business plan sales and marketing strategy sample

• Marketing and Sales Strategy
• 11 April, 2024
• 12 Sales and Marketing Strategy Examples from Real Companies

No matter how big or small, every business needs a sales and marketing strategy . Depending on how much experience you have in either field, that task can sound daunting. 

There’s no need to worry! You do not have to reinvent the wheel. The beauty of being in business is that you walk on a road paved by giants. Sure, you’ll want to toss in a little spice of your own. Perhaps someday, you’ll be a pioneer in your strategy. But for now, we need to take a look at some real examples.

Sales strategy examples

• Value-based Selling
• Power-Based Principle
• SPIN Selling
• Solution Selling
• Challenger Selling

A sales strategy is a series of actions, decisions, and corresponding goals that inform you how your sales department depicts your business and its services/products to new customers. A sales strategy is the guiding light for salesmen and saleswomen to follow, providing clear objectives for the sales process , competitive analysis, and product/service positioning.

For the most part, all sales strategies involve management creating a plan for processes, practices, and goals. 

Sales strategies are not universal. Sure, you can follow some examples, but as I mentioned just above, you will have to implement your own twist in order for it to make sense and work for your customers. For that reason, a proper sales strategy relies almost completely on your target audience.

Now that we’re all on the same page about what a sales strategy is, it’s time to talk about some examples. These examples are merely here to inspire you for your own strategy. Although these strategies are proven successful for the companies I’ll mention, you will need to adapt them to your brand to have similar results.

Value-based selling – UPS

One of the more popular sales strategies recently is value-based selling. This is the process of positioning what you’re offering and the received value of your products or services. This is the opposite of selling based on the product or service alone. Focus on the benefit, not the product.

UPS does this very well. As one of the biggest shipping and logistics companies globally, they have a lot of competition constantly nipping at their heels. However, they tend to gallop ahead of the competition by providing an extra layer of value to their services and products.

UPS has built a global infrastructure for shipping, offering deals and value to businesses that other shipping companies simply can’t. They offer a wide range of shipping options for businesses , broadening their value by producing extra value for their customers. They don’t just sell shipping deals. They sell convenience, variety, simplicity, flexibility, and peace of mind.

Power-Based Principle – Apple

In the power-based principle selling strategy, the salesperson assumes the role of the expert in the industry. Instead of talking to customer service, development, or engineers to figure out a solution and sell something, the salesperson assesses the situation, provides all the necessary knowledge needed, and follows up with a solution.

Apple is the perfect example of this. If you’ve never been to an Apple store, then this is something that you may not be very familiar with. When you step foot in an Apple store, you’ll be greeted by what they call “Apple Geniuses”. These are people that know the product inside and out. They know every little detail, update, and product that Apple has to offer, and they have the power to sell it to you instantly.

These Apple Geniuses are also able to troubleshoot software issues and hardware failures. This is all to make the sales process as smooth as possible when visiting Apple. You deal with one person and one person only because they have all the power in the sale.

SPIN selling – everyone

SPIN selling is a strategy that utilizes a set of four basic questions in order to move closer to a sale. In his book titled “ SPIN Selling ,” Neil Rackham summarizes sales as simply learning to ask the right questions. He then goes on to highlight the four types of questions that you need to ask:

S – Situational

Asking situational questions gives you data that you can’t gather through research. These are questions that are unique to the lead/prospect. 

P – Problem

Asking about the problem they’re having gives you insight into their needs. It points out priority number one for them.

I – Implication

Implicational questions let you know the urgency of the situation. How soon do they need a fix?

N – Need/Payoff

Asking about what they need outside of your company gives you a general understanding of their interest independently. This provides for a solid transition to talk about features and pricing.

The idea is that each one of these questions, if asked correctly, will tell you everything you need to know about the lead, whether they qualify or not. 

No specific company is mentioned here as an example because most fortune 1000 companies use this strategy in some way or another. Because this strategy is not limited to four-set questions, it can be adapted very heavily. 

Solution Selling – Sleepnumber

Solution selling involves a process where the seller focuses on pain points and offers a solution based on the customer’s unique needs. This may sound like a generic sales strategy that every company adopts, but it has different levels to it.

Most companies have a pricing page where they focus on features. For something like a SaaS , this makes sense. Generally speaking, the features point users towards a solution.

But for physical products, it can be a little more tricky, especially if you offer a wide range of products. That being said, Sleepnumber, the mattress company, implements solution selling pretty flawlessly by asking users to take a quiz.

By answering these questions, they can direct you towards which solution they think is best for your unique pain points. This, of course, is an automated example, but it can be adapted to manual sales calls and emails. Focus on what they need and their pain points, then sell them a solution.

Challenger Selling – Cyber security

The challenger sales strategy is potentially one of the most popular sales models right now, but it’s not for everyone. Challenger selling may or may not be relevant depending on the sales rep, the situation, and the customer.

Challenger selling involves taking full control over the sale (as the sales rep) and aiming to teach the customer something new about their company. In turn, this forces the experience to be tailor-made to the situation.

Because of this, you can understand why it’s hard to nail down a specific name as an example. Instead, let’s imagine a situation based on an industry: Cybersecurity.

Remember, the goal of the challenger sales strategy is to take control of the situation by informing the customer. In cybersecurity, users may not know exactly what they need, but they know they need something. Big businesses worldwide implement some sort of security network to protect their data, but they may not understand how dire the situation can be.

Cybersecurity salespeople swoop in and inform the customer of the potential dangers and what they need to stay protected. Instead of asking, they’re telling. 

This can come off as a bit rude on paper, but in B2B , this is precisely what many business owners are looking for. They won’t care so much about the emotion of the sale. They want results.

Marketing strategy examples

• Alternating user experience
• Retargetting users
• Employing user-generated content
• Implementing loyalty rewards programs
• Niche marketing
• Value proposition marketing
• Marketing as a brand, not a product

A marketing strategy is a process that marketers use to guide their various campaigns, projects, and marketing models. Much like in sales, a marketing strategy aims to structure marketing efforts, aligning the team with common goals, objectives, and processes to market to the right audience.

Think of a marketing strategy as guidelines. Marketers will reference these guidelines anytime they start a new project or create a new plan for gathering marketing qualified leads . For example, a marketing plan might be to bring awareness to a new product. A marketing strategy is what outlines the process for that plan.

At its core, marketing is nothing but promoting your brand, product, or service. It shows what you have to offer to the market in a creative way, one that stands out.

Sounds simple enough, but with the competition heating up constantly, companies are forced to step out of the box and develop new and innovative ways to get their name out there. Content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing , and many other examples were born from a need.

Depending on your company, what you’re selling, and your audience, you can utilize any number of strategies to really break into the market. It’s a matter of understanding what works and what doesn’t work and adapting to new and changing data. So for that reason, here’s a list of real companies that utilize certain marketing strategies.

Constantly alternating user experience – Spotify

Being the largest music streaming platform in the world, Spotify has to change up its marketing game constantly. They do this by marketing their differences, alternating the user experience nearly every time someone logs on to the app.

Implementing advanced algorithms and AI , Spotify tracks users’ preferences, genres, and music styles to make daily, weekly, and even yearly playlists. This, among many other things, makes Spotify unique. They play this to their benefit by making ads promoting their constantly alternating user experience. 

Retargeting campaigns – 1 800 Contacts 

Retargeting campaigns are one of the most effective lead nurturing strategies there is. So successful that it’s highly regarded as a marketing strategy that you simply cannot afford to miss out on.

The premise behind retargeting campaigns is relatively simple. Find already converted customers or leads familiar with the brand and target them again with new ads. An excellent example of this is how 1 800 Contacts does it. 

Using remarketing, 1 800 Contacts entices users after they’ve already left the website. With this ad, you can see that by simply coming back to them (in this case, the user hasn’t even converted yet), they get an additional 12% off their first order. 12% might seem minuscule compared to the prices of contacts nowadays, but it just might be the icing on the cake for indecisive shoppers.

User-generated content – Airbnb

We mentioned content marketing just above, but what about user-generated content? User-generated content is one of the most effective and powerful marketing strategies that any brand can utilize, but only if it fits the narrative.

For example, a company like CISCO might have a hard time creating user-generated content. On the other hand, a company like Airbnb has everything they need to implement this strategy. In fact, they already do!

Airbnb magazine is a publication that highlights user experiences all over the world. Think of it like a travel magazine used for marketing. Being a household name nowadays, people will see these exotic locations and experiences and instantly want to go. Ideally, they will look for an Airbnb on their journey.

The best part about this is that users submit their stories to the magazine. They’re already written! Once set up correctly, user-generated content is a powerful tool that doesn’t require much effort.

Loyalty rewards program – Starbucks

Everyone likes to be rewarded . It’s something that’s encoded in our DNA that we all love to receive free stuff, even if it means we have to purchase something beforehand.

Starbucks, one of the world’s leading names in coffee, implemented a loyalty program back in 2008, and it has raked in massive success ever since.

The idea is simple. By making purchases, you get points. Those points can be saved up to receive rewards like free drinks, snacks, and Starbucks merchandise. The more you spend, the more points you receive, and the more rewards. 

Niche marketing – Twitch

One could argue that niche marketing is just regular marketing. After all, we all know the importance of identifying your target audience. But what happens if that target is too broad? What happens if you try to market to an audience that is not specific enough? You will be spending tons on ads and other channels and not seeing enough ROI.

Nobody does niche marketing quite like the popular streaming service Twitch. Instead of aiming high and targeting anyone who might be interested in their service, they went explicitly for those who they know will be interested. They wasted zero time or money on broad audiences and instead went for niche-specific ones. 

What makes Twitch unique is that the platform itself is split into niches. You have video games, music, makeup, art, and all sorts of other subgenres that users can tune into and enjoy watching. Using this data, they were able to target those who have an interest in the niche and curate a unique ad experience just for them.

Value proposition marketing – Uber

We mentioned value-based selling above and listed UPS as one of the best examples. That being said, marketing your value proposition is also a really great marketing strategy.

What do people want? Value! How do they find out about the value that you’re selling? Marketing! And nobody does it quite like Uber.

Uber’s value proposition states it is “The smartest way to get around.” 

Without directly mentioning it, Uber markets its value based on the frustration that is traveling nowadays. Think about when you ride in a taxi. You either have to call them or hunt one down. Then you have to give them directions. Then, you typically pay with cash.

Uber takes the unnecessary pain points out of urban travel by including a convenient app with its service. The app allows you to summon a car directly to your location. Then, you use GPS to let the driver know where you’re going. Finally, you pay within the app, cashless and headache-free.

Marketing as a brand, not a product – Red Bull

Red Bull is well known for some obscure marketing strategies. One of the more famous examples is when they first launched in Europe. Instead of spending millions of dollars plastering posters and ads everywhere, they took to the streets of London.

For a time, you would see nothing but Red Bull cans “thrown away” in the recycle bins all around the city. Anytime someone would go to toss in a competing beverage, they would see some Red Bull cans in the mix. This caused people to wonder why so many Red Bulls were being consumed, giving the brand the leverage they needed to blast off in Europe.

It’s marketing strategies like this, and Red Bull’s stance on experiences give them the brand image they have now. They‘re constantly supporting athletes, racing teams, and individuals that dare to take risks, putting their brand up there with those who live life to the fullest. It’s hard to think about any world record broken in a car, airplane, or anything else with an engine that wasn’t sponsored by Red Bull in the last 10-15 years.

Tips for creating effective sales and marketing strategies

We’ve seen some amazing brands do amazing things in the examples above, but not every example will be easy to implement. I would say that none of these examples are easy to implement for any brand without doing the following few things first.

1. Set goals

No strategy, sales or marketing, will be successful if you don’t identify the goals of the strategy beforehand. You have to be specific with these goals and make sure everyone is on the same page. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself neck-deep and over budget without clear direction.

2. Find your target audience

Just in case you didn’t catch it before this paragraph, identifying your target audience in any strategy is not only a good idea; it’s detrimental to the success of your business. You need to know who you are marketing and selling to, their interests, where they are, and what they need.

3. Find your competition 

In addition to identifying your target audience, you also need to identify your competition. In doing so, you can learn more than you might think. You’ll understand what they’re doing well, what they aren’t doing so well, and how their audiences react to their marketing and sales strategies. 

4. Use the right tools for the trade

When it comes to sales and marketing, there’s seemingly an infinite amount of tools that you can use to help make the process smoother and even automate it. For example, Encharge helps you build automation flows so that you can automate the right emails at the right times. Create user profiles and even send out automated emails based on behaviors and actions taken by the prospect, lead, or customer. 

Conclusions and takeaway

Sales and marketing strategies are something that not many businesses will share. After all, if it works well for them, it can work well for the competition. For that reason, it’s hard to say what will work well for you in your unique situation.

No matter what you decide and which strategy you decide to go with from the list above, it will need to be adapted to meet the needs of your target audience. Play around a bit, see how your leads react, and make sure to stay on top of data as it comes in. Don’t be afraid to change things up!

And most importantly, make sure you have the tools that you need. You can book a demo with Encharge today to see how having the right tools makes all the difference.

Further Reading

• 6 B2B Marketing Tips That Can Directly Boost Revenue Growth
• 7 Customer Marketing Strategies for Sustainable Growth
• 15 Non-traditional B2B campaigns – Examples & Ideas You Can Implement
• 10 Ways to Automate Your Sales Processes

Meet your new marketing automation platform

“encharge helped us visually redesign our onboarding flow resulting in a 10% increase in our trial activation rate .", how to implement lead segmentation in saas for maximum roi.

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8 Effective Sales Strategies, Examples, and Best Practices for Successful Selling

Published December 05, 2023

Updated December 06, 2023

Ready to take your revenue to new heights?

A winning sales strategy entails far more than pushing a product or service. It's about creating a comprehensive plan to help you and your sales team share goals and optimize your sales process. It should help you understand your audience, make genuine connections, foster customer loyalty and increase sales.

This guide will show you how to develop a sales strategy and refine your approach using different sales techniques, channels, and tools to improve sales.

But first, let's define what we mean when referring to a sales strategy.

Table of contents

What is a sales strategy?

Types of sales strategies, creating your sales strategy, strategic sales channels, tools to improve sales.

• Don’t forget existing customers

Implementing your sales strategy

Sales strategy example, transform your sales strategy with clari.

