How To Write A Stand Out Sales Plan For Your Sales Team

A sales plan, on the face of it, is simple. It’s a forecast of your sales goals over the next month/quarter/year, and a step by step plan of how you’re going to get there.

However, of course, there’s more to it than that; otherwise everyone would be succeeding in software sales.

Here’s how to craft a realistic, inspiring sales plan for your software sales team and business.

1. Describe your target market.

Create a detailed brief of the different buyer personas. What industry are you trying to target? What kinds of companies have the challenges that your software can assist with? What buyers are the BEST buyers for the product?

Include company size, location and job titles, and then dig deeper to consider how you will get access to these people. For example, which social media platform do they use? Do they visit tech forums or LinkedIn groups, or attend certain conferences?

Not all sales are equal, and yor sales team need to know which audiences are the most valuable to the company’s goals. For example, if your software company is trying to get more blue chip companies on its client list, then chasing sole traders for small sales is not conducive to the end goal; is it ?

Your sales team aren’t mind-readers, so communicate your buyer personas in detail, and explain the big picture: why these kind of sales matter to the company’s goals.

2. Know your competitors and your USPs.

Do extensive market research to find out competitor pricing and products, so that you can price your offering accordingly and communicate the product USP to your team in a way that wins business.

Market trends are also cruical in a fast moving market like software. Therefore set up Google Alerts and always stay abreast of the tech sector news.

3. Know what your sales goal is. 

Is it a revenue figure, or volume of sales? Is it penetrating a new territory, or getting market share in your region?

You may have multiple goals running concurrently, but it is important to prioritise them, and you may also need to create different goals for different territories.

4. Craft a plan.

Now you know your sales goals and your buyer personas, it’s time to set out the plan of action, with the steps you’ll take to reach the goal.

If your goal is to increase sales to a certain volume, how are you going to do that?

Are you going to increase commissions or run a contest? Do a push on referrals?  Run a new sales training workshop before you begin?

Alternatively, build an automated sales funnel? Research new businesses in the area? Run a pricing special? Make strategic partnerships? Hire new salespeople?

Lay everything out in step by step details, and create deadlines, milestones and mini-rewards along the way to boost momentum.

5. Know how much it will cost you, (and how much it is predicted to return)

There is no gain without outlay, but it’s vital you know what that outlay will be, so you can measure the exact return and do a cost benefit analysis.

How much will the training or incentive scheme cost the company?  In return for what boost in predicted sales? Run the same cost-benefit predictions for any pricing specials or increase in staff.

6. Carefully track the progress of your sales plan.

Finally, you should be checking in with your sales plan religiously every week; monitoring progress, ticking off milestones and amending what isn’t working.

Don’t put it in a drawer and forget about it!! You should be living by your sales plan and holding yourself to account if it isn’t working out.

Until next time,

Nikki

About LivRecruit

LivRecruit specialises in Inside Sales, Senior Sales and Technology Recruitment. The LivRecruit team is based in Greater Manchester and have over 17 years’ experience providing recruitment solutions for technology companies across the UK.

If you are looking for the right new hire for your technology team or want to take your career to the next level call us on 0161 883 2856 or email us here.