You finished Q1 either on (or not) plan. Congratulations in either case !
Let's spend detailed time this week or next figuring out why and then rebalance Q2
Probably the last time you looked at your 2017 Sales Plan was January, and maybe even last December at the time the board approved the company's business plan.
Then you jumped into the deep end of the pool with your January sales meeting after which everyone hit the road and their desks totally focused on execution.
It's been a blazing hot and exhausting Q1, and Q2 promises to be more of the same. Certainly, nothing is going to slow down.
This is the week to take everything apart & put it back together
- Detail out your Best Practices and build them into "[Your Company] Way of Selling"
- Dissect what didn't work and figure out why. It was a good idea; why didn't it work?.
- Plan out the entire year, but now FOCUS on rolling "30-60-90 Day Plans"
- Recertify all of your sales people during Q2. Initiate training everywhere
- Map out a detailed new hires and onboarding plan from Q2 into Q1, 2018
We know from our own experience of hundreds and hundreds of planning sessions from corporate strategy down to detailed sales and marketing plans at every level, just the process of replanning will make you better players during this quarter. I always remember Eisenhower's quote following the successful invasion of Normandy, that the overall plan itself was not the success point; it was the planning process that engaged everyone and gave them the opportunity to work closely together and understand one another. The very process of planning then made it easier to communicate and replan when a specific plan fell apart in the heat of the battle. It's the same in your Q2 sales planning
- Decisions made in the next two weeks will shape your sales not just for Q2, but all of Q3.
- BTW, you need to (right now) be planning around June, July & August vacations
- Every salesperson should produce a 30-60-90 day detailed plan for themselves
- ...and also for each of their Key Accounts.
- Where do you step on the gas, and where do you decide not to change direction?
- It takes 120 days to recruit, another 60 to onboard, and 18 months for "full ramp"
- When do you use what weekend for boot camp training... and a bit of fun?
We can help you with all of this
What we cannot do is stop the clock, so whether you do take on this Q2-Q3 planning process with us as your Coach, or by yourselves, is totally up to you, of course. We would love to assist, but, in either case, the clock will tick, the quarter will shrink in the heat of the Q2 battle, no one will have any free time 30 days from now, and then BAM !, you'll already be deep into the summer.
You can do all of this with us or by yourself...
- Facilitate
- Logistics
- Engagement
- Note taking
- Getting to full agreement
- Holding everyone accountable
- &, of course, following up
We just make it a lot easier and allow you to focus on totally engaging and leading the team during the initial planning and the necessary follow up sessions.
Interested? Just email me at jack@derbymanagement or any others on the senior partner team.
George Simmons at george@derbymanagement.com
John Routhier at john@derbymanagement.com
Good Selling...and Good Planning !
The time is now, not tomorrow !
Derby Management...for 25 years
-Sales & Marketing Productivity experts
-Business & Strategy Planning specialists
-Senior Management Coaches for CEOs & VPs
Boston, MA 02117
Jack's Cell: 617-504-4222
jack@derbymanagement.com
