As a B2B sales leader, it's your role to come up with a sales plan that works.

Your sales team must be guided by a holistic approach to help them achieve the best results possible, and this means looking at all aspects of the sales process, from lead generation to closing deals and everything in between.

While this is an essential aspect of a sales management or director-level role, that doesn't mean it's easy or that it comes naturally.

Many leaders tend to focus on one or two elements of the sales process and neglect others. This can lead to an unbalanced approach that ultimately hinders overall sales performance.

To avoid this, we recommend taking a holistic approach to creating your sales plan. This means considering all aspects of the sales process and how they work together and setting realistic goals based on past performance and market trends.

Here are some tips for creating a holistic sales plan that will help improve your B2B business's overall ROI.

Set Out Some Headings In Your Sales Plan

This is all about planning the plan, in other words, creating a structure that covers all the main areas of your sales process.

It's important to include sections for lead generation, lead nurturing, sales tactics, strategies, measurement, and analysis.

Within these sections, you should also cover topics such as target audience, messaging and communication channels, key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting methods.

Remember to tie all these headings together so they form a cohesive and comprehensive sales plan and an easy-to-follow narrative as you move through the plan.

Gather Data & Analyse Past Performance

With a structure in place, you can move on to the next step: gathering data and analyzing past performance.

This is critical in understanding where your sales team currently stands and identifying any gaps or areas for improvement.

Take a deep dive into your metrics, sales figures, customer feedback, and other relevant data to identify patterns and trends.

This will help you set realistic goals for your sales plan that are based on tangible evidence rather than assumptions or guesswork.

Set Realistic Sales Goals & Objectives

Based on your analysis, set achievable goals and objectives for your sales plan for the coming year.

Consider both short-term and long-term goals and how they align with overall business objectives and market trends.

Remember to make these goals SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to ensure they are realistic and actionable.

Examples of these sales goals might be:

• Increase qualified lead generation by 15% in the first quarter

• Improve conversion rate from demo to sale by 10% by mid-year

• Increase upsells and cross-sells by 20% within the next six months.

Develop Targeted Sales Strategies & Tactics

There's a difference between strategy and tactics.

Strategy is the overall plan for achieving your goals, while tactics are the specific actions you take to execute that strategy.

Both are important in a holistic sales plan.

Based on your goals and objectives, develop targeted strategies that will help you achieve them.

For example, if one of your goals is to increase qualified lead generation, then a key strategy might be implementing a content marketing strategy to attract prospects and nurture them through the sales funnel.

With strategies in place, you can then determine the specific tactics that will help execute those strategies.

These could include tactics such as creating targeted landing pages, optimizing website SEO, leveraging social media advertising or putting your team on a sales training course.

Assign Responsibilities & Create A Timeline

A holistic sales plan requires collaboration and accountability from all members of the sales team.

Therefore, it's important to assign responsibilities for each aspect of the plan and set a timeline for execution.

This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.

Regular check-ins should also be scheduled to review progress and make any necessary adjustments. Here's a table with some common roles and responsibilities.

Continuously Monitor & Analyse Sales Results

Finally, a holistic sales plan is not a static document.

It should be continuously monitored and analyzed to ensure it aligns with current market trends and achieves desired results.

Make sure to regularly review your KPIs, track progress, and gather feedback from the sales team and customers. This will help you make any necessary adjustments or improvements along the way.

A rolling plan of action for reviewing key metrics might look like this:

Your 2024 Sales Plan Is Ready

A holistic sales plan is key to achieving improved ROI for your B2B business.

By taking a comprehensive approach and considering all aspects of the sales process, you can set realistic goals and develop targeted strategies to help your sales team succeed.

Remember to continuously monitor and analyze results to make any necessary adjustments, and involve your sales team in the planning process to ensure everyone is aligned and accountable.

With the right plan in place, you can confidently drive your B2B sales team towards success in 2024 and beyond.