A sales strategy is a detailed plan that guides sales teams on how to sell products or services and attract new customers encompassing sales goals, processes, product positioning, and team structure, and includes clear steps for selling effectively and hitting sales goals.

Some of the elements it may include are:

• Organizational goals
• Selling processes
• Steps to identify qualified leads
• Team structure and responsibilities
• Market data
• Customer personas
• Product positioning
• How you'll engage with your customers
• Customer journey
• Competitive analysis

Your sales strategy should include any factors you've identified necessary to acquire new customers and achieve your sales goals.

The importance of a sales strategy

A sales strategy is vital in providing clear objectives and guidance for the sales team. It gives you a long-term plan for the future with a detailed road map for achieving your sales goals while pre-empting any problems you might encounter.

It clarifies your market positioning, helping you identify your ideal customer base and how you'll speak directly to those customers.

Moreover, as your sales strategy is unique to your business, it provides a way to differentiate your business from that of your competitors.

A sales strategy shouldn't be carried out as an exercise in box-ticking. It should be a highly relevant document with practical guidance that you can use to achieve your sales goals .

An effective sales strategy can help you:

• Improve your team's performance
• Achieve more effective targeting
• Achieve higher conversion rates
• Give you a clearer understanding of your target customers
• Provide actionable tasks for each team member
• Increase customer retention rates
• Improve communication and collaboration within the sales team
• Optimize resource allocation and budgeting
• Be consistent with your sales messaging and branding
• Forecast sales trends more accurately

When we use the phrase "sales strategy" to describe a methodology or sales tactic, there are many to choose from. In this next section, we'll look at a selection of those methods and in which contexts they work best.

Inbound vs. outbound

In broad terms, sales strategies can be categorized as inbound or outbound. Their categorization depends on who initiates the sales relationship.

If the prospect reaches out to the business first, this is inbound selling; if the sales rep reaches out to the prospective customer, this is outbound selling.

Some examples of inbound sales strategies include:

• Content marketing
• Search engine optimization
• Social media channels
• Email marketing (can be both inbound and outbound)

Some examples of outbound marketing are:

• Cold emailing
• Telemarketing
• Print advertising
• Pay-per-click ads

In addition to the categories of inbound and outbound selling, teams can use various selling methods as part of their broader strategy. These include:

1. Value-based selling

Value-based selling is a method in which sales reps aim to provide the best solutions for their customers. It reinforces the benefits of the product or service to deliver value.

Sales representatives get to know their customers' specific needs and pain points so that they can provide the best solution possible.

This means that building customer trust is at the core of the approach. Consequently, value-based selling develops better customer relationships and a more loyal clientele. It works best when customers prioritize the solution's value over product features or price.

2. Consultative selling

Consultative selling has similarities to value-based selling in that it focuses on the specific needs and problems of the customer. However, in consultative selling, the salesperson has industry-specific knowledge, which allows them to provide expert advice to their customers.

The salesperson's role is very much an advisory role in which they may ask probing questions to fully understand their customer's needs. The emphasis in consultative selling is on building long-term customer relationships, often prioritizing this over immediate sales.

3. SPIN selling

SPIN selling is a well-established sales technique based on extensive research by Neil Rackham, the author of the book "SPIN selling." The acronym "SPIN" comes from four types of questions designed to uncover your prospect's needs and challenges:

Situation: Gather facts about your customer's current situation.

Problem: Define what specific issues your customer needs to address.

Implication: What are the consequences of these problems, and how urgently do they need addressing?

Need-payoff: What would be the value or benefits of a potential solution? Is the product that you're offering right for your customer?

This systematic approach shifts the sales conversation from a product-centric sales pitch to a customer-centric discussion, focusing on identifying and addressing the customer's needs.

4. Solution selling

Solution selling involves deeply understanding a prospect's problems and needs. It doesn't focus on pushing any particular product but instead emphasizes recommending a product or service that meets those needs.

It's best used in situations where customers need unique setups where you can offer a variety of products or tailored solutions.

5. Challenger selling

Challenger selling is based on the idea that successful salespeople challenge and educate their prospects. Salespeople first seek to understand their prospects' business and then use that knowledge to offer new ideas and solutions that the customer hasn't previously considered.

Salespeople are willing to take control of sales conversations and push their customers out of their comfort zones by challenging any preconceived ideas they might have.

Challenger selling is most commonly used in B2B selling and emphasizes the need for salespeople to become trusted advisors with in-depth knowledge and insight.

6. Conceptual selling

Conceptual selling is a sales approach based on the assumption that prospects buy for unique reasons, often different from what the seller presumes.

It's a helpful method when selling to large corporations involving high-value complex deals with multiple decision-makers.

Using this technique, salespeople must take the time to understand the prospect and their concept of what they need. This requires in-depth research of the customer to uncover any underlying perceptions and motivations behind a potential purchase.

Conceptual selling is a holistic approach focusing on how the product or service integrates with the prospect's long-term objectives. It's centered on collaboration and fostering long-term relationships.

7. SNAP selling

SNAP selling is based on the principle that customers are overwhelmed with information, distractions, and numerous responsibilities, so they need a fast, simple, and effective selling method.

SNAP stands for the four core principles of the method, which are:

Simple : Salespeople should present their solutions in a straight-forward and easy-to-understand way.

iNvaluable: They should position their products as indispensable to the prospect and themselves as a trusted partner in the sales process.

Aligned: They should ensure that their sales message aligns with the buyers' objectives, needs, and core beliefs.

Priority: They should address those issues of the highest priority to the buyer and position their product as the best solution to the needs they care about the most.

SNAP selling is most appropriate for busy prospects who value straight-forward solutions that address their immediate priorities.

8. Account-based selling

Account-based selling (ABS) is a strategic sales approach, most commonly used in B2B sales, that targets specific high-value customers.

These customers are chosen because they align closely with the seller's ideal customer profile (ICP). Once these customers are identified, the seller researches to gather deep insights into the intricacies of the target organization.

Then, a collaborative team including sales, marketing, and customer service works together to create a personalized sales package for the stakeholders within the target company.

This method focuses on building long-term relationships with all those involved in the decision-making process within the target company. By targeting their resources and providing highly personalized packages, businesses can outpace their competitors and increase their chances of securing more significant deals.

Determine your goals

Decide what you want to achieve and your specific sales goals . For example, you could decide that you want to increase sales by a certain amount, expand into a new market, or acquire a specific number of new clients.

Understand your audience

Research your target audience. Look into their age, location, income level, and buying behaviors and create a buyer persona.

Analyze the competition

Identify your main competitors and find out what they do well and not-so-well. Then, determine how you can outperform them.

Choose your sales channels

Decide how you'll sell your product or service. Which of the channels identified above might work best for your business?

Determine your pricing

Set your prices considering production costs, competitor pricing, and what your target audience is willing to pay. Think about discounts, bundles, or promotions that you might offer.

Develop your sales message

Create a sales message that communicates the benefits of your product or service and demonstrates why it's better or different from your competitors.

Decide on the sales tools that you'll use

Decide which software or tools will help you the most and give you the best return on investment.

Decide how you're going to train your sales team

Ensure that your sales team has the necessary training and resources to sell your product or service effectively.

Determine your sales methodology

Which of the sales methodologies outlined above will your sales team use?

Set a budget

Decide how much you'll make available for each component of your sales process, such as tools, training, promotions, and any other sales expenses.

There are two broad categories of sales channels: direct sales channels and indirect sales channels.

Direct sales channels sell directly to customers and include:

• In-house sales teams: Your company employs dedicated sales teams that reach out directly to customers. B2B businesses often use this sales channel.  
• Company stores: Apple, for instance, sells its products directly to the public through its stores.  
• Company websites: Businesses sell products or services directly to the public through their websites. This is one of the most popular direct sales methods, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic when physical stores were forced to close.  
• Direct mail catalogs: Although this is a less common sales channel since the growth of e-commerce, it can still serve a purpose. For instance, gardening businesses that sell seeds, bulbs, plants, and gardening tools still often sell through direct mail catalogs.  
• Telemarketing: This is where sales calls are made directly to customers.

Indirect sales channels involve a third party, such as distributors, resellers, or agents. In indirect sales, the intermediary buys the product from your company and resells it to the final customer.

Examples of indirect channels are: 

• Retailers: The retail business buys the product from the manufacturer.  
• Wholesalers: These entities purchase products in bulk from manufacturers and then sell them to retailers or other businesses.  
• Franchises: Companies grant licenses to businesses to sell their products. There are countless franchises worldwide. Some examples are McDonald's and Subway.  
• Online marketplaces: These include platforms like Amazon and eBay, where many individual sellers list their products.  
• Affiliates: In this case, businesses promote another company's product to earn a commission fee every time a sale is made through their platform.

The best sales channel for your business depends on factors such as your product type, target market, company size, and industry.

For example, if you manufacture standard office items such as pens, staplers, and notepads, your target market would be offices, educational institutions, and the general public. Brand loyalty would likely be low, so in this case, using an indirect sales channel would potentially have a broader reach than selling directly.

A better strategy might be distributing your products in bulk to retailers like Staples or online marketplaces like Amazon.

Using multiple channels for your sales strategy

Many companies will employ multiple sales channels. There are many benefits to this approach, for instance:

• Increased reach: Using multiple channels allows you to reach more customers.  
• Spreading your risk: Relying on a single channel can be risky. Using multiple channels means that if one channel isn't performing as well as expected, you have other channels to provide sales and revenue.  
• Meeting customers' needs: Different people have different preferences, and where one sales channel might not attract a particular type of customer, another may perform better.  
• Flexibility: Different sales channels allow your business to alter your strategy should market conditions change.  
• More sales opportunities: You're more likely to sell if you offer multiple customer touchpoints.  
• Brand visibility: People are more likely to recognize and remember your brand if they see it on multiple platforms and channels.  
• Using the strengths of each channel: By using multiple channels, you can make the most of the strengths of each one.  
• Better pricing: Set prices that suit each channel's audience.  
• Learn more about your customers: Each channel allows for gathering customer data, such as their preferences, behavior, and demographics. These insights provide valuable information for your marketing strategy.  
• Competitive advantage: You can gain a competitive edge by offering more ways to buy than your competitors.  
• Better customer experience: Offering a choice of channels allows your customers to buy through the most attractive and convenient channel.

If multiple sales channels are used, ensuring the brand's message remains consistent across all your channels is essential.

In a recent survey, businesses reported that using digital technologies increased total cost savings by 8% , indicating that you should consider investing in relevant software to maximize your efficiency and profitability.

Software tools to improve sales vary in features and functions, and each tool often contains features from more than one of the categories listed below. So, one software tool may offer sales analytics features and customer relationship management, while another might provide features relating to forecasting and automation. 

The following categories aren’t strictly separate but can give you an idea of software tools' capabilities to help you design and execute a powerful sales strategy.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools

CRMs make it easier for businesses to track and manage customer relationships. They store information about customers, such as contact details, interactions, and purchase history and can track sales and automate marketing campaigns. 

Some examples of CRMs are Zoho CRM and HubSpot. Using a CRM can eliminate the need for multiple spreadsheets, databases and apps, providing a more streamlined and efficient process. 

Sales automation tools

Sales automation tools automate repetitive sales tasks throughout the sales cycle so that your sales teams can focus on selling.

Different tools work on automating various parts of the sales process. Generally, they can help you manage your sales pipeline and automate tasks such as data entry, lead assignment, invoicing, payment reminders, and follow-up scheduling.

As a result, your manual tasks are substantially reduced and sales processes become much more efficient.

Some examples of sales automation tools are HubSpot Sales and Pipedrive.

Sales analytics software

Sales teams need accurate insights about the effectiveness of their sales strategy, and recent research found that 60% of B2B sales teams are transitioning from selling based on intuition and experience to data-driven selling.

The need for reliable sales analytics software is becoming increasingly relevant. These tools accurately and automatically analyze sales trends, team performance, and customer behavior.

This helps businesses gain a better understanding of their sales processes. They then convert the data into charts and reports that make it easier to understand where improvements can be made or where particular challenges exist.

For instance, you could identify which products sell best in a particular region or how a new salesperson performs. Insights gained from sales analytics software can be used to improve your sales process and forecast future sales. This leads to better-informed decision-making and more sales.

Examples of sales analytics software are Insightly and Zendesk.

Lead generation tools

Lead generation software is a collection of tools that help you identify potential customers interested in your products or services. These leads can be gathered from various channels, such as landing pages, ads, webinars, or chatbots.

This software saves sales teams valuable time by simplifying finding and reaching out to leads.

HubSpot is one example that provides a suite of tools to capture leads from sources such as websites and social media.

OptinMonster finds potential leads by creating and displaying website pop-ups encouraging visitors to enter their details.

Sales enablement tools

Sales enablement tools allow you to create, edit, and share all of your sales materials and content in one location. This makes it easily accessible to all the members of your sales department.

It can also help onboarding new team members and getting them quickly up to speed.

By centralizing and organizing all of your sales materials, a sales enablement tool can improve the effectiveness and productivity of your sales team.

Recent research found that 63.1% of sales enablement professionals felt that the quality of their content was below par.

Sales enablement tools can help by providing insights showing how to improve the quality and relevance of your sales training content. Examples include Showpad and Highspot.

Sales forecasting tools

Sales forecasting tools enable your team to predict sales trends and potential revenue accurately within a given time frame. These insights can help you make better strategic sales decisions, set accurate sales targets, and allocate resources more effectively.

Examples of sales forecasting software include Aviso Predict and Freshsales.

Revenue operations (RevOps) software

Revenue operations software, also known as RevOps software, enables visibility and control of the entire revenue process, including various stages of the sales funnel . It can collect and analyze data, often dispersed across various software tools and spreadsheets used within the business.

Without RevOps software, it can be difficult to extract and align data from all of these various sources. RevOps software combines sales, marketing, and customer data to offer powerful insights into sales activities and performance metrics.

These insights allow for accurate sales forecasting, improving your company's performance and potentially significantly increasing revenue.

Clari is an example of a revenue operations platform. Research conducted by Forrester used financial analysis and representative interviews to conclude that Clari's platform delivered an ROI of 448% over three years.

Book a demo to see how RevOps software like Clari can help you achieve your revenue targets.

