Most businesses owners/executives have an idea of how they want to run their business. It may not be written down and it may not be detailed enough but they have a general idea of what it’s going to take to be successful.
That being said if a business owner/executive wants to increase their probability of success it’s important to create a Sales/Marketing Plan or “go-to-market” strategy to help them execute their business plan. Let me start with a couple of definitions:
Sales Plan: Describes and quantifies how sales will be made and to whom. It also describes the activities and resources that enable this process as well as the revenues that the business will derive from the sales activities.
Marketing Plan: Details what a business will sell, to whom, when and how.
So what are some of the key elements in a Sales/Marketing Plan? Let me suggest the following:
- Executive Summary
- Mission/Vision Statement/Statements
- Vertical/Target Markets
- Market Definition, Segmentation and Penetration Strategy
- Client’s/Market’s Needs and/or Requirements
- Distribution Channel Options
- Competitive Landscape
- Market Messaging (Internal and External)
- Keys to Success/“Mission Critical” Initiatives
- Resource/Infrastructure Requirements
- Financials/Budgets
- Sales Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Critical Issues
- Contingency Plan (with Milestones/Trigger Points)
By writing a business plan and supporting that plan with a written sales/marketing plan business owners/executives can ensure success and scale their business accordingly!
