Executing On Your Sales Plan - You Need To Do The Work!
Upon successful completion of your company’s Sales Plan, the next step is to implement the recommendations and actually do the work.
One of the most common things we notice is that solopreneurs and small business owners will start executing only on the parts of the plan that they are most comfortable with, leaving some of the most important pieces behind.
We surveyed some of our past clients to understand what was holding them back from full execution of their Sales Plan. The top three reasons were:
Lack of resources to execute certain components like social media management, content creation, email marketing or cold calling
Complacency, not prioritizing the work and opting to fall back to old patterns due to ease or comfort
Stubbornness, belief that following the data and best practice(s) will not result in your desired outcomes
Do you see your actions reflected in any of the above scenarios when trying to execute your company’s Sales Plan? If so, here are a few tips to help you get out of the funk and into the flow.
Lack of Resources
This is an incredibly common issue for most solopreneurs and small business owners. We have a lot on our plates and as we build revenue and manage cash flow, it always seems like there is not enough time to get everything done. We have to change our thinking on this. The fact is that sales are the ultimate source of revenue for a business to stay in the market. If you are not prioritizing this part of your business, you are setting yourself up for failure. What are some creative ways you can increase resources at no or low cost?
Hire a Work Experience student - high schools all across the country are starved to find employers willing to take on unpaid Work Experience students. Call your local high school and ask to speak with the Career Advisor or Work Experience Coordinator
Leverage grants and/or wage subsidies to cover costs of hiring a part time, full time or temporary worker to execute and support your sales and/or marketing team. Here’s a short list of a few that we are aware of.
Complacency
We are all human at the end of the day and breaking bad habits and forming good ones is very much rooted in psychology. This HBR article is a good place to start to learn what it takes to build habits. If you are finding it difficult to manage this yourself, consider engaging with a Leadership Coach or Business Coach. A professional coach can help you identify your biases and blind spots. Sometimes we need to get out of our own way and a nudge to identify where we are spending and possibly wasting time can help us discover opportunities to repurpose our time to work on the most important and urgent tasks that move our business forward.
Not Following The Data
The sales discipline has been around forever (think bartering cave people), so we’ve really had a lot of time to understand what works and what doesn’t. Of course, there’s nuance and different approaches for different industries and products, but overall we know that to be successful with sales, you need to follow a process that is repeatable, measurable and scalable. We always say that sales is a mix of art and science. The art part is where you can add your own flair, style and personal preferences, but sticking to the science behind best practice is what will help your business grow.
So, what are you waiting for?
Still feeling stuck? Contact Us for a FREE, no obligation, 15 min consultation with the M2SC team.