Don't forget existing customers

When writing your sales strategy, ensure that you're not solely focused on acquiring new customers. 76% of sales professionals report that prioritizing existing customers is essential to their business and provides a significant percentage of their revenue.

Loyal customers generally bring more value over their customer lifetime, and it's more cost-effective to keep current customers than it is to acquire new ones. This will save you marketing and sales expenses in the long run.

Loyal customers are more likely to recommend your products or services and be valuable ambassadors to your brand. So, satisfied repeat customers are an asset you can't afford to overlook in your business.

You can also increase revenue from your existing customers by upselling and cross-selling. Sales leaders widely recognize the value of upselling and cross-selling existing customers. One in four identify this as their primary goal for sales success in 2023.

Upselling is the process of encouraging an existing customer to upgrade to a higher-end product or service. For instance, you might offer a premium version of your software to a customer who's subscribed to your standard version.

Cross-selling means encouraging customers to buy a product or service that complements something they've already bought. For instance, if a customer of an electronics store has already purchased a laptop, the salesperson could cross-sell by recommending an external hard drive to go with it.

Don't neglect the importance of customer feedback from your existing consumer base in your sales strategy. Their feedback can give you valuable insights into how you might best improve your product or service.

Loyalty programs are additional ways to maximize revenue from existing customers. You can motivate these customers to continue to buy from you by offering them rewards, discounts, or other incentives. This helps you retain customers and deepens their commitment to your brand.

So, always consider the needs of your existing customers in your sales strategy. To avoid customer churn, include plans to communicate with them regularly with newsletters, special offers, and personalized messages.

• Ensure that your sales team is fully trained and understands the goals and methods of your new strategy.  
• Provide them with the necessary tools and resources, such as software and promotional materials.  
• Break down your strategy into small, achievable goals. This makes the process manageable and makes it easier to track progress.
• Give your team regular updates with any changes, insights, or feedback. Keep everyone aligned with open lines of communication.  
• Encourage feedback from your sales team—they can often provide valuable insights.  
• Use sales analytics tools to track your performance. This will help you identify what's working well and what needs improvement.  
• Adjust your strategy based on data and feedback. You might need to tweak sales messages, change sales channels or offer new training.  
• Celebrate achieving sales quota milestones. This boosts morale and motivates the team to push forward.  
• Set times for periodic strategy reviews, perhaps quarterly or half-yearly, to ensure that it's still relevant and effective.  
• Stay updated with any changes in the market, customer preferences, or new technologies. Be ready to adapt your strategy when necessary.  

Here's an example of how a sales strategy might look. It includes specific, measurable goals that the company has set according to data analysis of past sales and current trends.

The scenario

A B2B company offering cloud-based energy management solutions wants to expand its reach by taking advantage of the rise in sustainability issues in business. The business wants to increase its digital presence with real-time data tracking and energy optimization software. The software is designed to integrate with clients' existing systems.

The goal is to increase engagement with the online platform by 30% within the first two quarters. At the same time, they aim to grow the client list by 20%, targeting businesses moving away from traditional energy solutions to more sustainable, smart technologies.

Action plan

• Launch a LinkedIn marketing campaign, delivering twice-weekly posts and articles about energy efficiency and cost savings, to increase brand presence and attract more online customers.  
• Collaborate with five industry leaders in sustainable business practices within the next six months to expand market reach.  
• Start a rewards program for current clients introducing the product to other businesses. Offer service upgrades or discounts on future purchases as an incentive.  
• Hold quarterly online seminars highlighting the product's benefits and long-term savings. Establish the brand as a leader in the sustainable technology space for businesses.

The company might include any other factors mentioned above in its sales strategy, such as selling tactics, team structure, and customer personas. The strategy should be tailored to the company's unique aims and challenges.

So, to recap, your sales strategy is a long-term sales plan, encompassing all the practices and processes for your sales team and a methodology you might use as part of that long-term plan. We've discussed just a few tools to help you develop a successful sales strategy and implement it.

Because of its involvement in the entire revenue process, RevOps software such as Clari has the potential to play a significant part in your sales strategy./p>

Request a demo today to discover how Clari can help you achieve your business goals and optimize your revenue process.

How to Write a Sales and Marketing Plan

2 min. read

Updated January 3, 2024

You’ve addressed what you’re selling and why in the products and services section. You now have an understanding of the market and an ideal customer in mind thanks to your market analysis. Now, you need to explain how you will actually reach and sell to them.

The marketing and sales section of your business plan dives into how you’re going to accomplish your goals. You’ll be answering questions like:

• Based on your audience, how will you position your product or service in the current market?
• What marketing channels, messaging, and sales tactics will you implement?
• What’s your business model and how will your business operate day-to-day?

By the end of this section, you should have an outline of what growth looks like, what milestones you intend to hit, and how you’ll measure success. Basically, you’re backing up the opportunity you’ve identified with a solid go-to-market plan.

What to include in the sales and marketing section

The sections you should include act as a useful framework for exploring and defining your marketing and sales tactics.

Create a positioning statement

How does your business differ? What do you do that others don’t? If you’re unsure, work through a handful of strategic exercises to create a simple but convincing positioning statement.

Outline your marketing strategy

A marketing plan brings together strategic goals with tangible marketing activities designed to reach and engage your target market—ultimately convincing them to purchase your product.

Craft your sales plan

A good sales strategy provides actionable steps to reach your goals. Estimate how much you intend to sell and outline a process that anyone else in your business can execute.

Optional sales and marketing information to include

The basics of a marketing and sales plan are fairly straightforward. However, it’s also the perfect place to flesh out any details that you think will make your outreach efforts successful.

Create a unique value proposition

What makes your business unique? How does the solution you provide stand out? This is your chance to point to what you believe potential customers will find more valuable about your business over the competition.

Don't forget digital marketing

While we don’t recommend creating separate traditional and digital marketing plans, it may be wise to explore and address them separately within your plan.

Build your promotional plan

How will you convince your customers to buy your products or services? While actual ads and promotions may be months away, it’s best to think through and even mock up designs now.

Conduct a SWOT analysis

With this simple analysis, you’ll better understand your strengths and weaknesses, along with the opportunities and threats you should account for.

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Kody Wirth is a content writer and SEO specialist for Palo Alto Software—the creator's of Bplans and LivePlan. He has 3+ years experience covering small business topics and runs a part-time content writing service in his spare time.

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How to Write a Sales & Marketing Plan: Comprehensive Guide

• March 21, 2024
• Business Plan , How to Write

Creating a sales and marketing plan for your business plan is really important. It shows how you’ll attract customers and make sales, which is crucial for your business to succeed. This guide will walk you through the steps to make a great sales & marketing plan.

Whether your business is new or you’re looking to grow, having a clear plan for sales and marketing can help everyone believe in your business’s success. Let’s dive in!

What is a Sales & Marketing Plan

A sales and marketing plan is a strategic document that outlines how a business intends to reach its target market and achieve its sales goals. It details the strategies, tactics, channels, and tools the business will use to attract and engage customers, promote its products or services, and convert prospects into buyers.

This plan typically includes information on target customer segments, marketing objectives, sales targets, competitive analysis , marketing strategies (like advertising, content marketing, social media, and SEO), sales tactics (such as direct selling or channel partnerships), budgets, and key performance indicators (KPIs) for measuring success.

Why do we use a Sales & Marketing Plan?

We use a sales and marketing plan for several critical reasons, all aimed at ensuring a business’s growth and success:

• Strategic Direction : It provides a clear roadmap for reaching and engaging the target audience , guiding the marketing and sales efforts in a unified direction.
• Resource Allocation : Helps in the efficient allocation of resources, ensuring that time, budget, and personnel are focused on high-impact sales and marketing activities.
• Goal Setting : Establishes specific, measurable objectives for what the business aims to achieve through its sales and marketing efforts, such as revenue targets, customer acquisition goals, and market share.
• Target Market Identification : Assists in identifying and understanding the target market’s needs, preferences, and behaviors, enabling the business to tailor its offerings more effectively.
• Competitive Advantage : By analyzing the competitive landscape, the plan allows businesses to identify their unique selling proposition (USP) and differentiate themselves from competitors.
• Performance Measurement : Sets key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to track the effectiveness of sales and marketing strategies, providing insight into what’s working and what needs adjustment.
• Investor and Stakeholder Confidence : A well-thought-out plan demonstrates to investors, stakeholders, and potential partners that the business has a solid strategy for achieving growth, increasing their confidence in the venture.

Why do we use a Sales & Marketing Plan in a Business Plan?

Including a sales and marketing plan in a business plan is crucial because it directly influences investor and stakeholder confidence. This component of the business plan serves several key purposes that reassure investors and stakeholders about the business’s potential for success:

• Demonstrates Preparedness : It shows that the business has thoroughly researched and understood its market environment. A detailed plan signals to investors and stakeholders that the company is prepared to navigate the competitive landscape effectively.
• Outlines a Clear Path to Revenue : Investors and stakeholders are particularly interested in how a business plans to generate revenue. The sales and marketing plan provides a clear strategy for attracting and retaining customers, crucial for the business’s financial sustainability.
• Highlights Growth Potential : By outlining specific marketing strategies and sales targets, the plan showcases the business’s growth potential. It illustrates how the business intends to capture market share and expand its customer base, which is a key indicator of its future success.
• Provides Metrics for Success : The plan includes key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that will be used to measure success. This allows investors and stakeholders to understand how the business will track its progress and adjust strategies as needed, instilling confidence in the business’s ability to meet its goals.
• Facilitates Alignment with Investor Expectations : Finally, a sales and marketing plan helps align the business’s strategies with investor and stakeholder expectations. By clearly communicating how the business intends to achieve growth, it ensures that everyone is working towards the same objectives, reducing potential conflicts and increasing support.

How to Write a Sales & Marketing Plan?

Writing a sales and marketing plan for a business plan involves outlining how you intend to reach your target customers and achieve your sales goals. It’s a strategic document that details the actions, tools, and resources you will use to promote your products or services.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to crafting an effective sales and marketing plan:

1. Define Your Target Market

Identify who your ideal customers are by considering demographics (age, gender, income level, etc.), psychographics (interests, values, habits), and geographics (location). Understanding your target market is crucial for tailoring your sales and marketing efforts effectively.

2. Set Clear Marketing and Sales Objectives

Establish what you aim to achieve with your sales and marketing plan. Objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Examples include increasing website traffic by 20% within six months or boosting sales by 15% in a year.

3. Analyze Your Competition

Understand your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses , and how you compare. This knowledge will help you identify your unique selling proposition (USP) and position your offerings more attractively.

4. Develop Your Marketing Channels

Outline the strategies you will use to achieve your objectives by listing what are your marketing channels . This might involve:

• Content Marketing : Creating and sharing valuable content to attract and retain customers.
• Social Media Marketing : Engaging with your audience on social platforms.
• Email Marketing : Sending targeted messages to encourage customer action.
• SEO : Optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results.
• Advertising : Paying for space to promote your product on digital platforms, print, or outdoors.

5. Plan Your Sales Channels

Detail how you will sell your product or service by laying out your sales channels . This can include:

• Direct Sales : Selling directly to customers through sales reps or online.
• Channel Sales : Using intermediaries, such as distributors or resellers.
• Retail Sales : Selling through a physical or online store.
• Discuss any sales processes or techniques that will be employed, like consultative selling or solution selling.

6. Determine Tools and Resources

List the tools and resources needed to implement your strategies. This could include CRM software for customer management, social media platforms for marketing, or sales training programs for your team.

7. Set Your Budget

Allocate a budget for your sales and marketing activities. Include costs for advertising, software subscriptions, marketing materials, and any other expenses associated with executing your plan.

8. Define Metrics and KPIs

Identify how you will measure success by setting key performance indicators (KPIs) for each objective. Examples of KPIs include conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and average order value.

9. Create an Action Plan

Break down your strategies into actionable steps with assigned responsibilities and deadlines. This plan will guide your daily operations and help keep your team focused and accountable.

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How to create a sales plan in 7 Steps

A sales plan is the first step toward defining your sales strategy , sales goals and how you’ll reach them.

A refined sales plan is a go-to resource for your reps. It helps them better understand their role, responsibilities, targets, tactics and methods. When done right, it gives your reps all the information they need to perform at their highest level.

In this article, we outline what a sales plan is and why it’s important to create one. We also offer a step-by-step guide on how to make a sales plan with examples of each step.

What is a sales plan and why create one?

Your sales plan is a roadmap that outlines how you’ll hit your revenue targets, who your target market is, the activities needed to achieve your goals and any roadblocks you may need to overcome.

Many business leaders see their sales plan as an extension of the traditional business plan. The business plan contains strategic and revenue goals across the organization, while the sales plan lays out how to achieve them.

The benefits of a sales plan

A successful sales plan will keep all your reps focused on the right activities and ensure they’re working toward the same outcome. It will also address your company's specific needs. For example, you might choose to write a 30- , 60- or 90-day sales plan depending on your current goals and the nature of your business.

Say your ultimate goal for the next quarter is $250,000 in new business. A sales plan will outline the objective, the strategies that will help you get there and how you’ll execute and measure those strategies. It will allow your whole team to collaborate and ensure you achieve it together.

Many salespeople are driven by action and sometimes long-term sales planning gets neglected in favor of short-term results.

While this may help them hit their quota, the downside is the lack of systems in place. Instead, treat sales processes as a system with steps you can improve. If reps are doing wildly different things, it’s hard to uncover what’s working and what’s not. A strategic sales plan can optimize your team’s performance and keep them on track using repeatable systems.

With this in mind, let’s explore the seven components of an effective sales plan

1. Company mission and positioning

To work toward the same company goals, everyone in your organization must understand what your organization is trying to achieve and where in the market you position yourself.

To help define your mission and positioning, involve your sales leaders in all areas of the business strategy. Collaborating and working toward the same goals is impossible if those goals are determined by only a select group of stakeholders.

Recommended reading

How to set sales goals that improve team performance (with examples)

To get a handle on the company’s mission and positioning, take the following steps:

Collaborate with marketing: Your marketing teams live and breathe the positioning of your company. Take the time to talk to each function within the department, from demand generation to performance marketing to learn what they know.

Interview customer success teams: Customer support reps speak with your existing customers every day. Interview them to find common questions and pain points.

Talk to your customers: Customer insights are a foundational part of any positioning strategy. Speak directly with existing and new customers to find out what they love about your product or service.

