Every associate’s needs differ based on factors such as firm size, years of practice, geographical region, and available resources. Any organization should be clear about its goals and objectives regardless of size or nature. A simple personal sales and marketing plan can help businesses determine what to focus on and where to spend their time and money.
Drafting Your Personal Sales and Marketing Plan
When you draft your personal sales and marketing plan, know it cannot be a “universal” plan. You must keep your ultimate goal in mind, which is to succeed. At the same time, don’t overdo it by pushing yourself too far in a short period. Remember, you are in for a marathon, not just a sprint.
Having planned your activities, take a calendar and lock in essential dates and deadlines. All resources, including executives, associates, and admins, should work together to create an effective personal sales and marketing plan.
Setting Goals: The SMART
Your personal sales and marketing plan should not be formally documented but well-defined and communicable. It should identify goals so that it can convey your business objective to every team member.
When making a plan, formal or informal, choosing a SMART goal is the way to go. SMART is a widely used concept in management and planning. SMART goals are acronyms for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Many marketing experts use an additional ‘T’ to add tangible to the equation.
Identifying Your Prospects
Identifying where to start and who to target can be quite challenging. To begin, when making your personal sales and marketing plan, you must analyze your existing contacts or customer lists. The effectiveness of your marketing and sales efforts is based on a good contact list. Your contact list should include people you have known, met, or plan to meet. Everyone can be a prospect, from an existing client to a referral source.
You should aim to get as much information as possible. It is a good idea to include how you know the contact, i.e., where you met the contact, mainly when you were introduced to another source. It is advisable to categorize your contacts as a referral source, client, or prospect. Investing your time in maintaining a well-organized contact list will save you time, effort, and energy in the future.
The next step in preparing a personal sales and marketing plan is to use your contact list to identify prospects. Determine who directly or indirectly influences organizations and people who may need the services you offer.
Proper prioritization is necessary to be successful in making a plan that assists in business development.
Measurements of Success
Several metrics can help you keep track of your progress. These metrics vary from firm to firm, but the general purpose of any marketing plan is to maximize your outreach. Generally, you must monitor your conversion rate, number of qualified leads, referral rates, etc. These metrics make a plan more tangible and allow you to identify your areas of weakness, if any. The best strategy is to review your plan every six months and make changes as needed.
Making a plan is your first step toward success. Your personal sales and marketing plan can be vital in building your credibility and clientele. Remember, the plan should serve as a guideline. Keep it simple, and focus on the substance rather than form. With the right plan, you can identify and capture opportunities.
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