Start with the ‘WHY’ when you’re Sales Planning.

Ninety nine percent of the time, when we coach a salesperson on a sales plan, their first suggestion for a Goal is ‘to hit their sales target’. We get why this happens. After all, it’s the reason why you’re employed. The danger with viewing your Goal through such a narrow definition is that there is no real ‘purpose’ to that Goal. It’s just a number. A monetary value and that’s very difficult for the brain to be motivated on a day-to-day basis as you look to execute your plan.

When we talk about ‘starting with the why’, what we mean is to think beyond the number. Instead, focus on the ultimate outcome. For that to happen you need to think about all the individuals involved in delivering the Goal. All the stakeholders. What are they going to get out of it personally? Can you summarize this GOAL into something that will inspire people to perform to the best of their ability? That includes you. Your BUYER(s). Even your team. It’s for this reason that we recommend that you begin with the why and know exactly where you’re heading. You might not know how you can get there. That will very likely change once you start executing the plan but once you’ve got that purpose very clearly detailed then you’re on your way. Having purpose can provide you with reserves of energy, courage, determination, and the resilience you didn’t know you possessed. All of which you will need, as the inevitable roadblocks begin to appear when you get into the execution phase of the plan.

We get a lot of push back on this concept because our sales planners always say, ‘Isn’t our job to achieve a sales target?’ Of course, they’re right but the point is that, if you are driving your sales engagement from today’s market’s perspective (and put money aside for a second) you should be looking at how you are going to serve your BUYER to create value for them. By value, we mean formidable value. Not just run of the mill value. Our experience has shown that adding formidable value is easier to do if you understand ‘why’ you’re doing it. If you don’t, you risk providing basic value and these days, 21st century BUYERs can spot basic value a mile off. Not only will you not get paid top dollar but its disillusioning. It’s like trying to do work that you’re good at but loath. It’s neither a path to personal fulfilment nor delivering formidable value. Instead, the opposite will happen – you become disheartened and more importantly, your mental fitness suffers.

So, I’ll leave with you a question, ‘What’s your why?’