Read your company blog: Those in charge of content production have a strong understanding of customer needs. Check out blog articles and ebooks to familiarize yourself with customer language and common themes.

Look for mentions around the web: How are other people talking about your organization? Look for press mentions, social media posts, articles and features that mention your products and services.

These insights can provide context around how your company is currently positioned in the market.

Finally, speak with the team in charge of defining the company’s positioning. Have a list of questions and use the time to find out why they made certain decisions. Here are some examples:

What important insights from the original target audience research made you create our positioning statement?

What competitor research led us to position ourselves in this way? Does this significantly differentiate us from the crowd? How?

What core ideals and values drove us to make these promises in our positioning statement? Have they shifted in any way since we launched? If so, what motivates these promises now?

How to communicate mission and positioning

In this section of the sales plan, include the following information:

Company mission : Why your company exists and the value you’re determined to bring to the market.

Competition: Who your direct competitors (those who offer similar products and services) and indirect competitors (brands who solve the same problem in different ways) are.

Value propositions: The features, benefits and solutions your product delivers.

What is brand positioning: The ultimate guide with 4 examples

2. Goals and targets

Define your revenue goals and the other targets sales are responsible for.

As mentioned earlier, sales goals are usually aligned with business goals. Your boardroom members typically establish the company’s revenue goals and it’s your job to achieve them.

Revenue goals will shape your sales strategy. Use them to reverse engineer quotas, sales activity and the staff you need to execute them.

Break your big-picture revenue goal down further into sales targets and activity targets for your team. Activities are the specific actions you and your reps can control, while sales targets are the results provided by those activities.

9 steps to creating the perfect sales strategy (with free template)

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10 predictable revenue hacks to grow your sales

Use data on sales activity and performance from previous years to calculate sales targets. You should break this down by pipeline stage and activity conducted by reps across all functions.

For example, how many cold emails does it take to generate a deal? What is the average lifetime value (LTV) of your customer?

Breaking down these numbers allows you to accurately forecast what it will take to achieve your new revenue goal.

This part of your sales plan might include setting goals like the following:

200 total cold emails sent per day

200 total cold calls made per day

25 demos conducted per day

5 new sales appointments made a day

100 follow-up emails sent per day

Breaking down your goals into specific activities will also reveal the expertise needed for each activity and any required changes to your organizational structure, which will come into play in the next step.

How to communicate goals and targets

Within this section of the sales plan, include the following information:

Revenue goals : Reverse engineer the boardroom revenue goals to identify achievable sales goals and the number of staff needed to reach them. Sales targets : Use data on sales activity and past performance to define quotas and metrics for each stage of the sales pipeline.

Expertise needed for each activity: What qualities and attributes do your staff need to achieve these predefined activities? How much experience do they need vs. what can be learned on the job?

3. Sales organization and team structure

Identify the talent and expertise you need to achieve your goals.

For example, a marketing agency that depends on strong relationships will benefit more from a business development executive than a sales development representative (SDR) .

Use the targets established in the previous section to identify who you need to hire for your team. For example, if the average sales development rep can send 20 cold emails a day and you need to send 200 to achieve your goals, you’ll need around ten reps to hit your targets.

Include the information for each team member in a table in your sales plan. Here is an example.

Visualizing each role helps all stakeholders understand who they’re hiring and the people they’re responsible for. It allows them to collaborate on the plan and identify the critical responsibilities and qualities of their ideal candidates.

You want to avoid micromanaging , but now is a good time to ask your existing teams to report on the time spent on certain activities. Keeping a timesheet will give you an accurate forecast of how long certain activities take and the capacity of each rep.

How to communicate your sales organization and team structure

Team structure: These are the functions that make up your overall sales organization. The roles of SDR, business development and account teams must be well-defined.

Roles and responsibilities: These are the roles you need to hire, along with the tasks they’re responsible for. This will help you produce job descriptions that attract great talent.

Salary and compensation: How will the company remunerate your teams? Having competitive salaries, compensation schemes and sales incentives will attract top performers and keep them motivated.

Timeline: Attempting to hire dozens of people at once is tough. Prioritize hiring based on how critical each role is for executing your plan. Take a phased hiring approach to onboard new reps with the attention they deserve.

Building a sales team: How to set your group up for success

4. Target audience and customer segments

A sales plan is useless without knowing who to sell to. Having clearly defined customer personas and ideal customer profiles will help you tailor your selling techniques to companies and buyers.

Whether you’re looking to break into a new market or expand your reach in your current one, start by clearly defining which companies you’re looking to attract. Include the following criteria:

Industries: Which markets and niches do you serve? Are there certain sub-segments of those industries that you specialize in?

Headcount: How many employees do your best accounts have within their organization?

Funding: Have they secured one or several rounds of funding?

Find out as much as you can about their organizational challenges. This may include growth hurdles, hiring bottlenecks and even barriers created by legislation.

Learn about your buyers within those target accounts, learn about your buyers. Understanding your buyers and personalizing your sales tactics for them will help you strengthen your customer relationships.

These insights will change as your business grows. Enterprise companies may wish to revisit their personas as they move upmarket. For small businesses and startups, your target audience will evolve as you find product-market fit.

It’s important to constantly revisit this part of your sales plan. Even if your goals and methodologies are the same, always have your finger on the pulse of your customer’s priorities.

How to communicate target audience and customer segments

Profile: Include basic information about their role, what their career journey looks like and the common priorities within their personal lives.

Demographics : Add more information about their age, income and living situation. Demographic information can help tailor your message to align with the language used across different generations.

Attributes: Assess their personality. Are they calm or assertive? Do they handle direct communication themselves or have an assistant? Use these identifying attributes to communicate effectively.

Challenges: Think about the hurdles this persona is trying to overcome. How does it affect their work and what’s the impact on them personally?

Goals: Analyze how these challenges are preventing them from achieving their goals. Why are these goals important to them?

Support: Use this insight to define how your product or service will help these people overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

Behavioral segmentation: What is it and how can it drive engagement and loyalty

5. Sales strategies and methodologies

Define your sales approach. This includes the strategies, techniques and methodologies you’ll use to get your offering out to market.

This part of your sales plan may end up being the largest. It will outline every practical area of your sales strategy: your sales stages, methodologies and playbooks.

Start by mapping out each stage of your sales process. What are the steps needed to guide a prospect through your deal flow?

9 essential sales stages

Traditionally, a sales process has nine sales stages :

Prospecting and lead generation : Your marketing strategy should deliver leads, but sales reps should boost this volume with their own prospecting efforts.

Qualification: Measure those leads against your target account criteria and customer personas. Ensure they’re a good fit, prioritizing your time on high-value relationships.

Reaching out to new leads : Initiate emails to your target customers to guide new leads into the sales funnel. This outreach activity includes cold calling and direct mail.

Appointment setting: Schedule a demo, discovery call or consultation.

Defining needs: After the initial meeting, you’ll understand your prospect’s problems and how your product or service can solve them.

Presentation: Reveal the solution. This can be in the form of a proposal, custom service packages or a face-to-face sales pitch .

Negotiation: Dedicate this stage to overcoming any objections your prospect may have.

Winning the deal: Turn your prospects into customers by closing deals and signing contracts.

Referrals : Fostering loyalty is an organization-wide activity. Delight your customers and encourage them to refer their friends.

Not all of these stages will be relevant to your organization. For example, a SaaS company that relies on inbound leads may do much of the heavy lifting during the initial meeting and sales demo . On the other hand, an exclusive club whose members must meet certain criteria (say, a minimum net worth) would focus much of their sales activity on referrals.

Map out your sales process to identify the stages you use. Your sales process should look something like this:

To determine your sales methodologies, break each sales stage down into separate activities, along with the stakeholder responsible for them.

With your sales activities laid out, you can do in-depth research into the techniques and methodologies you need to execute them. For example, if you sell a complex product with lengthy sales cycles , you could adopt a SPIN selling methodology to identify pain points and craft the best solution for leads.

Finally, use these stages and methodologies to form your sales playbooks . This will help you structure your sales training plan and create playbooks your reps can go back to for guidance.

How to communicate sales strategies and methodologies

Within this section of the sales plan, include the following:

Sales stages: The different steps required to convert prospects into paying customers.

Sales methodologies: The different practices and approaches you’ll adopt to shape your sales strategy.

Sales playbooks: The tactics, techniques and sales strategy templates needed to guide contacts throughout each stage of the sales process.

6. Sales action plan

You have the “who” and the “what”. Now you must figure out “when” to execute your sales plan.

A well-structured sales action plan communicates when the team will achieve key milestones. It outlines timeframes for when they’ll complete certain projects and activities, as well as the recruitment timelines for each quarter.

The order in which you implement your sales action plan depends on your priorities. Many sales organizations prefer to front-load the activity that will make a bigger impact on the bottom line.

For example, when analyzing your current sales process and strategy, you may find your existing customers are a rich source of qualified leads . Therefore, it would make sense to nurture more of these relationships using a structured referral program.

You must also consider how recruitment will affect the workload in your team. Hire too quickly and you may end up spending more time training new reps and neglecting your existing team. However, taking too long to recruit could overload your existing team. Either can make a big impact on culture and deal flow.

To complete your sales action plan, get all stakeholders involved in deciding timelines. When applying this to your sales plan, use GANTT charts and tables to visualize projects and key milestones.

A GANTT chart shows you the main activities, their completion dates and if there are any overlaps. Here is an example:

By prioritizing each activity and goal, you can create a plan that balances short-term results with long-term investment.

How to communicate your sales action plan

Key milestones : When do you aim to complete your projects, activities and recruitment efforts? You can map them out by week, month, quarter or all of the above. Let your revenue goals and priorities lead your schedule.

Short- and long-term goal schedules: With a high-level schedule mapped out, you can see when you will achieve your goals. From here, you can shape your schedule so that it balances both short- and long-term goals.

7. Performance and results measurement

Finally, your plan must detail how you measure performance. Outline your most important sales metrics and activities, how you’ll track them and what technology you’ll need to track them.

Structure this part of your plan by breaking down each sales stage. Within these sections, list out the metrics you’ll need to ensure you’re running a healthy sales pipeline.

Performance metrics can indicate the effectiveness of your entire sales process. Your chosen metrics typically fall into two categories:

Primary metrics act as your “true north” guide. This is commonly new business revenue generated.

Secondary metrics are those that indicate how well specific areas of your sales process are performing. These include lead response time and average purchase value.

The metrics you select must closely align with your goals and sales activities. For example, at the appointment setting stage, you might measure the number of demos conducted.

Each team also needs its own sales dashboard to ensure reps are hitting their targets. Sales development reps will have different priorities from account executives, so it’s critical they have the sales tools to focus on what’s important to them.

Finally, research and evaluate the technology you’ll need to accurately measure these metrics. Good CRM software is the best system to use for bringing your data together.

How to communicate sales performance metrics

Sales stage metrics : Identify the metrics for each specific sales stage and make sure they align with your KPIs.

Chosen sales dashboard: Explain why you chose your sales dashboard technology and exactly how it works.

Performance measurement: Outline exactly how and what tech you will use to measure your team’s activities and metrics.

How to track, measure and improve your team’s sales performance

Developing a sales plan involves conducting market research, assessing current sales performance , identifying sales opportunities and challenges, setting measurable goals, creating a sales strategy, allocating resources and establishing a monitoring and evaluation framework.

To write a sales business plan, include:

An executive summary

A company overview

A market analysis

A target market description

Sales strategies and tactics

Financial projections

A budget and timeline

Make sure that you clearly articulate your value proposition, competitive advantage and growth strategies.

Final thoughts

An effective sales plan is an invaluable asset for your sales team . Although you now know how to create a sales plan, you should remember to make one that works for your team. Writing one helps with your sales strategy planning and aids you in defining targets, metrics and processes. Distributing the sales plan helps your reps understand what you expect of them and how they can reach their goals.

Providing supportive, comprehensive resources is the best way to motivate your team and inspire hard work. When you do the work to build a solid foundation, you equip your reps with everything they need to succeed.

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Free Marketing Plan Examples: Real-World Samples & Templates

By Joe Weller | April 27, 2024

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A  marketing plan  is a comprehensive document that outlines a company’s marketing strategy and tactics, and ensures that its marketing goals align with its overall objectives. Effective marketing plans include detailed analysis of the market along with roadmaps for upcoming campaigns. Inside this article, you’ll find the  elements of a marketing plan , 10 real-world examples of marketing plans with commentary from experienced marketing professionals, free marketing plan templates and samples , and a  chart to help you determine which template suits your needs .

Marketing Plan Elements

Typical marketing plans begin with an executive summary and include audience demographics, company objectives, situational analysis of the business, and marketing strategies and tactics. Market research and analysis provide campaign direction, and the budget and timeline offer practical parameters. A marketing plan can provide an overview of all strategies and campaigns to be executed in a certain time frame, or it can focus on a specific product, channel, or strategy. The level of detail and the sections included might vary, depending on the organization’s needs. The nine main elements of a marketing plan are:  

Executive Summary and Mission Statement:  A concise, high-level summary conveys the purpose of your marketing plan, introduces key strategies and research insights, and highlights the most important takeaways for stakeholders. For example, an executive summary might outline your brand’s identity, its place within the competitive landscape, and the major opportunities that upcoming marketing campaigns will target. Longer plans might include a separate mission statement or vision statement to align marketing efforts with your company’s larger goals. Discover more  examples of executive summaries with templates to help you write one effectively.  

Situational Analysis:  One of the most crucial elements of your marketing plan, a situational analysis is an assessment of the internal and external factors affecting a business’s performance. It should include research-based insights into market trends and dynamics, customer demographics and pain points, and internal resources.  A strong situational analysis often includes a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis, which provides a foundation for an effective marketing strategy. Learn more about  how to perform a SWOT analysis .  

Competitive Analysis:  Understanding the competition is key to developing a compelling marketing plan. This analysis should consider recent marketing campaigns from similar brands to identify successful ways to reach a shared target audience. Being aware of the competitive landscape can also help your business develop a unique selling proposition and stand out in the market. The competitive analysis might be included in the larger situational analysis, or it might be a stand-alone section. For example, a marketing plan could include data on how competitors rank on keywords, or it could evaluate the performance of competitors’ recent social media campaigns. One common framework for understanding market dynamics is a Porter’s five forces analysis, which identifies the forces that contribute to industry rivals. Learn how to evaluate the competitive landscape with  free industry analysis templates .  

