Welcome to our sales workshop Writing a Sales

Welcome to our sales workshop Writing a Sales Plan Workshop led by: Bob French & Dale Radcliff Hosted by: THE ALTERNATIVE BOARD San Mateo County October 26, 2010 650. 652. 9393 bob@TABsmc. com Please fill out the top half of the Gold Sheet in your package…

Today’s workshop structure q q q ¨ ¨ ¨ Objectives Interactive format w/ handouts Sales challenges in today’s economy Perspectives on sales / planning Discuss & analyze sample sales plans Complete gold sheet Wrap up / take away’s? Finally - What’s the ‘one thing’? 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

Our objectives for today ¨ ¨ Provide a model - build & tailor to your business Provide information tools and materials you can use now Contribute to your thinking At least one good idea to put into action 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

Today's business environment o Things are different q q q Customer mind sets have shifted More caution in marketplace Business is no longer coming in through the door Decisions are slower Competition is more intense Significant pricing pressure 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

Sales implications q q q q Need more prospects to stay even Takes longer to close a sale More contacts involved in the decision More deals lost to ‘no sale’ Expect last minute changes More service / more communications required Sales people working harder 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

Changes & adjustments o Strategy changes: o Selling more to existing customers o Larger companies going down market o Smaller companies offering / doing ‘more’ o Number of suppliers being reduced o Companies widening their service offerings o Adding more services / packages 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

Some observations / conclusions q q q Those companies who are sales focused are still winning Executing the fundamentals well is still key Sales are most frequently lost to lack of clarity & insight Even more focus needed on relationships Companies reducing sales & marketing will lose 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

A Sales Plan ¨ ¨ ¨ o Is your customer acquisition process Defines: - Who you’re going to sell - How you will sell them Need a plan for the company and for each sales person / key person The Business Plan provides the context and comes first o A sales plan is different than a marketing plan o P. S. In sales, there is no substitute for activity 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

Key elements of a Sales Plan 1. Sales objectives / forecast 2. Sales strategy(s) Sales process / system Action plan(s) Tracking, measuring, reporting Accountabilities, combined with compensation and rewards Budget 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

1. Define your sales objectives o o Where’s the potential? Clearly and specifically identify what revenue you expect from, e. g. ; o o o o o 650. 652. 9393 Each sales person / by territory New customers Existing customers Products / services Markets / niches Selected accounts Web based Third party referral program Alliances Other? The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

2. Sales strategy / discussion Strategy is the broad approach you will be taking to achieve sustainable sales results over time q Strategy first, then tactics q Designed to overcome barriers q Critical to long term success q Usually long term and takes resources q Should always be improving & refining q Has to be implementable / simple q What is your message? Ties to value proposition 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

3. Sales process / discussion q The specific steps you take to achieve results; 1. A good sales process generates predictable results 2. If it’s repeatable, it eventually will generate momentum 3. A good sales process anticipates objections and increases the probability of a close 4. Assign probability percentages to each stage of your process / steps to close 5. Your sales process should be continuously refined as circumstances change 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

3. A sample sales process / discussion 1. Preparation 2. Initial contact Secure appointment Conduct sales call(s) / follow up Proposal and/or demonstration Finalize negotiations Prepare contract 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. There are many variations of sales processes. Typically the more larger / complex the sale, the longer the sales cycle. 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

4. Action plan q For the company and by each sales rep q An annual, quarterly, monthly plan q Revenue q Key activities / standards q Major milestones q Could be also be by region, division, product, geography, etc 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

4. Action plan – con’t q q q Can include; collateral materials, sales tools, contests, promotions, trade shows, skills training, website, client entertainment, networking… Lead generation programs eg. telemarketing, direct mail, e-mail marketing, webinars… One page is good Must have a monitoring process What is your focus / driver, your 80/20? 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

5. Tracking, measuring, reporting q Develop your pipeline report of prospects q Review progress monthly in writing q Review and adjust quarterly q Done for the company and by each sales rep q Review activities weekly q Weekly and/or monthly sales meetings 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

6. Compensation & rewards 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Commission based salespeople expect to be held accountable Be very clear on your expectations Welcome and promote a sales person’s financial success Recognition & appreciation are incredibly motivating The compensation plan usually changes yearly Are you rewarding to support your focus? 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

Finally… What’s the one thing, if done well, that will make a difference? 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

Please fill out your gold sheet and turn it in………. . Your feedback is very important to us : ) 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com

Thank you for your participation Contact information: Bob French Chief Executive, TABsmc The Alternative Board 433 Airport Blvd, Suite 109 Burlingame, CA 94010 650. 652. 9393 bob@TABsmc. com www. TABsmc. com 650. 652. 9393 The Alternative Board www. TABsmc. com