zig Ziglar

When you’re designing your sales and marketing plan, you have to be mindful that the plan has you on the path to deliver on your intentions. But whose intentions are we talking about? The individual salesperson? Or the company as a whole?

A good salesperson must work a marketing plan for both sets of objectives. It’s important to stay on top of our personal goals and sales targets. But in so doing, a responsible salesperson will align his actions with the company’s intentions. And management has a responsibility to clearly communicate the corporate intentions so that salespeople can deliver.

Here are some examples of company objectives that should be part of every sales and marketing plan:

How many clients do we want? – Depending on your product or service and the resources you have available, companies can determine how many clients they can accommodate and still provide a good level of service. The company should be looking to grow, but within the realm of what they can handle.

What are their industry characteristics? – Companies need to identify the characteristics of their ideal clients and make it clear to the sales staff what kinds of prospects they should pursue. There is such a thing as a bad sale. You don’t want to chase clients that will be high maintenance and not be a fit for your company’s business model.

What is your product or service offering? – Be clear about what you can provide. Do your salespeople understand how your product or service answers the concerns of your target market? Are they selling the right thing to the right people?

What research are we going to do about those prospects? – Can we track their purchasing history? Who they currently buy from? Any “impending events”; mergers, downsizing, or product launches that change the landscape for potential sales? What do you need to know about your prospects in order to successfully sell to them? Where do you find that information?

How are we going to approach these prospects? – Phone calls? Emails? Newsletters? Bumping into them at networking events? Depending on your line of business, the approach may vary by customer. Determine the most appropriate approach for your targets, and be sure your sales staff is well versed on how to reach out.

A winning sales and marketing plan blends the vision of the company with that of the individual salesperson. The plan needs to be a win-win for both, providing clarity and creativity that will set your company apart from the competition. If you need help aligning company and individual objectives, give us a call. We’ll support you with proven, successful techniques that will get you closer to your intended result.