Target Audience: In order to implement marketing strategies that engage consumers and drive conversions, businesses need to know who their audience is, what they want, and how they behave. A marketing plan should define a specific, segmented target audience with demographic, geographical, psychographic, and behavioral data.  This section often includes customer profiles or buyer personas — fictionalized representations of ideal customers or audience segments — which help marketers typify consumer behaviors. These profiles should include media habits and most-used platforms to ensure that your marketing plan selects the right channels for each campaign. Learn how to analyze your target market with  free customer profile templates .  

Goals and Objectives:  Marketing plans typically include both long-term goals, which provide broad direction for the company’s marketing strategy, and short-term objectives, which focus on more immediate tactics and campaigns. Goals should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) and include corresponding key performance indicators (KPIs).  The goals and objectives in a marketing plan often focus on conversions, market share, brand awareness, or engagement. Clearly defined goals ensure strategically aligned marketing initiatives with measurable results. Take a look at  real-world examples of SMART goals for more insights.  

Marketing Strategy:  This section of a marketing plan details the business’s unique value proposition and the channels that will communicate it. A robust marketing strategy addresses the touchpoints in a consumer’s buying cycle and breaks down the 4 Ps (product, price, place, promotion) of the marketing mix. Channels might include digital marketing, advertisements, social media, and influencer partnerships. To develop an overarching marketing strategy, consider using a  marketing strategy template . To learn more about the 4 Ps, read this  product marketing guide .  

Tactics and Action Plan:  A marketing plan is not an abstract strategy document, but a concrete roadmap for executing specific campaigns with specific tactics. Your plan should detail the messaging for each campaign and the corresponding methods for communication — such as email newsletters, social content, targeted ads, and public relations.  This section provides KPIs and actionable steps such as resource allocation, deliverables, and distribution plans. It might also include the expected outcome for each campaign. To plan individual campaigns, consider using a  marketing project plan template .  

Budget:  Marketing expenses might include the cost of advertising, content creation, website maintenance, or promotional materials; no marketing plan is complete without a budget that breaks down the costs of such initiatives. A clear, comprehensive budget ensures that marketing efforts are financially feasible and resources can be allocated for maximum impact. The budget also enables the marketing team to track the return on investment (ROI) of each campaign. To create a comprehensive budget, try our  free marketing budget templates .    

Timeline:  Finally, a marketing plan includes a clear schedule for implementing its initiatives and tactics. This timeline details the start and end dates of each campaign, deadlines for deliverables, and key events or milestones. It keeps the marketing team aligned and initiatives on track, ensuring that marketing objectives can be achieved within the set time frame. Organize dates and deadlines with the help of a  marketing timeline template .  

Marketing Plan Examples

Real-world marketing plans show how businesses utilize effective planning documents. These 10 examples from various industries exhibit unique strengths and weaknesses. With insightful commentary from marketing experts, these plans offer practical takeaways any marketer can use.  

Delmarva and the Ground for Change This  in-depth marketing plan for a documentary produced by the USDA Northeast Climate Hub includes audience profiles, competitive analysis, and a distribution plan. Along with a detailed breakdown of its digital marketing strategy, it considers how different tactics will affect the viewer’s content journey.   

John Dinsmore , a marketing consultant and professor at Wright State University, praises this plan for its attractive design and thoughtful, thorough content: “They do a nice job of extrapolating on who the target market is and tying their tactics to achieving specific goals.”  He appreciates the inclusion of a SWOT analysis, but feels it could be done more effectively. “‘Opportunities’ is not a place for business ideas. It’s a place to identify external, positive trends that can help your initiative. In this context, an opportunity could be ‘Rising concern for and awareness of climate issues.’ Similarly, ‘threats’ is not a place to list things that are difficult. It’s for negative external trends such as ‘Increased skepticism over ability to combat climate change.’” 

Dekker Fraser , former Global Marketing Manager at Sony PlayStation, adds that this plan includes a strong focus on collaborations with media and influencers: “Many marketing plans place too much emphasis on target customers and not enough on target collaborators.”  

Minnesota Tourism This  marketing plan by Explore Minnesota , the state’s Department of Tourism, showcases Minnesota’s beauty with vivid imagery. It uses a variety of demographic information to identify priority audience segments and includes well-designed infographics that analyze audience and competition. As a result, the campaigns are clearly targeted at specific audiences and objectives. 

John Rarrick , Head of Marketing at Movius Corp., admires the strength of the message behind the strategy. “This plan has a very well-developed ‘why,’” he says. “You’ll see that often when the plan is to repair or save something that has undergone a time of great loss — such as a loss of revenue or reputation. The audience personas, goals, tactics, and budget are all detailed and measurable.” 

Gold Coast Transit District  

A  short, high-level marketing plan for Gold Coast Transit highlights key campaigns and includes the most important details, such as timelines, budgets, and tactics. It begins with a bulleted overview of the most important takeaways and takes into account general marketing efforts that don’t fit under a specific campaign umbrella. Fraser notes that this plan includes year-round marketing initiatives, with an effective “emphasis on strong offers, such as youth-free fares.” However, he points out that its brand awareness goals could be more specific. “Instead, use context-specific awareness goals such as ‘When commuting to work, residents first think of Gold Coast Transit’ or ‘When coming home from the library at night, I think of taking the bus,’” he says. “In other words, peg awareness to specific category-entry points.”  

University of Arizona College of Engineering This  marketing, branding, and communications plan for the University of Arizona College of Engineering sets out a long-term vision, high-level goals, and strategies for achieving these goals. It has a section for methodology — including promotional videos and email newsletters — and segments its audience to align with its strategies. This plan “demonstrates a clearly defined audience,” according to Rarrick. That said, not every section of the plan includes the same level of specificity. “The KPIs are vague,” he adds. “I would expect to see something more measurable, rather than ‘increase’ or ‘improve.’” 

Timberland Regional Library This  library's two-year marketing plan sets initiatives in motion with a clear schedule for action. It includes both promotional and production calendars for effective planning, which is especially important for campaigns pegged to external events.  Dinsmore cites this plan’s “professional and elegant graphic design” as a strength. It also offers a roadmap for tackling several marketing campaigns on different timelines. However, he suggests that the plan needs more measurable goals and defined strategies. “There’s no overarching strategy that ties all of these tactics and initiatives together,” he says. “It’s just a laundry list of dates and actions.” 

Safe Haven Family Shelter Nonprofit organizations need creative marketing strategies to reach their targets and use funds efficiently. With specific objectives and actionable steps, this  marketing plan for Safe Haven Family Shelter delineates high-level goals and details the path to achieving them. It identifies the roles and responsibilities of individual team members to ensure alignment. Rarrick commends this plan for its “clearly defined audience and very clearly defined goals.” The plan showcases the differences between strategic business goals and measurable marketing objectives.  

Visit Myrtle Beach This  destination marketing plan by the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Chamber of Commerce  incorporates detailed information about target markets, audience personas, and key behaviors. It includes an infographic that illuminates the touchpoints in a traveler’s journey and shows the marketing team how each tactic contributes to conversions.  Overall, Dinsmore praises this plan as a “very smart and thoughtful presentation.” It outlines a distinct media mix for each target audience, defines its objectives clearly, and ties these objectives to success metrics. He continues, “I want to thank the Myrtle Beach folks for planning to measure their efforts. Measurement is often anathema to marketing people, but if you’re not measuring, you don’t know how to improve.”  With so much information to cover, the plan would benefit from an executive summary to introduce key takeaways. “The bigger the scope, the harder it is to make everything feel connected, and that’s a bit of an issue with this plan,” Dinsmore adds.  

Tropical Avocados This  example of a no-frills plan was commissioned by the nonprofit Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC) to help brand and launch tropical avocados in the U.S. market. It shows the importance of making branding decisions backed by market and consumer research. A detailed SWOT analysis and competitive analysis provide essential insights that enable the company to determine the best unique selling proposition.  A key strength of this plan is its detailed research into its audience. Fraser cites its “excellent identification of consumer objections — e.g., concern over how natural the avocado size is — and consumer behavior.” As a result, the brand can adopt effective messaging in its marketing campaigns. As with USDA Northeast Climate Hub’s Delmarva and the Ground for Change documentary, “target collaborators — e.g., food writers, organizations, and chefs — are included in the target audience. Collaborators are often more critical to the marketing plan than the consumers themselves,” Fraser adds.  

Rochelle Community Hospital This  case study of Rochelle Community Hospital in Rochelle, Illinois, shows how a targeted marketing plan can be used to achieve significant results. The report by Legato Healthcare Marketing showcases the importance of reevaluating an existing marketing strategy — in this case, shifting the emphasis from print to digital. External marketing agencies often have more tools at their disposal, particularly if the business has not had a strong digital presence. With targeted ads and website updates, the agency employed tactics with direct metrics in order to track its impact.   

Visit Concord This  example from the Concord Tourism Improvement District marketing plan is concise and includes streamlined insights on the audience and market. It details each marketing channel with specific tactics and measurable KPIs.  The overall strategy, according to Fraser, offers “an excellent emphasis on social proof and word-of-mouth marketing,” as well as a “good balance of awareness and activation marketing.” In order to improve, he suggests, “the plan should factor in the following critical quantitative factors to help drive the media strategy: reach, frequency, and the total-addressable market.” 

Marketing Plan Templates

Using a template takes the guesswork out of organizing a marketing plan document. These customizable templates include essential elements and options for specific industries or marketing channels, and they range from one-page plans to comprehensive, presentation-ready reports.

Microsoft Word Simple Marketing Plan Template

Download the Simple Marketing Plan Example Template for Microsoft Word Download the Blank Simple Marketing Plan Template for Microsoft Word

This example of a simple, customizable plan focuses on key strategies and prioritizes readability. This one-page marketing plan template includes space to summarize marketing strategy and overarching business objectives, along with an action plan to highlight responsibilities and deadlines.

Microsoft Word Annual Marketing Plan Template

Download the Annual Marketing Plan Example Template for Microsoft Word Download the Blank Annual Marketing Plan Template for Microsoft Word  

This comprehensive marketing plan template includes a number of key sections — such as goals, target market, marketing channels, and performance standards — that can be customized to suit a variety of businesses. In the situational analysis, you can find space for both a 5C (company, collaborators, customers, competitors, climate) analysis and a SWOT analysis. The blank template begins with a table of contents, a business summary, and a mission statement to allow for easy readability. The sample focuses on marketing strategies for one fiscal year, but you can modify this plan for any time period. 

Microsoft Word Small Business Marketing Plan Template

Download the Small Business Marketing Plan Example Template for Microsoft Word Download the Blank Small Business Marketing Plan Template for Microsoft Word

A strong marketing plan is essential for small businesses looking to stand out from larger competitors. This small business marketing plan template provides an outline for a detailed marketing strategy, including a unique selling proposition, the 4Ps marketing mix, and marketing channels. It builds its strategy on situational analysis and identification of the business’s core capabilities. Find  more marketing plan templates  for different industries.

Microsoft Word Nonprofit Marketing Plan Template

Download the Nonprofit Marketing Plan Example Template for Microsoft Word Download the Blank Nonprofit Marketing Plan Template for Microsoft Word

This example marketing plan for a nonprofit incorporates information on the funding climate into its situational analysis, as well as a detailed organizational summary. With sections for short- and long-term goals, marketing strategies and channels, and stakeholder profiles, the template is comprehensive and customizable. Find  more nonprofit marketing plan templates here .

Excel Product Marketing Plan Template

Download the Product Marketing Plan Example Template for Excel Download the Blank Product Marketing Plan Template for Excel

When integrating a new product into existing marketing strategies, it’s important to take into account all the elements of the marketing mix. This product marketing plan template is organized by product, price, place, promotion, process, people, and physical evidence. In these sections, you can find space to consider market research, consumer behaviors, and marketing channels.

Excel Social Media Marketing Plan Template

Download the Social Media Marketing Plan Example Template for Excel Download the Blank Social Media Marketing Plan Template for Excel

For planning specific campaigns, this social media marketing action plan template begins with the campaign goal, highlights important promo dates, and separates actions by platform. It’s useful for executing targeted social media campaigns within a larger marketing strategy. Find  more marketing action plan templates here .

Excel Digital Marketing Plan Template

Download the Digital Marketing Plan Example Template for Excel Download the Blank Digital Marketing Plan Template for Excel

Focusing on digital marketing channels is an effective way to organize strategies into a streamlined and actionable plan. This strategic digital marketing template highlights important audience behaviors and access channels to ensure messaging reaches consumers. Customizable for a variety of digital marketing projects, the template includes space for keywords, goals, and tasks. Find  more digital marketing plan templates here .

Which Marketing Plan Format Is Right for You?

To choose the right marketing plan format for your needs, consider the plan’s role in your marketing strategy. Do you need a comprehensive plan to provide an overview of tactics that will take place over a long period of time? Or are you looking for a plan to focus on specific channels, campaigns, or product launches? 

Each template in this article offers space to detail market research, strategies, and access channels. The longer plans include more sections for in-depth situational analysis and audience demographics, while the shorter plans focus on the marketing mix and action plan. This chart highlights the key elements of each marketing plan:  

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Strategic Sales Plan Examples: 13 Sales Plan Templates

Casey O'Connor

What Is a Strategic Sales Plan?

When you should implement a strategic sales plan, what to include in your sales plan, 13 sales plan template examples, put your sales plan into action with yesware.

A strategic sales plan is a must-have for any business looking to increase their sales, amp up their revenue, bring a new product to market, or branch into a new territory.

In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about strategic sales plans: what they are, when to create one, and exactly what they need to include. We’ll also show you a handful of real-life, tangible sales plan template examples and tips for implementation. 

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• When You Should Implement a Strategic Sales Plan 

A strategic sales plan is designed to guide a sales organization through their overarching sales strategy. It provides them with access to the resources needed to prospect, pitch to, and close new accounts.

