Understanding Sales Force Planning

 Good sales force planning is a very important aspect of a business's performance, both meting its sales targets and fulfilling its objectives. But just like every great strategy, it has to be founded on a full and accurate assessment of the individual team's situation and specific skills. This requires a lot of time, effort and analysis from the top. It is thus always recommended to outsource this process to a capable professional.

The first step in the sales force planning is to create an individual performance plan or "POM". This will act as the guide for all decisions and actions concerning the sales team. This plan will be signed by the manager and presented to his/her boss. A good manager should always have their sales management team to sign off on their plan. In fact, it is highly recommended that each member of the sales management team be made responsible for putting together the POM.

The next step in the sales force planning is to define the terms used within the organization. This definition describes the roles and responsibilities of each individual within the sales force. Again, a good plan will need to include both an individual performance plan and a team performance plan. By doing this, all parties involved are clearly informed of their roles and responsibilities and any changes that may be required.

Once everyone is in agreement, the next stage deals with establishing a baseline goal for each sales force. This is the equivalent of setting out a sales target for a new product line. This goal will be set against the sales force plans already prepared and will act as a guide when it comes to determining if the company is in fact making progress toward its defined goals. This is also an essential step towards realizing the company's long term viability, both short and long term.

The final stage of sales force planning deals with implementation and tracking. Each week, a team consisting of at least one member will go out and try to track a single element of performance. Elements could include number of new accounts opened, new leads generated, number of new contacts made, or the number of new appointments. Once a single element is measured, the team will report its results back to the sales management team. This can be done by email, phone, or any other means that can be easily managed.

While it may seem relatively easy to think of sales force planning as simply adding numbers to the sales force management charts, it goes much further than that. It is vital to remember that the definition of success is being defined each and every week by the teams that are put together. New plans are constantly being developed and reviewed to ensure that the company is moving in the right direction and improving customer service. By using a defined plan, not only is the company moving forward, but it is also providing its employees with a clear vision of exactly how they wish to see things happen. With this knowledge, they can each and every employee to go into each and every meeting with an understanding of how their role impacts the overall success of the company.

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