At the end of the day, success in sales is a by-product of having enthusiastic,
knowledgeable, trained professionals executing a coordinated and disciplined sales process.
You must always ask if you have the right people engaged in the right activities.
The building block approach although simple in methodology can yield surprising
conclusions. Do you ask the following questions?
These questions are pondered by managers, owners, presidents and CEO’s of large and small
companies alike. The solution can be simple or very complex. Regardless of your starting
point, industry or size, a thorough evaluation of the drivers that influence your people,
process and passion will pay major dividends.
Identifying the Blocks
Treating your organization as one homogeneous entity can mask deficiencies that rob your
business of vital resources. The approach of, “give sales what they want and they will get
the business” is often taken, but does it work? Are sales goals and objectives in line with
broader corporate goals?
An easy way to better understand your company’s market position and determine what
really drives growth is to break down your organization into small digestible components.
You can use these components as building blocks to establish a solid foundation and build a
successful sales organization. Each new level builds on the previous level. When
comfortable with level one move on to level two, and so on.
The building blocks I recommend are broad enough to encompass all the critical sales
disciplines, while also being somewhat independent of one another. This independence
begs a detailed focus on each. The four building blocks are:
Understanding the Blocks
Understanding the individual blocks at each level is important. Equally important is linking
the levels. This creates a congruent business model yielding results that are both
repeatable and sustainable.
Goal Setting (Level 1 Block)
The foundation of this approach is Goal Setting. What are your goals? How are they
communicated? Are they clearly defined and understood by your employees? Are both short-
term and long-term goals differentiated? Are the goals realistic? What are they based on?
And most important, are the goals quantifiable. (If you can’t measure a goal…it doesn't
count).
Assessment (Level 2 Block)
When you are comfortable with your goals the foundation is set. Move to level two,
Assessment blocks. These blocks represent the validation process and ensure the resources
are available to support your goals. Assessing your strengths and weaknesses requires some
real soul searching and honesty. There are numerous tools available to assist you in your
evaluation/validation. I strongly recommend the use of one or more of these tools.
You have now clearly defined your goals and inventoried your resources. Move on in one of
two directions. If you firmly believe that you have the appropriate resources (people,
process and product) and they are strategically deployed, go on to level three. During the
evaluation process if it is determined that additional resources are needed, secure those
additional resources or adjust the goals established during Goal Setting.
Business Plan (Level 3 Block)
Building your business plan entails developing and deploying specific strategies and tactics.
Both are designed to leverage your resources while supporting your goals and priorities.
Think of strategy as the overall plan while tactics are the hourly, daily, weekly, monthly,
quarterly action items required for successful execution. Tactics should clearly define who
will do what, and when.
Execution (Level 4 Block)
The goals are clear, you have validated that the appropriate resources are available and
have documented specific action items in the business plan. Now move to the final level,
Execution.
Execution blocks are the most critical because they secure all levels together by ensuring
accountability and discipline. Business plans typically fall short for two reasons; poor
strategy, or more often, poor execution.
I suggested that the business plan (level three) clearly define who will do what, and when.
Level four activities put in place the review and reporting processes. These processes
ensure successful execution of the business plan. Holding specific individuals responsible
for specific actions in a specific time frame is the key to successful execution.
Accountability creates ownership.
The Final Ingredient
Do you and your employees have a passion for your business? Feigned execution by
individuals simply deploying someone else’s business plan can be crippling. Successful
execution requires passion as much as ownership.
Conclusion
Building the Blocks…What does good look like?
Do you know the answers to these questions? You need to!
A detailed evaluation, block by block, will provide you with the necessary answers to these
questions. It will also highlight vital areas where you may be losing traction.
Start growing revenue, driving profitability and building a competitive advantage one
block at a time!!!
________________________________________________________________
knowledgeable, trained professionals executing a coordinated and disciplined sales process.
You must always ask if you have the right people engaged in the right activities.
The building block approach although simple in methodology can yield surprising
conclusions. Do you ask the following questions?
- Do you believe that you have good employees but the results could be better?
- Are results keeping pace with the market?
- Do you have a clear understanding of the competitive landscape?