Strategic sales plans can include any combination of the following:

• Ideas: If you utilize a certain sales methodology — consultative selling or target account selling , for example — you might outline its key principles and a few tactical examples of it in action in your strategic sales plan. Your strategic sales plan should also include an overview of your target customer.
• Processes: In order for your sales team to reach maximum productivity, it’s important that your sales processes are clearly defined and standardized. Your sales team — both new hires and seasoned vets alike — should be able to refer to your sales plan for a repeatable, scalable process that’s backed by solid metrics. The processes should provide direction to sales reps that allow them to contribute to the company’s goals.
• Tools & Tactics: The best strategic sales plans are more than just high-level strategy and goals. They also include specific, step-by-step strategies that sales reps can implement in sales conversations, as well as the specific tools and content that reps need to close more deals.

Sales plans also typically spell out the organization’s revenue and overall business goals, as well as the KPIs and benchmarks that sales managers and other stakeholders will monitor to determine whether or not those goals are being met.

They should also outline management’s strategic territory design and quota expectations, with specific indicators and data to back those decisions. 

Finally, these sales plans should take into account your current team’s sales capacity and specifically address the acquisition plan for any resources that are not yet available but may be necessary for future growth.

If your sales team doesn’t already have a strategic sales plan in place — that is, one that’s referenced and updated regularly and the product of careful data analysis and inter-team collaboration — you may want to consider creating one. 

Research shows that the majority of the highest-performing sales teams operate under a formalized, closely monitored sales structure. 

On the other hand, most underperforming sales teams lack this structure. 

It’s clear that a well-defined sales plan is one of the prerequisites to optimized sales productivity and success; every salesforce should strive to create and adopt one if they want to meet their sales goals more efficiently.

That being said, there are a few key indicators that signal a need for more urgency in putting a strategic sales plan in place. 

You’re Trying to Increase Sales

A strategic sales plan will help your sales and marketing teams align their processes so that your outreach efforts are tailored to your target audience. 

You’re Looking to Amp Up Your Revenue

For startups and small businesses, attaining as many new customers as possible is usually the name of the game.

For larger or more established businesses, however, the business plan may instead emphasize revenue goals. In other words, the deal size starts to matter much more than deal volume. 

A sales strategy plan can help salespeople target and nurture higher-value accounts. Sales planning can also boost your revenue by illuminating untapped potentials for revenue growth within your existing customer base through cross-selling, upselling , and referrals .

You’re Gearing Up to Launch a New Product

A sales strategy plan is crucial for businesses that are preparing to bring a new product to market.

One last note: for businesses that already use strategic business planning (or for those on their way after reading this article), be sure to update your plan at least yearly. Many businesses at least review their plan, if not update it more formally, on a quarterly basis.

Ultimately, your strategic sales plan will be unique to your company and its specific goals.

Consider including the following components in your strategic business plan. 

Mission Statement

Industry & Market Conditions

Great sales planning cannot be performed in isolation. Your plan must take into account the current market conditions, including any challenges, recent disruptions, or upcoming notable events.

Organization Chart

A sales org chart can range in scope from very simple, like the one above, to more complicated. Some go as far as naming individual employees and outlining their specific responsibilities. 

A detailed org chart is especially helpful for efficiently onboarding new hires.

Product Info & Pricing

No sales plan would be complete without a one-sheet that outlines the features, benefits, and value proposition of your product or service.

It’s also helpful to include information about pricing tiers, as well as any discounts or promotions available for leverage at a sales rep’s discretion.

Compensation Plan

While we have no doubt that you’ve hired only the most intrinsically motivated salespeople, remember the bottom line: cash is king.

Money is the primary motivator for most salespeople, regardless of how truly loyal and hard-working they may be.

With that in mind, it’s a good idea to include your company’s compensation plan and commission structure in your sales plan. This is a surefire way to motivate your team to continuously improve their sales performance. 

Target Market & Customer

Sales Enablement

With the tremendous rise in content marketing, it can be challenging for salespeople to keep track of the various materials available for generating new business.

Branding & Positioning

The strategic sales plan should offer at least a high-level overview of your brand and messaging specifics, including social media presence. Take the time to optimize your company’s LinkedIn presence — it’s a goldmine of new business opportunities.

Marketing Strategy

In today’s day and age, it’s unlikely that your sales and marketing team are working in isolation from one another. At a certain point, sales and marketing strategies start to flow together until they (ideally) perform in harmony.

Still, it’s important to outline the perspective of the marketing team within your strategic sales plan. This will help your salespeople fine-tune their sales pitch and speak more meaningfully to the needs of the customer. 

Prospecting Strategy

Most salespeople report that their number one challenge in lead generation is attracting qualified leads. 

Prospecting can certainly be daunting, but it’s worth the effort to get it right. Tweak and fine-tune the process until you’re sure it’s as efficient as possible. Make sure it’s repeatable and scalable, and map it out within your sales plan. 

Action Plan

Any good strategic sales plan will also include a step-by-step section, much like a playbook. Here, you’ll outline the specific tactics and processes — including scripts, demos, and email templates — that have been proven to move prospects through the sales funnel . 

Be as specific as possible here. This will act as a blueprint for the day-to-day sales activities for your team.

It can be tempting to leave the numbers with the finance department, but financial transparency can go a long way in creating a culture of trust among your sales team.

You don’t need to go through every line item in the spreadsheet, but it’s not a bad idea to include a high-level look at where the dollars are flowing. 

KPIs, Metrics, and Benchmarks

Be sure to give your team a snapshot of how they’re currently performing, with real numbers to back it up.

By doing so, you help them self-initiate regular SWOT analysis of their own sales actions and processes. This will give them an opportunity to right the course if things aren’t going according to plan. 

Tip: Looking to fuel your sales plan with data-backed findings? Grab our free ebook below.

Remember that your company’s strategic sales plan will be highly unique. It may take some time and tweaking to find the components and format that best meet the needs of your business.

Here are 13 sales plan templates to help you get started.

1. Product Launch Plan Template

Sales and marketing teams create a product launch plan when they’re preparing to launch a new product. 

A product launch plan should include your product’s positioning statement , a SWOT competitive analysis, detailed market analysis, sales strategies and tactics, and details about the target market. 

2. Ideal Customer Profile Template

One way to avoid wasting time on unproductive leads is to include an ideal customer profile (ICP) in your sales plan. Here’s a sample : 

This will help ensure your prospecting campaigns are targeted and attract only the most qualified leads from the get-go. 

3. Microsoft Word Sales Plan Template

Here’s a great example of a sales plan goals template , easily accessible through Microsoft Word. 

4. 30-60-90 Day Sales Plan Template

5. Buyer’s Guide Template

A buyer’s guide is a short, simple information sheet that describes your product or service, its features and benefits, and its use. Below is an example of a buyer’s guide from Wayfair . 

In many cases, this document is as useful internally as it is for the customer. 

6. Marketing Alignment Sales Plan Template

If your company hasn’t already formally aligned sales and marketing, start with this type of sales plan template (basic example below), as most traditional sales plans already assume that these two teams collaborate regularly. 

One key component of a marketing alignment sales plan template is the presence of an ideal customer profile and buyer personas. 

The marketing alignment sales plan template should also focus on cohesive, on-brand messaging between marketing campaigns and sales conversations . 

This type of sales plan template helps keep everyone on the same page, increases efficiency, and improves sales effectiveness. 

7. Battle Card Template

8. Territory Design Template

Well-designed sales territories see a 10% – 20% increase in sales productivity. Be low is a basic example of a territory design map.

9. Market Expansion Plan Template

A market expansion plan outlines the strategies, tactics, metrics, resources, and more that teams will use when expanding into a new market or (more commonly) a new geographical territory. 

Market expansion plans also need to include details about distribution expenses and timelines, time zone variations, industry notes or important compliance information, local/cultural expectations and laws, and sometimes more. 

10. Compensation Plan Template

Your compensation plan (including a specific commission structure) is one way to motivate your sales reps.

While it may seem controversial or sensitive, the compensation plan is an important component of a strategic sale plan.

11. Sales Funnel Template

The sales funnel is a visual representation of the sales process. 

12. Marketing Plan Template

Your salespeople should be extremely familiar with the marketing strategies your company is using to attract new leads. Here’s a great example of a template you can use in your sales plan that outlines the different campaigns at work.

This kind of resource will help your reps know who to contact, when, and with what kind of content throughout the sales cycle .

13. B2B Sales Strategy Template

A B2B sales strategy template helps sales teams outline their goals, as well as the specific methodologies and tactics they will use to achieve them. Here’s an example :

The B2B sales strategy plan will vary widely depending on your team’s specific goals and strategies, but most teams include at least the categories highlighted in the template above. 

Yesware is the all-in-one sales toolkit that helps you win more business. It can be an invaluable resource for putting your sales plan into action in a way that’s streamlined, productive, and intuitive.

Communication

Yesware’s meeting scheduler tool helps you skip the back-and-forth when scheduling meetings.

Meeting Scheduler integrates with your Outlook or Gmail calendar and helps your clients automatically schedule meetings with you during times of availability. New events will automatically sync to your calendar. 

​ It can also create meeting types for common calls, like a 30-minute intro call or a 60-minute demo call. These templates can be automatically saved and generated with custom descriptions and agendas so everyone can come prepared. 

Prospecting

One of Yesware’s most popular features is its prospecting campaigns .

This feature enables salespeople to create automated, personalized campaigns with multi-channel touches. 

The tool tracks communication and engagement throughout the process and helps move prospects through the pipeline with little administrative effort from the sales team.

Yesware’s attachment tracking feature helps you find your winning content by tracking which attachments are most often opened and read by your prospects.

You can use these insights to sharpen your content and increase your engagement.

The reporting and analytics tools are also extremely valuable in optimizing your sales plan.  These reports enable salespeople to use data to win more business. The feature generates daily activity, engagement data, and outcomes to show you what is/isn’t working across the board.

Try Yesware for free to see how it can help your team carry out your sales plan today.

This guide was updated on March 6, 2024.

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10 Free Sales Plan Templates in Word, Excel, & ClickUp

Praburam Srinivasan

Growth Marketing Manager

August 12, 2024

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Every sales team wants to win more leads and close more deals. But how do you make that happen? With a solid sales plan, of course!

A sales plan gives your team a way to focus on your goals while taking only the necessary steps to get there. It has everything you need to win, which means it’s often a comprehensive guide—and that takes time.

And we’re guessing you’re already pressed for time. ⏲️

Fortunately, creating a plan doesn’t have to be complicated—with the right template, you can simplify the process.

That’s why we’re sharing this list of the best sales plan templates. Not only are these sales strategy templates absolutely free but they’ll also save you time so you can start closing those deals faster. ⚡

What Is a Sales Plan and Why Create One?

1. clickup sales plan template, 2. clickup sales and marketing plan template, 3. clickup sales strategy guide template, 4. clickup sales pipeline template, 5. clickup sales kpi template, 6. clickup b2b sales strategy template, 7. clickup sales calls template, 8. word sales plan template by business news daily, 9. word sales plan template by templatelab, 10. excel sales plan template by spreadsheet.com.

A sales plan is your roadmap for how to make sales effectively. Think of it in the same way that a business plan guides the strategy for your company or a marketing plan sets out how you’ll find, reach, and serve your ideal customers.

A good sales plan sets out your sales goals , objectives, and sales activities. It considers your target audience, brand, products, services, and needs—and covers which sales tactics and strategies you’ll use to close deals, as well as which metrics you’ll use to measure success.

Your sales plan is a practical plan that outlines who’s responsible for what, the resources you’ll need, and the overall goals you’re working toward. Without one, your sales team will feel lost and struggle to connect with your customer base.

With a strategic sales plan, though, the sales manager and the entire team will know exactly what you’re trying to achieve and the steps needed to get there. 📚

How to choose the best sales plan template

There are so many different sales plan templates out there. Some are designed for specific niche audiences, while others are more generic and easier to customize. How do you know which is the right template for you?

When you’re thinking about using a sales plan template, consider the following:

• Ease of use: Is the template easy to use? Will everyone in the team structure and sales planning process be able to understand it fully?
• Customization: Can I personalize the template to match my sales goals?

• Sales Collaboration : Can my sales team work on this template together?
• Integrations: When I create a sales plan, can I integrate this template with other aspects of my sales pipeline or workflow, like task management?
• Artificial intelligence: Can I use a built-in AI writing tool or copywriting tool to help me complete the template? Are there sales automation features that speed up the process?
• Platform: Which sales app is this template for? Do I have it already, or should I invest in it? What’s the pricing like?

Asking yourself these questions will help you figure out what your needs are, so you can then choose a template to match.

Now that you have a better idea of what you’re looking for, let’s explore what’s out there. Take a look at our hand-picked selection of the best sales plan templates available today for Microsoft Word and sales enablement tools like ClickUp.

Smart sales teams use a sales plan to map out their route to success. The best sales teams use the Sales Plan Template by ClickUp to simplify the process and ensure they don’t leave anything out.

This template is designed with all the structure you need to create a comprehensive sales plan that can drive results. Use this template to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) business goals; plan strategies and tactics; and organize all your sales ideas in one place.

The list-style template is split into sections that cover the executive summary all the way through to specific tactics and strategies. Beneath this, you can arrange tasks and subtasks, and see the progress at a glance. View task titles, deadlines, who’s responsible, approval status, and a visual progress bar.

Use this template if you want to consolidate all your sales tasks and initiatives in one area. Add your sales tasks and tactics, then tag team members so you can see what’s happening and hold everyone accountable. ✅

While sales and marketing teams often work independently, sometimes it’s useful to collaborate on shared goals. With the Sales and Marketing Plan Template by ClickUp , you can organize and run your sales and operations from one location.

Our collaborative template makes it easy to set sales and marketing goals and objectives, visualize your tasks, work together on sales and marketing campaigns, and track your results in real-time. View the status of your sales and marketing projects, adjust your plans, and monitor your key performance indicators (KPIs)—all from one view.

This sales and marketing plan template allows you to split your tasks into sections. The examples in the template include revenue goals, competitive analysis, and action items, but you can customize these to match your needs exactly.

View tasks beneath these categories to see at a glance whether there are any roadblocks when a task is due, and who is responsible for it.

Add this template to your collection if you want to work more collaboratively with your marketing team—especially on preparing assets for sales calls or outreach programs. 📞

Before you can plan your sales tactics, you first need to decide what your overall goals are. The Sales Strategy Guide Template by ClickUp is your go-to resource for determining your approach.

This sales process template explains the benefits of having a well-defined approach and gives you a central place to create, review, and store your own. Everyone on your team can then access your sales strategy guide to help them understand what to do when prospecting and closing deals.

