Drawing up a sales action plan is a strategic step in the implementation of your corporate strategy. All too often, however, the implementation of this plan falls far short of the objectives and criteria defined.

So how do you build an action plan that your teams can actually implement? That's the question our President Fabien Comtet answers in this Webinar!

Sales Action Plan: definition

There are many possible definitions of an action plan. At Kestio, we define it as the characterization of various elements that enable us to define objectives and translate them into global actions on the commercial dimension of a company.

Whereas the business plan has a financial connotation, and the strategic plan anorientation connotation, the commercial action plan refers to the implementation of the company's strategy in relation to commercial issues.

A few pitfalls to avoid

There are a number of pitfalls to be avoided to ensure that your action plan does not become a static tool and that it is actually used by your teams.

One of the first pitfalls is to ask your salespeople for an estimate of their sales without even defining their objectives beforehand. To illustrate, this would be like asking them to reveal their game in a game of poker, before even knowing the stakes! The sales action plan must not be solely "results" oriented.

Another frequently observed pitfall is duplicating last year's plan for the coming year, without taking into account changes in your sales force, your company or your market. This approach will lead to the establishment of a certain routine, harmful to your company's productivity!

Discover other pitfalls to avoid in our Webinar.

Sales action plan: the keys to success

After learning about the pitfalls to be avoided when drawing up your sales action plan, discover a few keys to success to optimize its deployment. 

One of the first keys to a successful sales action plan is to focus on what you can control: targets, actions and the sales process cycle. Defining these three elements will provide your sales force with a set of specifications , enabling them to determine the scope of their actions. These three characteristics are also elements that your sales force can directly influence.

Various tools are available to help you define your targets, actions and cycle. A SWOT will help you identify your opportunities and threats, and a "speed boat" your strengths and weaknesses.