Not only is this the time of year to be grateful for what you have and what you’ve accomplished, it’s also the period in time when you should begin your 2019 sales plan.
I’d encourage you to start your 2019 sales plan as soon as possible. You’ll want to have it completed before year-end, so you’ll have your Q1 quarterly action plan in place. If you’re not sure where to begin, we at TruMethods have a few suggestions for members.
Review your 2018 sales results
Before strategizing for the year ahead, take a step back to review the current year and compare it year-over-year to the previous one. First take a look at sales results. Did you reach your 2018 goals? If not, why not? Determine how much in new MRR your salespeople generated this year. How many more clients did you acquire? Review other financial categories, too, such as NRR. What about average MRR and AISP of new clients sold? Don’t forget to examine your balance sheet closely.
Additionally, you’ll want to assess your prospect database. Calculate the number of readily available prospects your salespeople currently have access to on the list. Should your database be larger? What do you know about the companies on your prospect list?
Set your sales goals for 2019
Begin with MRR (your primary goal for sales) by determining your MRR goal for next year. Now, you’ll also want to set an NRR target for 2019 (the target should be a percentage of your MRR goal). Don’t forget to also take product revenue and other revenue streams into consideration when determining your sales goals for 2019. Your sales goals shouldn’t be ambiguous; they should be specific.
Determine your activity goals for MRR and NRR for next year
Figure out the number of FTAs you’d like to attend in 2019. Afterward, figure out which lead generation sources are going to produce those FTAs for you. Ask yourself the following question: What are my goals in 2019 for warm lead sources, my website and marketing activities?
If you’re unsure of where to begin, our MRR sales goal calculator can assist you with achieving your annual MRR goal by outlining for you what you’ll need to do to reach your annual goals. Our tool calculates how many new customers and how many more appointments you’ll need each month to achieve your MRR goals for the year, and more.
For NRR, look at the number of technology steering meetings you’re having. Are you having enough? How often are you reviewing strategic roadmaps with clients? MyITprocess now allows you to update strategic roadmaps for clients. You can now track money generated from recommendations your employees have made to customers, too.
What does your accountability structure for your salespeople look like in 2019?
Think about what you did to hold your sales team accountable in 2018. Did you hold weekly sales meeting? Did your salespeople review our playbooks? Did you on an ongoing basis listen to your salespeople when they were speaking with clients? Figure out what you could do better in 2019 to keep your team accountable for their actions. It’s your job as their leader to pay attention to any inconsistencies and correct them immediately before they negatively impact your annual sales targets. You’re going to need to get the blocking and tackling down if your team is going to succeed next year.
Don’t wait until after Christmas to begin developing your 2019 sales plan. The earlier you start, the better off you’ll be. Before building out your plan for the coming year, be sure to first review this year to figure out the adjustments you’ll need to make going forward. Then set your goals and determine how you’re going to achieve them. Without structure, you’ll have a tough time hitting your targets, so be sure to develop a framework designed to hold your salespeople accountable. Planning for next year doesn’t have to be tedious. As long as you act now, you’ll begin 2019 on the right foot.