Our sales goals and strategy guide template is presented in a document format. Some sections and headings allow you to split your guide into different areas, making it easier to read and understand.

Use the prompts to fill out your own strategy guide details like your target market, sales strategies, and how you’ll monitor progress.

Use this sales strategy guide template to create a resource for your team. Make it the only destination for everything your sales reps need to know to execute an effective sales plan. 📝

Sales strategies are a must-have for any great sales team, but beyond that, you need a way to record and monitor specific tasks or initiatives. That’s where the Sales Pipeline Template by ClickUp comes in handy whether you need a visual into sales forecasting or your specific sales goals.

This sales pipeline template gives you one place to store all your daily sales-related tasks. With this template, it’s easy to work toward your sales goals, track leads, map out each step of the sales process, and organize all your tasks in one place.

You can view a task’s title, assignee, status, due date, complexity level, start date, and department—or customize the experience with your own custom fields.

With ClickUp’s Sales KPI Template , you and your team can create and manage goals surrounding your sales initiatives. See instantly what’s in progress and when it’s due, alongside the task’s impact level.

This allows you to identify high-priority tasks to focus on and to react quickly if it looks like there’s a roadblock.

This sales KPI template includes:

• Custom Statuses: Create tasks with custom statuses such as Open and Complete to keep track of the progress of each KPI
• Custom Fields: Utilize 15 different custom attributes such as Upsell Attempts, Value of Quotes, Product Cost, No of Quotes by Unit, Repeat Sales Revenue, to save vital KPI information and easily visualize performance data
• Custom Views: Open 4 different views in different ClickUp configurations, such as the Weekly Report, Monthly Report, Revenue Board per Month, and Getting Started Guide so that all the information is easy to access and organized
• Project Management: Improve KPI tracking with tagging, dependency warnings, emails, and more

This template gives you a simple way to see which tasks are complete or in progress, so you can monitor the progress of your project and crush your sales KPIs. 📈

While there’s not a huge difference in the way we market to business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) customers these days, it’s still useful to have specific templates for niche needs. If you’re driving sales in the B2B space, you need the B2B Sales Strategy Template by ClickUp .

Like our first sales plan template, this one gives you space to communicate your sales objectives and revenue targets, but it also introduces other areas—like market research, stakeholder analysis, customer relationships, buyer persona, and customer pain points.

This document-style template is highly customizable so you can make it match your brand style and sales approach. Fill in each section and use the supplied prompts to complete your B2B sales strategy document even faster.

Add this template to your collection if you’re working in B2B sales and want to approach your process in a more organized way. Use the template to build a strong sales strategy, then share it with the rest of your sales team so they know how to execute against your sales and company goals. 🎯

ClickUp’s Sales Calls Template is designed to streamline the sales process, from tracking contacts and calls to managing sales opportunities.

The template includes custom statuses for creating unique workflows, ensuring that every call and client interaction is accounted for. It also provides an easy-to-use Sales CRM to manage and track leads, visualize sales opportunities in the sales funnel, and keep all contacts organized.

With additional features like the Sales Phone Calls SOP Template, sales professionals can empower their teams to make every call count and close more deals. ClickUp’s Sales Calls Template is a versatile solution for sales teams, aiding in everything from daily calls to long-term sales forecasting.

We’re big advocates of using ClickUp as the go-to place to store everything about your sales workflow, but if you’re limited to using Microsoft Word or Google Docs, then this template is a great option.

This sales business plan template has sections for your executive summary, mission statement, target customers, sales targets, benchmarks, and more. Each section has useful prompts to guide you on completing your new sales plan.

Use this template if you’re tied to using Microsoft Word and want a comprehensive guide on how to create your own sales plan or sales strategy. 📄

If you want a free sales plan template or want to choose from a variety of options, this collection of Word templates by TemplateLab is a good place to do that.

There’s a wide range of options available including sales process plans, lead generation plans, sales action plans, and sales report templates . Each template works with Microsoft Word, and you can customize the look and feel to match your brand or your sales goals.

Use this resource if you prefer to see a range of templates on one page, or if you’re not sure exactly what you’re looking for until you see it. You can easily set your sales goals and the action steps needed to achieve them. 📃

Successful sales strategies need to be integrated with other teams—like your marketing department—to ensure your sales objectives are clear and possibly align with the overall marketing strategy too. Choose your specific sales goals, set revenue targets, and describe everything in detail with these Word sales planning and sales process templates.

The Excel Sales Plan Template by Spreadsheet.com is a comprehensive and user-friendly tool designed to assist businesses in developing effective sales strategies and managing their sales activities.

T his template is crafted with the aim of providing a structured framework for sales planning, enabling organizations to set clear objectives, track performance, and optimize their sales processes.

Types of Sales Strategies

It’s essential to know that there isn’t a single ‘best’ strategy that will work for every business or every sales team. It all depends on your business goals, the nature of your product or service, your audience demographics, and various other factors. Here’s an overview of some of the most common types of sales strategies that you may consider incorporating into your sales plan:

Solution Selling: This strategy involves identifying a problem that your prospective customer is experiencing and positioning your product or service as the best solution. This requires a deep understanding of your customers’ pain points and how your offerings can address those issues.

Value Selling: Value selling is a strategy often used in B2B sales where the focus is on communicating the overall value that a product or service brings to a customer’s business. It involves demonstrating how features and benefits translate to significant returns on investment, savings, or productivity gains for your customer.

Social Selling: With the prevalence of social media platforms in today’s business landscape, social selling has become highly effective. It involves using social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook to find and engage with potential customers. By providing useful content, answering questions, and engaging in conversations, salespeople can build relationships and generate leads.

Inbound Selling: Inbound selling puts the customer first. It’s a sales methodology that focuses on personalizing the sales experience based on where the buyer is in their journey. This strategy aligns sales efforts with buyer needs to provide solutions that are the best fit for their individual challenges.

Consultative Selling: This strategy involves acting as a trusted adviser to potential customers. The focus is on building relationships, understanding the needs and problems of the customer, and then recommending solutions. It’s more about dialogue and less about pitching.

Account-Based Selling : Account-based selling is a strategic approach that treats individual accounts as markets of their own. It involves crafting personalized buying experiences that cater to the unique needs and challenges of high-value accounts.

Each of these sales strategies can bring efficiency and effectiveness to your sales process. However, the key to success is understanding and selecting which strategy aligns best with your business model and customer base. Then, incorporate it into your sales plan and support it with the right sales plan template.

Sales Planning Tips and Strategies

Planning is a crucial aspect for a successful sales strategy. Here are some valuable tips and strategies to boost your sales planning process:

1. Set Clear Objectives: Clearly outline what you want to achieve. Your objectives are your guiding light, providing a direction for your sales planning. These objectives should align with broader business goals.

2. Understand Your Audience: Research extensively about your target audience. Understand their needs, desires, and pain points. The more you know about your potential customers, the better you’ll be able to position your product or service effectively.

3. Implement SMART Goals : Your sales plan should be based on SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound) goals. This way, your goals will be clear, realistic, and trackable.

4. Stay Informed about Market Trends: Business environments are constantly changing. Stay updated with the latest industry trends and competitor strategies to keep your sales plan agile and effective.

5. Incorporate Sales Tools: The effective use of technology can completely transform your sales process. Build your sales tech stack with CRM software , data analytics, and sales project management platforms like ClickUp to automate processes and give your sales team a high-impact lift.

6. Regularly Review and Adjust Your Plan: Your sales plan should be a dynamic document. Regularly revisiting and adjusting your plan based on performance metrics, market changes, or shifts in company goals ensures that your sales strategy remains relevant and effective.

7. Train and Empower Your Sales Team: The success of any plan lies in its execution. Provide your sales team with proper training and resources they need to effectively implement the sales plan. Encourage them to also bring innovative ideas to the table.

8. Customer Retention: Don’t just focus on acquiring new customers. Implement strategies in your sales plan to retain existing customers as it’s often more cost-effective to maintain a loyal customer base than to constantly seek out new ones.

9. Refine Your Sales Pitch: Ensure your value proposition is strong and compelling. Your sales pitch should highlight the unique values and benefits of your product or service.

10. Measure Performance: Use key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of your sales plan. This can provide valuable insights about what’s working and what needs to be improved.

By incorporating these sales planning tips and strategies into your processes, you can improve your sales plan’s effectiveness and increase your chances of success. As always, keep an open mind to adjustments and improvements along the way!

Reach Sales Goals With Free Sales Strategy Templates

A strategic sales plan makes it easier to achieve your goals. Give your team the guidance and support they need with the help of a well-crafted free sales plan template.

If you’re considering making even more improvements in how you work, try ClickUp for free . We don’t just have incredible sales process templates: Our range of features and AI tools for sales make it easy for you to optimize and run your entire sales funnel and CRM system from one place. ✨

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Blog Marketing What is a Marketing Plan & How to Create One [with Examples]

What is a Marketing Plan & How to Create One [with Examples]

Written by: Sara McGuire Oct 26, 2023

A marketing plan is a blueprint that outlines your strategies to attract and convert your ideal customers as a part of your customer acquisition strategy. It’s a comprehensive document that details your:

• Target audience:  Who you’re trying to reach
• Marketing goals:  What you want to achieve
• Strategies and tactics:  How you’ll reach your goals
• Budget:  Resources you’ll allocate
• Metrics:  How you’ll measure success

In this article, I’ll explain everything you need to know about creating a marketing plan . If you need a little extra help, there are professionally designed marketing plan templates that’ll make the process much easier. So, let’s ditch the confusion and get started!

Click to jump ahead:

What is a marketing plan?

How to write a marketing plan , 9 marketing plan examples to inspire your growth strategy.

• Marketing plan v.s. business plan
• Types of marketing plans

Marketing plan FAQs

A marketing plan is a report that outlines your marketing strategy for your products or services, which could be applicable for the coming year, quarter or month.  

Watch this quick, 13-minute video for more details on what a marketing plan is and how to make one yourself:

Typically, a marketing plan includes:

• An overview of your business’s marketing and advertising goals
• A description of your business’s current marketing position
• A timeline of when tasks within your strategy will be completed
• Key performance indicators (KPIs) you will be tracking
• A description of your business’s target market and customer needs
• A description of how you will measure marketing plan performance

For example, this marketing plan template provides a high-level overview of the business and competitors before diving deep into specific goals, KPIs and tactics:

Learning how to write a marketing plan forces you to think through the important steps that lead to an effective marketing strategy . And a well-defined plan will help you stay focused on your high-level marketing goals.

With Venngage’s extensive catalog of marketing plan templates, creating your marketing plan isn’t going to be hard or tedious. In fact, Venngage has plenty of helpful communications and design resources for marketers. If you’re ready to get started, sign up for  Venngage for Marketers   now. It’s free to register and start designing.

Whether you’re a team trying to set smarter marketing goals, a consultant trying to set your client in the right direction, or a one-person team hustling it out, Venngage for Marketers helps you get things done.

As mentioned above, the scope of your marketing plan varies depending on its purpose or the type of organization it’s for.

For example, you could look for performance marketing agency to create a marketing plan that provides an overview of a company’s entire marketing strategy:

A typical outline of a marketing plan includes:

• Executive summary
• Goals and objectives
• User personas
• Competitor analysis/SWOT analysis
• Baseline metrics
• Marketing strategy
• Tracking guidelines

Below you will see in details how to write each section as well as some examples of how you can design each section in a marketing plan.

Let’s look at how to create a successful marketing plan (click to jump ahead):

• Write a simple executive summary
• Set metric-driven marketing goals
• Outline your user personas
• Research all of your competitors
• Set accurate key baselines & metrics
• Create an actionable marketing strategy
• Set tracking or reporting guidelines

1. Write a simple executive summary

Starting your marketing plan off on the right foot is important. You want to pull people into your amazing plan for marketing domination. Not bore them to tears.

One of the best ways to get people excited to read your marketing plan is with a well-written executive summary. An executive summary introduces readers to your company goals, marketing triumphs, future plans, and other important contextual facts.

Basically, you can use the Executive Summary as a primer for the rest of your marketing plan.

Include things like:

• Simple marketing goals
• High-level metrics
• Important company milestones
• Facts about your brand
• Employee anecdotes
• Future goals & plans

Try to keep your executive summary rather brief and to the point. You aren’t writing a novel, so try to keep it under three to four paragraphs.

Take a look at the executive summary in the marketing plan example below:

The executive summary is only two paragraphs long — short but effective.

The executive summary tells readers about the company’s growth, and how they are about to overtake one of their competitors. But there’s no mention of specific metrics or figures. That will be highlighted in the next section of the marketing plan.

An effective executive summary should have enough information to pique the reader’s interest, but not bog them down with specifics yet. That’s what the rest of your marketing plan is for!

The executive summary also sets the tone for your marketing plan. Think about what tone will fit your brand ? Friendly and humorous? Professional and reliable? Inspiring and visionary?

2. Set metric-driven marketing goals

After you perfect your executive summary, it’s time to outline your marketing goals.

(If you’ve never set data-driven goals like this before, it would be worth reading this growth strategy guide ).

This is one of the most important parts of the entire marketing plan, so be sure to take your time and be as clear as possible. Moreover, optimizing your marketing funnel is key. Employing effective funnel software can simplify operations and provide valuable customer insights. It facilitates lead tracking, conversion rate analysis, and efficient marketing optimization .

As a rule of thumb, be as specific as possible. The folks over at  VoyMedia  advise that you should set goals that impact website traffic, conversions, and customer success — and to use real numbers. Complement your goals with website optimization tools (e.g., A/B testing speed with Nostra – check Nostra AI review to learn more) to further improve conversions.

Avoid outlining vague goals like:

• Get more Twitter followers
• Write more articles
• Create more YouTube videos (like educational or Explainer videos )
• Increase retention rate
• Decrease bounce rate

Instead, identify  key performance metrics  (KPI) you want to impact and the percentage you want to increase them by.

Take a look at the goals page in the marketing plan example below:

They not only identify a specific metric in each of their goals, but they also set a timeline for when they will be increased.

