The four-step process to developing a sales vision

To unleash your organisation’s full potential, managers must adopt a long-term vision over short-term results – here’s how

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Sales Readiness Group

Here’s a powerful four step process that will help you develop and achieve a sales vision, driving your team’s performance to new heights.

Why Is a sales vision important?

• Focus: A sales vision provides a unified direction for your team. When each team member understands and embraces the sales vision, it fosters a sense of purpose and clarity, enabling them to channel their efforts effectively.
• Motivation: A compelling sales vision is a source of motivation and inspiration for your team. It creates a sense of purpose and ignites enthusiasm, pushing your reps to exceed their usual limits.
• Better Decision-Making: A well-defined sales vision guides your decision-making. When faced with choices, the sales vision is a guiding star, helping you make informed decisions that align with the overarching vision.
• Collaboration: A sales vision fosters a sense of unity and collaboration within the team. When team members share a common vision, they are more likely to support and help each other, fostering a collaborative and cohesive work environment.
• Accountability: A sales vision enables measurement and accountability. With a sales vision, it becomes easier to identify gaps, address challenges, and hold individuals accountable for their contributions to the collective vision.

How to develop and achieve a sales vision in four steps

Creating your sales vision

Creating your sales vision involves envisioning where you want your team to be in terms of sales performance within your company or relative to your competitors. It is an opportunity to set a direction and inspire your team to strive for greatness.

A sales vision can also focus on profitability targets or rewards and recognition for your team, providing a holistic perspective on success.

It is important to note that a well-crafted sales vision statement should be future-focused and seem attainable within a reasonable period, typically 6-18 months. This timeframe strikes a balance between being too narrow and easily achievable, which fails to capture the essence of a true vision and being too far-reaching and difficult to maintain the team’s focus.

A sales vision should be challenging, going beyond ordinary expectations while remaining realistic enough to be achievable with effort. Furthermore, a sales vision should embody the commitment to positive change, driven by an intense desire to make something great happen.

Translating the sales vision into goals

Once you have established your sales vision, the next step is to translate it into specific goals. The SMART acronym (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound) is a valuable guide when setting goals.

Developing strategies

With your goals in place, the next step is developing strategies to propel you toward achieving them.

Strategies outline your approach to accomplish your goals and bridge the gap between your current state and the desired outcome. Potential strategies to increase sales volume by 10% by June 30 could include expanding your team’s sales coverage by hiring additional salespeople, implementing a special sales incentive program to motivate the team, or targeting key accounts to drive growth in an existing business.

Each strategy should be directly tied to the overarching goal and contribute to its realisation. By carefully considering and selecting effective strategies, you can lay the foundation for success and guide your team toward the desired outcome.

Identifying tactics

When identifying tactics, consider the following:

• Identify major activities or benchmarks: Just as you would note landmarks on a road map, identify key points and activities in your action plan to ensure you are on the right track and progressing toward your destination.
• Define responsibilities and allocate resources: Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member in executing tactics and contributing to the achievement of sales vision goals. Be specific in outlining how tasks will be carried out and identify any necessary resources to support the execution.
• Specify target dates for completion: To maintain momentum and drive progress, set target dates for each action step. These target dates create a sense of urgency, motivate the team to work together, and enable effective progress tracking toward your sales vision.

By following this four-step process of creating a sales vision, translating it into goals, developing strategies, and identifying tactics, you can provide your team with a clear roadmap and direction to achieve outstanding sales results.