"Sales Success" Plan

Use your Sales Plan as a valuable written document that should keep alignment between Corporate [CEO & Executive Team] and the Sales Team. There is nothing more disappointing or difficult for a CEO to do then to constantly work around unrealized expectations from the Sales Organization. By definition, this is a living document, and as such, it changes as conditions dictate. Therefore, there will be multiple versions throughout the year. It is also a two-way street. It can't just be dictated from the top down without understanding and negotiation, and it can't arbitrarily be accepted from the bottom up. This commitment from sales will be a cornerstone for the company's success for the year.

Certainly revenue generation and timing are always key issues. However, beyond that are numerous other factors that will directly impact the success of the Sales Plan. Here is a list of issues that I have found is often missed in the development of the plan and they can cause disconnects as the year progresses:

• Company Vision: There should be a definition of where the company wants to be in a three-year time period. Sales must be able to sell tactically and think strategically for a longer range perspective of success.
   
• Culture: The style and attitude that are expected to be an everyday part of your internal and external business behavior.
   
• Resources/Organization: What are the special skills in your company that will support the sales efforts? What are the roles and responsibilities of various management members who will interface with the sales organization?
   
• Time to Success: Define the time periods you have to achieve specific milestones that have major impact to the company. Go beyond the obvious need for revenue and extend this to include product availability, hiring, demand generation, sell a key account, etc.
   
• Business Decision Process: Define the processes and the people involved in making decisions for any and all issues that impact the customer.
   
• Product Management: Designate the interface for sales to determine product functionality, extended capability and customizations.
   
• Performance Measurements: What are the agreed upon measurements and the status reports that will be used to evaluate the progress and the results of the Sales Organization.