- Are there industry changing trends on the horizon?
These questions are pondered by managers, owners, presidents and CEO’s of large and small
companies alike. The solution can be simple or very complex. Regardless of your starting
point, industry or size, a thorough evaluation of the drivers that influence your people,
process and passion will pay major dividends.
Identifying the Blocks
Treating your organization as one homogeneous entity can mask deficiencies that rob your
business of vital resources. The approach of, “give sales what they want and they will get
the business” is often taken, but does it work? Are sales goals and objectives in line with
broader corporate goals?
An easy way to better understand your company’s market position and determine what
really drives growth is to break down your organization into small digestible components.
You can use these components as building blocks to establish a solid foundation and build a
successful sales organization. Each new level builds on the previous level. When
comfortable with level one move on to level two, and so on.
The building blocks I recommend are broad enough to encompass all the critical sales
disciplines, while also being somewhat independent of one another. This independence
begs a detailed focus on each. The four building blocks are:
- Goal Setting
- Assessment
- Business Planning
- Execution
Understanding the Blocks
Understanding the individual blocks at each level is important. Equally important is linking
the levels. This creates a congruent business model yielding results that are both
repeatable and sustainable.
Goal Setting (Level 1 Block)
The foundation of this approach is Goal Setting. What are your goals? How are they
communicated? Are they clearly defined and understood by your employees? Are both short-
term and long-term goals differentiated? Are the goals realistic? What are they based on?
And most important, are the goals quantifiable. (If you can’t measure a goal…it doesn't
count).
Assessment (Level 2 Block)
When you are comfortable with your goals the foundation is set. Move to level two,
Assessment blocks. These blocks represent the validation process and ensure the resources
are available to support your goals. Assessing your strengths and weaknesses requires some
real soul searching and honesty. There are numerous tools available to assist you in your
evaluation/validation. I strongly recommend the use of one or more of these tools.
You have now clearly defined your goals and inventoried your resources. Move on in one of
two directions. If you firmly believe that you have the appropriate resources (people,
process and product) and they are strategically deployed, go on to level three. During the
evaluation process if it is determined that additional resources are needed, secure those
additional resources or adjust the goals established during Goal Setting.
Business Plan (Level 3 Block)
Building your business plan entails developing and deploying specific strategies and tactics.
Both are designed to leverage your resources while supporting your goals and priorities.
Think of strategy as the overall plan while tactics are the hourly, daily, weekly, monthly,
quarterly action items required for successful execution. Tactics should clearly define who
will do what, and when.
Execution (Level 4 Block)
The goals are clear, you have validated that the appropriate resources are available and
have documented specific action items in the business plan. Now move to the final level,
Execution.
Execution blocks are the most critical because they secure all levels together by ensuring
accountability and discipline. Business plans typically fall short for two reasons; poor
strategy, or more often, poor execution.
I suggested that the business plan (level three) clearly define who will do what, and when.
Level four activities put in place the review and reporting processes. These processes
ensure successful execution of the business plan. Holding specific individuals responsible
for specific actions in a specific time frame is the key to successful execution.
Accountability creates ownership.
The Final Ingredient
Do you and your employees have a passion for your business? Feigned execution by
individuals simply deploying someone else’s business plan can be crippling. Successful
execution requires passion as much as ownership.
Conclusion
Building the Blocks…What does good look like?
Do you know the answers to these questions? You need to!
- Is everyone on board with your goals and strategic direction?
- Can employees clearly articulate the value proposition?
- What are your key differentiators?
- Is there a defined go-to-market-strategy?
- Are leaders executing the business plan with passion?
A detailed evaluation, block by block, will provide you with the necessary answers to these
questions. It will also highlight vital areas where you may be losing traction.
Start growing revenue, driving profitability and building a competitive advantage one
block at a time!!!
________________________________________________________________
| Four Building Blocks to Faster Growth and Greater Profitability A Template for Business Planning |
P3 Sales Consultants, LLC
Leveraging the power of People, Process and Passion
Leveraging the power of People, Process and Passion
| P3 Sales Consultants,LLC 781.368.9369 -Office |
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