Planning for the New Year – Are You Set Up?

Ken, are you crazy? I have not finished the fourth quarter yet! But as budget planning begins and business strategies begin to be set, it is your responsibility to be ready for the new year. What do you need to have on your to-do list for the next 60 days? I have listed the top 10; let me know what I have missed or what is on your list?

1. What are your revenue objectives by each quarter?

2. Review your existing teams carefully, analyze each person’s strengths, weakness, rank the following on a scale of 1-5, (5=great), are they good enough to stay on your team?

a. Sales skills
b. Product/industry knowledge
c. Operational knowledge
d. Sales planning

3. How many new people do you need to recruit? When do you need them fully up and trained? Hint: hire them NOW.

4. Review your marketing/sales operational teams. Do they really understand your market, your customers, and the benefits you bring to them? What do you need to do to improve their business knowledge?

5. Is your compensation plan effective? Did it achieve the results you wanted? Have your business objectives changed and therefore your new year compensation plans may need to be altered. (Take our sales compensation assessment on our web site: www.AcumenMmgt.com)

6. Re-assess your CRM/Sales Metric Dashboards for the entire year, what trends can you find or what activities need to be enhanced? Hold an individual salesperson review meeting to assess performance.

7. What will be your “theme” this year? Define what the top 3 objectives that you need to focus on during each of the 1st and 2nd quarters?

8. Schedule a “personal self-assessment” meeting, either with your manager or your peer team or even perform a confidential 360 analysis by using your sales team to comment on what you are doing well and what needs to be improved.

9. What new elements within your sales training plans do you need to plan for? Outside training? A book club? More role playing? What do you need to do to improve the professionalism of your team?

10. When is your New Year Sales Kick-Off Meeting? Where will be held? What will you announce and how will you energize your team with vision, fun, and direction?

Acumen Management Group Ltd. “operationalizes” sales management systems and processes that pull revenue out of the doldrums into the fresh zone.

During the past 14 years, our consulting, advisory, and platform services have illuminated, motivated, and rejuvenated the sales efforts for partners throughout North America.