As the new year kicks off and business strategies begin to be set, it is your responsibility to be ready for 2014. What do you need to have on your to-do list for the next 30 days? Here’s a top 10 list of critical priorities:
1. Revenue Objectives:
What are your revenue objectives by each quarter for 2014?
2. Team Review:
Review your existing teams carefully, analyse each person’s strengths and weaknesses.
Rank the following on a scale of 1-5, (5=great). Are they good enough to stay on your team for 2014?
- Sales skills
- Product/industry knowledge
- Operational knowledge
- Sales planning
3. Recruitment:
How many new people do you need to recruit? When do you need them fully up and trained?
Hint: hire them now .
4. Review your marketing/sales operational teams.
Do they really understand your market, your customers, and the benefits you bring to them? What do you need to do to improve their business knowledge?
5. Is your compensation plan effective?
Did it achieve the results you wanted? Have your business objectives changed and do your 2014 compensation plans need to be altered as a result?
6. Reassess your CRM/Sales Metric Dashboards for the entire year.
What trends can you find or what activities need to be enhanced? Hold an individual sales person review meeting to assess performance.
7. What will be your ‘theme’ for 2014?
Define the top three objectives that you need to focus on during each of the first and second quarters?
8. Self assessment:
Schedule a ‘personal self-assessment’ meeting, either with your manager or your peer team or even perform a confidential 360 analysis by using your sales team to comment on what you are doing well and what needs to be improved.
9. Sales training:
What new elements within your sales training plans for 2014 do you need to plan for? Outside training? A book club? More role playing? What do you need to do to improve the professionalism of your team?
10. When is your 2014 Sales Kick-Off Meeting?
Where will it be held? What will you announce and how will you energise your team with vision, fun, and direction?
