Three Tips to Making Sure Your 12-Week Sales Plan Works
The difference between success and failure when boiling water is just one degree
That’s all it takes between success and failure: a tiny change in temperature. One moment your water is not yet at the right temperature, the next you have succeeded!
It’s the same with most business processes. There is just a tiny step between achieving an excellent outcome or being left with some rather tepid results. It is exactly the same with 12-week sales projects. A few tiny mistakes can mean that you do not end up the sales that you need.
So here are three small steps that you can take to make sure that you achieve what you want with a 12-week sales project.
Set a detailed goal
Most people do not set goals with enough detail. Just setting a monetary target is not enough. You should detail how many new jobs you aim to win. What type of job are you looking for and from what type of customer? Most importantly, you should outline what actions you are going to take to win those customers. Will you start prospecting via social media, direct mail, networking, or a different method? How will you progress the conversation?
Measure results regularly
Once you have outlined the sales journey, you should also understand what results you expect to achieve after each stage. Will sending five pieces of direct mail result on average in one worthwhile call? Will networking with four people result on average in one meeting? Once you understand this, measure how you are doing. You will see if you are on track to win the work you need.
Be accountable
One challenge is to make sure that you carry out the right activity, week after week. It is worth finding an accountability partner who will help you ensure that you keep at the project.
Success is in planning as much as doing
If you create the right 12-week sales project, achieving the right sales will be easy. In my next article, I will give you some ideas for some simple 12-week sales projects. Look out for it in two weeks.
P.S. Find out more ideas on how to increase sales with today’s buyers: download my free e-book “Ten Common Print Selling Errors and What To Do About Them” right now. You’ll also receive my regular “Views from the print buyer” bulletin, full of ideas on how to sell print effectively. Also, check out my book, "How To Succeed At Print Sales: Setting targets, planning the right activities and making sure goals are met." You learn all about 12-week sales projects and exactly how to create your own successful project.
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales
Many printing companies are frustrated how hard it is to engage buyers in today’s world. That’s where Matthew Parker can help. He is a gamekeeper turned poacher. Parker has bought print for more than 20 years and received over 1,400 print sales pitches. He now uses his buyer’s point of view to give practical advice to printers. He helps them engage with prospects and customers to create profitable relationships.
Download his free e-book, "Ten Common Print Selling Errors And What To Do About Them" and check out his recently launched book, "How To Succeed At Print Sales: Setting targets, planning the right activities and making sure goals are met."
