Why Every Toy and Games Business Needs a 3-Year Sales Plan

When I started in sales, my focus was simple: grab the product list and sell as much as possible, to as many customers as I could. It worked well enough at the time, but I soon realized that this short-term approach fails to build a sustainable business. Worse, it undermines long-term profitability.

Fast-forward to my roles leading divisions at Hasbro and Paramount (Consumer Products), where I learned the importance of a long-range vision. By setting a clear direction and aligning strategies with my teams, we doubled profits within 3 to 4 years - even in large, mature businesses.

The key to achieving these results lies in thinking beyond the next sales cycle. Here’s how you can do it too.

Avoid These Costly Sales Mistakes

Sales success isn’t just about hitting short-term targets. To ensure your business thrives, avoid these common pitfalls:

1. Over-reliance on transactional sales. Focusing only on quick wins prevents you from building long-term customer relationships.
2. Chasing volume at the expense of margin. High sales figures look good on paper, but profitability is what sustains a business.
3. Selling the same products to everyone. One-size-fits-all rarely works in a market with diverse consumer needs and retail channels.

How Leaders Can Drive Long-Term Profitability

If you’re leading a toy or games business, it’s your responsibility to set the direction and build a foundation for long-term success. Start by making these 4 strategic changes:

1. Create a clear vision and strategy pillars. Your vision should be so simple that anyone in your organization can understand and align with it. (Need an example? See how I did it with my team at Hasbro Chile ten years ago!)
2. Develop a 3-year sales plan. Collaborate with your commercial teams to align efforts and resources with long-term goals.
3. Craft a product and retail channel strategy. Ensure your products meet different consumer needs across various retail environments—both physical and digital.
4. Make profit contribution your key performance metric. Sales volume is important, but profitability should drive decision-making.

What Should Your 3-Year Plan Include?

An effective long-term sales plan addresses not just what you’ll sell, but how and where you’ll sell it. Here are the five critical components every plan should cover:

1. Consumer insights. How will shopper behaviour evolve? Anticipate future needs to stay ahead of the curve.
2. Product segmentation strategy. Offer price points that cater to every occasion, from impulse buys to premium purchases.
3. Retail channel strategy. Recognize that consumers seek different products across diverse retail channels. Plan for how these channels will shift over time.
4. Marketing and brand planning. Identify which brands are poised to grow and which are likely to decline. Back the winners to maximize returns.
5. Skills and resources. Assess whether your team has the skills needed to execute your plan. Do you need to hire, train, or reorganize to meet future demands?

Why Long-Term Planning Matters

A 3-year plan doesn’t replace the need to hit short-term sales targets. However, it provides a framework that ensures your day-to-day decisions contribute to a greater purpose. By focusing on the long game, you’ll not only achieve profitability but also create a business that’s resilient, adaptable and poised for sustainable growth.

Take it from someone who’s been there: a clear, actionable long-term plan is one of the most powerful tools you can have in your sales arsenal.

Are you ready to build your 3-year sales plan and transform your business? Let’s start the conversation. Simply DM me or email [email protected]

What I Do ??I help toy and game companies design and execute winning strategies that drive growth, profit and clarity. With 15+ years leading divisions at Hasbro and Paramount consumer products, I coach owners and leaders to facilitate change, simplify complexity and achieve transformative results for their business.