Do you have a plan for this month as we're in June of 2023? One of the basic principles that helps us achieve our goals is to approach the month and the week with a plan to achieve.
Here is a plan that I'm using and share with clients:
Week 1:
Goal: Review and analyze the previous month's sales and marketing performance to identify areas for improvement.
- Conduct a thorough analysis of sales and marketing data, including revenue, customer acquisition cost, customer lifetime value, conversion rates, and pipeline velocity.
- Use this data to identify trends, patterns, and opportunities for improvement.
- Meet with the sales and marketing teams to discuss findings and develop action plans to address any issues or opportunities.
Measures:
- Increase Revenue by 10%
- Decrease Customer Acquisition Cost by 5%
- Increase Customer Lifetime Value by 5%
- Increase Conversion Rates by 5%
- Increase Pipeline Velocity by 10%
Week 2:
Goal: Focus on team training and development to improve sales and marketing skills.
- Conduct training sessions or workshops to help the sales and marketing teams improve their skills in areas such as lead generation, sales techniques, and digital marketing.
- Provide coaching and mentoring to team members to help them improve performance and reach their goals.
- Encourage team members to share best practices and ideas to improve overall performance.
Measures:
- Conduct at least 2 training sessions per month
- Provide coaching or mentoring to all team members at least once per week
- Encourage team members to share at least one best practice or idea per week
Week 3:
Goal: Focus on improving customer experience and satisfaction.
- Gather feedback from customers through surveys, interviews, or other means to understand their needs and pain points.
- Use this feedback to identify areas for improvement in the sales and marketing process, as well as in the product or service itself.
- Develop action plans to address any issues or opportunities and communicate these plans to the sales and marketing teams.
Measures:
- Conduct at least one customer survey or interview each month
- Improve customer satisfaction score by 5%
- Address at least one customer pain point per month
Week 4:
Goal: Focus on innovation and new business development.
- Research and analyze market trends, new technologies, and competitors to identify new opportunities for growth.
- Develop and test new sales and marketing strategies, such as new lead generation tactics or innovative pricing models.
- Communicate these new strategies to the sales and marketing teams and provide training or support as needed.
Measures:
- Identify at least one new opportunity for growth each month
- Test at least one new sales or marketing strategy each month
- Provide training or support to the sales and marketing teams to implement new strategies
Next up, focus the team on your top five leading and lagging metrics. Examples below and tailor these to your specific situation, team size, pipeline and customer verticals/solutions. Again, key is to have objective metrics to help the team achieve their quarterly/yearly targets.
Leading Indicator Metrics:
1. Number of new leads generated: Aim to generate at least 20 new leads per week.
2. Number of calls and emails made: Make at least 50 calls and send 100 emails per week to stay engaged with your prospects.
3. Number of demos or presentations conducted: Aim to conduct at least 3 demos or presentations per week to showcase your product or service.
4. Pipeline velocity: Monitor the speed at which deals move through your pipeline. Aim to reduce the average time to close a deal by 5-10% each week.
5. Conversion rates: Track the percentage of prospects that move from one stage of the sales funnel to the next. Aim to improve conversion rates by 5% each week.
Lagging Indicator Metrics:
1. Sales revenue: Aim to meet or exceed your weekly/monthly sales revenue targets.
2. Average deal size: Monitor the average size of your deals and aim to increase it by 5% each week.
3. Sales cycle length: Monitor the length of your sales cycle and aim to reduce it by 5% each week.
4. Customer acquisition cost: Monitor the cost of acquiring new customers and aim to reduce it by 5% each week.
5. Customer lifetime value: Monitor the average lifetime value of your customers and aim to increase it by 5% each week.
It's imperative to have your team plan out their week as well. Here is an example and guide below for a B2B sales professional:
Monday:
- Review your sales pipeline and prioritize your tasks for the week
- Reach out to warm leads and follow up on previous conversations
- Schedule meetings with potential clients for later in the week
- Research new companies and prospects to add to your pipeline
Tuesday:
- Attend any virtual networking events or webinars to connect with potential clients and industry leaders
- Follow up with leads from previous events or webinars
- Send personalized emails to prospects in your pipeline
- Prepare for upcoming meetings by researching the company and understanding their needs
Wednesday:
- Conduct discovery calls with potential clients to understand their needs and pain points
- Send follow-up emails after discovery calls to recap the conversation and next steps
- Continue prospecting by reaching out to new leads and adding them to your pipeline
- Attend any team or department meetings to stay informed on company updates and your team's progress
Thursday:
- Conduct demos or presentations for potential clients to showcase your product or service
- Follow up with prospects after demos to answer any questions and move forward with the sales process
- Send personalized emails to follow up with leads in your pipeline
- Research and reach out to potential partners or referral sources to expand your network
Friday:
- Schedule follow-up meetings or phone calls with potential clients for the following week
- Review your sales metrics and pipeline to assess progress and make adjustments as needed
- Attend any training or professional development sessions to improve your sales skills
- Connect with your team to celebrate wins and collaborate on future strategies
Remember to prioritize your most important tasks each day and adjust your schedule as needed to maximize productivity and efficiency. Go Gettem!