Sales Planning for CY 2022?

Better Remember the Leadership Team!

Last December, I wrote a blog postblog post directed to small and medium-sized business CEOs/owners about sales planning for CY 2021 that included a nice checklist (IMO) to make what is typically perceived as a daunting exercise, easy, or at least simpler. While I believe the items on that checklist still ring true and should be followed, my suggestion or maybe challenge to all the SMB CEOs/owners out there is to involve your company's leadership team in the planning process as you prepare for a successful CY 2022. That way they are each very much involved and thus more engaged. And, who doesn't want more engaged employees? So, here are some pointers to help make it happen and run smoothly.

  1. Check the calendars of your leadership team to ensure each member can attend and then book a 3-hour input session, preferably offsite to avoid normal business-day distractions. Probably a good idea to book it a couple of weeks out and be sure to share the agenda - see point 2 below for that. Also, be sure to either record it or invite someone whose sole purpose is to take detailed notes.

  2. Create and share an agenda titled "CY 2022 Sales Success Planning Meeting" that contains the following discussion topics:

  • Company Sales Mission

    • Target Industries

    • Ideal Customer Definition

    • Buyer Persona Description

    • Value Propositions

  • KPIs and Sales Goals

  • Sales Approach

  • Team Responsibilities

  • Closing Thoughts

  1. In order for the meeting to be efficient, take a shot at addressing each point on the agenda in advance. That way you will have conversation starters. But remember, you are requesting input from your leadership team, so be open-minded and really listen to, or better yet, hear what they say.

  2. Post-meeting, consolidate the feedback into a Sales Success Document and share it back out to the leadership team so that it is visible and readily available as a reference point to keep you and your team focused on success.

  3. Very important — this meeting is not an end unto itself. Rather it is a collaborative effort to position your company to be more likely to achieve its CY 2022 business goals. The leadership team should share the high-level items from the Sales Success Document with their direct reports so that they too are more engaged. Transparency does have that effect.

Well, there it is, an easy-to-follow, if not rudimentary guide to planning for a successful CY 2022. All you need to do now is execute. Best of luck, and remember to ask yourself what you are doing today to Achieve Greatness.