The same vague goals listed earlier become much clearer when specific numbers and timelines are applied to them:

• Get 100 new Twitter followers per month
• Write 5 more articles per week
• Create 10 YouTube videos each year
• Increase retention rate by 15% by 2020
• Decrease bounce rate by 5% by Q1
• Create an online course  and get 1,000 new leads
• Focus more on local SEO strategies
• Conduct a monthly social media report to track progress

You can dive even deeper into your marketing goals if you want (generally, the more specific, the better). Here’s a marketing plan example that shows how to outline your growth goals:

3. Outline your user personas

Now, this may not seem like the most important part of your marketing plan, but I think it holds a ton of value.

Outlining your user personas is an important part of a marketing plan that should not be overlooked.

You should be asking not just how you can get the most visitors to your business, but how you can get the right visitors.

Who are your ideal customers? What are their goals? What are their biggest problems? How does your business solve customer problems?

Answering these questions will take lots of research, but it’s essential information to get.

Some ways to conduct user research are:

• Interviewing your users (either in person or on the phone)
• Conducting focus groups
• Researching other businesses in the same industry
• Surveying your audience

Then, you will need to compile your user data into a user persona  guide.

Take a look at how detailed this user persona template is below:

Taking the time to identify specific demographic traits, habits and goals will make it easier for you to cater your marketing plan to them.

Here’s how you can create a user persona guide:

The first thing you should add is a profile picture or icon for each user persona. It can help to put a face to your personas, so they seem more real.

Next, list demographic information like:

• Identifiers
• Activities/Hobbies

The user persona example above uses sliding scales to identify personality traits like introversion vs. extroversion and thinking vs. feeling. Identifying what type of personality your target users tend to have an influence on the messaging you use in your marketing content.

Meanwhile, this user persona guide identifies specific challenges the user faces each day:

But if you don’t want to go into such precise detail, you can stick to basic information, like in this marketing plan example:

Most businesses will have a few different types of target users. That’s why it’s pertinent to identify and create several different user personas . That way, you can better segment your marketing campaigns and set separate goals, if necessary.

Here’s a marketing plan example with a segmented user persona guide:

The important thing is for your team or client to have a clear picture of who their target user is and how they can appeal to their specific problems.

Start creating robust user personas using Venngage’s user persona guide .

4. Conduct an extensive competitor analysis

Next, on the marketing plan checklist, we have the competitor research section. This section will help you identify who your competitors are, what they’re doing, and how you could carve yourself a place alongside them in your niche — and ideally, surpass them. It’s something you can learn to do with rank tracking software .

Competitor research is also incredibly important if you are starting a blog .

Typically, your competitor research should include:

• Who their marketing team is
• Who their leadership team is
• What their marketing strategy and strategic marketing plan are (this will probably revolve some reverse-engineering)
• What their sales strategy is (same deal)
• Social Media strategy (are they using discounting strategies such as coupon marketing to get conversions)
• Their market cap/financials
• Their yearly growth (you will probably need to use a marketing tool like Ahrefs to do this)
• The number of customers they have & their user personas

Also, take as deep a dive as you can into the strategies they use across their:

• Blog/Content marketing
• Social media marketing
• SEO Marketing
• Video marketing
• And any other marketing tactics they use

Research their strengths and weaknesses in all parts of their company, and you will find some great opportunities. Bookmark has a great guide to different marketing strategies for small businesses if you need some more information there.

You can use this simple SWOT analysis worksheet to quickly work through all parts of their strategy as well:

Click the template above to create a SWOT chart . Customize the template to your liking — no design know-how needed.

Since you have already done all the research beforehand, adding this information to your marketing plan shouldn’t be that hard.

In this marketing plan example, some high-level research is outlined for 3 competing brands:

But you could take a deeper dive into different facets of your competitors’ strategies. This marketing plan example analyses a competitor’s inbound marketing strategy :

It can also be helpful to divide your competitors into Primary and Secondary groups. For example, Apple’s primary competitor may be Dell for computers, but its secondary competitor could be a company that makes tablets.

Your most dangerous competitors may not even be in the same industry as you. Like the CEO of Netflix said, “Sleep is our competition.”

5. Set accurate key baselines & metrics

It’s pretty hard to plan for the future if you don’t know where your business stands right now.

Before we do anything at Venngage, we find the baselines so we can compare future results to something. We do it so much it’s almost like second nature now!

Setting baselines will allow you to more accurately track your progress. You will also be able to better analyze what worked and what didn’t work, so you can build a stronger strategy. It will definitely help them clearly understand your goals and strategy as well.

Here’s a marketing plan example where the baselines are visualized:

Another way to include baselines in your plan is with a simple chart, like in the marketing plan example below:

Because data can be intimidating to a lot of people, visualizing your data using charts and infographics will help demystify the information.

6. Create an actionable marketing strategy

After pulling all the contextual information and relevant metrics into your marketing plan, it’s time to break down your marketing strategy.

Once again, it’s easier to communicate your information to your team or clients using visuals .

Mind maps are an effective way to show how a strategy with many moving parts ties together. For example, this mind map shows how the four main components of a marketing strategy interact together:

You can also use a flow chart to map out your strategy by objectives:

However you choose to visualize your strategy, your team should know exactly what they need to do. This is not the time to keep your cards close to your chest.

Your strategy section may need to take up a few pages to explain, like in the marketing plan example below:

With all of this information, even someone from the development team will understand what the marketing team is working on.

This minimalistic marketing plan example uses color blocks to make the different parts of the strategy easy to scan:

Breaking your strategy down into tasks will make it easier to tackle.

Another important way to visualize your marketing strategy is to create a project roadmap. A project roadmap visualizes the timeline of your product with individual tasks. Our roadmap maker can help you with this.

For example, this project roadmap shows how tasks on both the marketing and web design side run parallel to each other:

A simple timeline can also be used in your marketing plan:

Or a mind map, if you want to include a ton of information in a more organized way:

Even a simple “Next, Now, Later” chart can help visualize your strategy:

7. Set tracking or reporting guidelines

Close your marketing plan with a brief explanation of how you plan to track or measure your results. This will save you a lot of frustration down the line by standardizing how you track results across your team.

Like the other sections of your marketing plan, you can choose how in-depth you want to go. But there need to be some clear guidelines on how to measure the progress and results of your marketing plan.

At the bare minimum, your results tracking guidelines should specify:

• What you plan to track
• How you plan to track results
• How often you plan to measure

But you can more add tracking guidelines to your marketing plan if you see the need to. You may also want to include a template that your team or client can follow,  for  client reporting ,  ensure that the right metrics are being tracked.

The marketing plan example below dedicates a whole page to tracking criteria:

Use a task tracker to track tasks and marketing results, and a checklist maker to note down tasks, important life events, or tracking your daily life.

Similarly, the marketing plan example below talks about tracking content marketing instead:

Marketing plan vs. marketing strategy

Although often used interchangeably, the terms “marketing plan” and “marketing strategy” do have some differences.

Simply speaking, a marketing strategy presents what the business will do in order to reach a certain goal. A marketing plan outlines the specific daily, weekly, monthly or yearly activities that the marketing strategy calls for. As a business, you can create a marketing proposal for the marketing strategies defined in your company’s marketing plan. There are various marketing proposal examples that you can look at to help with this.

A company’s extended marketing strategy can be like this:

Notice how it’s more general and doesn’t include the actual activities required to complete each strategy or the timeframe those marketing activities will take place. That kind of information is included in a marketing plan, like this marketing plan template which talks about the content strategy in detail:

1. Nonprofit marketing plan

Here’s a free nonprofit marketing plan example that is ideal for organizations with a comprehensive vision to share. It’s a simple plan that is incredibly effective. Not only does the plan outline the core values of the company, it also shares the ideal buyer persona.

Note how the branding is consistent throughout this example so there is no doubt which company is presenting this plan. The content plan is an added incentive for anyone viewing the document to go ahead and give the team the green light.

2. Social media marketing plan

Two-page marketing plan samples aren’t very common, but this free template proves how effective they are. There’s a dedicated section for business goals as well as for project planning.

The milestones for the marketing campaign are clearly laid out, which is a great way to show how organized this business strategy is.

3. Small business marketing plan

This marketing plan template is perfect for small businesses who set out to develop an overarching marketing strategy for the whole year:

Notice how this aligns pretty well with the marketing plan outline we discussed in previous sections.

In terms of specific tactics for the company’s marketing strategy, the template only discusses SEO strategy, but you can certainly expand on that section to discuss any other strategies — such as link building , that you would like to build out a complete marketing plan for.

4. Orange simple marketing proposal template

Marketing plans, like the sample below, are a great way to highlight what your business strategy and the proposal you wan to put forward to win potential customers.

5. One-page marketing plan

This one-page marketing plan example is great for showcasing marketing efforts in a persuasive presentation or to print out for an in-person meeting.

Note how the fact sheet breaks down the marketing budget as well as the key metrics for the organization. You can win over clients and partners with a plan like this.

6. Light company business fact sheet template

This one-page sample marketing plan clearly outlines the marketing objectives for the organization. It’s a simple but effective way to share a large amount of information in a short amount of time.

What really works with this example is that includes a mission statement, key contact information alongside all the key metrics.

7. Marketing media press kit template

This press kit marketing plan template is bright and unmistakable as belonging to the Cloud Nine marketing agency . The way the brand colors are used also helps diversify the layouts for each page, making the plan easier to read.

We like the way the marketing department has outlined the important facts about the organization. The bold and large numbers draw the eye and look impressive.

8. Professional marketing proposal template

Start your marketing campaign on a promising note with this marketing plan template. It’s short, sharp and to the point. The table of contents sets out the agenda, and there’s a page for the company overview and mission statement.

9. Social media marketing proposal template

A complete marketing plan example, like the one below, not only breaks down the business goals to be achieved but a whole lot more. Note how the terms and conditions and payment schedule are included, which makes this one of the most comprehensive marketing plans on our list.

Marketing plan vs. business plan

While both marketing plans and business plans are crucial documents for businesses, they serve distinct purposes and have different scopes. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences:

Business plan is a comprehensive document that outlines all aspects of your business, including:

• Mission and vision
• Products or services
• Target market
• Competition
• Management team
• Financial projections
• Marketing strategy (including a marketing plan)
• Operations plan

Marketing plan on the other hand, dives deep into the specific strategies and tactics related to your marketing efforts. It expands on the marketing section of a business plan by detailing:

• Specific marketing goals (e.g., brand awareness, lead generation, sales)
• Target audience analysis (detailed understanding of their needs and behaviors)
• Product:  Features, benefits, positioning
• Price:  Pricing strategy, discounts
• Place:  Distribution channels (online, offline)
• Promotion:  Advertising, social media, content marketing, public relations
• Budget allocation for different marketing activities
• Metrics and measurement to track progress and success

In short, business plans paint the entire business picture, while marketing plans zoom in on the specific strategies used to reach your target audience and achieve marketing goals.

Types of marketing plans that can transform your business strategy

Let’s take a look at several types of marketing plans you can create, along with specific examples for each.

1. General marketing strategic plan / Annual marketing plan

This is a good example of a marketing plan that covers the overarching annual marketing strategy for a company:

Another good example would be this Starbucks marketing plan:

This one-page marketing plan example from coffee chain Starbucks has everything at a glance. The bold headers and subheadings make it easier to segment the sections so readers can focus on the area most relevant to them.

What we like about this example is how much it covers. From the ideal buyer persona to actional activities, as well as positioning and metrics, this marketing plan has it all.

Another marketing plan example that caught our eye is this one from Cengage. Although a bit text-heavy and traditional, it explains the various sections well. The clean layout makes this plan easy to read and absorb.

The last marketing plan example we would like to feature in this section is this one from Lush cosmetics.

It is a long one but it’s also very detailed. The plan outlines numerous areas, including the company mission, SWOT analysis , brand positioning, packaging, geographical criteria, and much more.

2. Content marketing plan

A content marketing plan highlights different strategies , campaigns or tactics you can use for your content to help your business reach its goals.

This one-page marketing plan example from Contently outlines a content strategy and workflow using simple colors and blocks. The bullet points detail more information but this plan can easily be understood at a glance, which makes it so effective.

For a more detailed content marketing plan example, take a look at this template which features an editorial calendar you can share with the whole team:

3. SEO marketing plan

Your SEO marketing plan highlights what you plan to do for your SEO marketing strategy . This could include tactics for website on-page optimization , off-page optimization using AI SEO , and link building using an SEO PowerSuite backlink API for quick backlink profile checks.

This SEO marketing plan example discusses in detail the target audience of the business and the SEO plan laid out in different stages:

4. Social media marketing plan

Your social media marketing plan presents what you’ll do to reach your marketing goal through social media. This could include tactics specific to each social media channel that you own, recommendations on developing a new channel, specific campaigns you want to run, and so on, like how B2B channels use Linkedin to generate leads with automation tools and expand their customer base; or like making use of Twitter walls that could display live Twitter feeds from Twitter in real-time on digital screens.

For B2C brands, you can target Facebook and Instagram. Gain Instagram likes to build trust for your brand’s profile and post engaging content on both platforms. Leverage AI social media tools to automate and scale your content plan..

Edit this social media marketing plan example easily with Venngage’s drag-and-drop editor:

5. Demand generation marketing plan

This could cover your paid marketing strategy (which can include search ads, paid social media ads, traditional advertisements, etc.), email marketing strategy and more. Here’s an example:

What should marketing plans include?

Marketing plans should include:

• A detailed analysis of the target market and customer segments.
• Clear and achievable marketing objectives and goals.
• Strategies and tactics for product promotion and distribution.
• Budget allocation for various marketing activities.
• Timelines and milestones for the implementation of marketing strategies.
• Evaluation metrics and methods for tracking the success of the marketing plan.

What is an executive summary in a marketing plan and what is its main goal?

An executive summary in a marketing plan is a brief overview of the entire document, summarizing the key points, goals, and strategies. Its main goal is to provide readers with a quick understanding of the plan’s purpose and to entice them to read further.

What are the results when a marketing plan is effective?

When a marketing plan is effective, businesses can experience increased brand visibility, higher customer engagement , improved sales and revenue, and strengthened customer loyalty.

What is the first section of a marketing plan?

The first section of a marketing plan is typically the “Executive Summary,” which provides a concise overview of the entire plan, including the business’s goals and the strategies to achieve them.

Now that you have the basics for designing your own marketing plan, it’s time to get started:

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How To Build a Strategic Sales Plan + 10 Examples

• March 28, 2024

Every sales team has some sort of plan, even if it’s just “sell more of the product/service that you’re employed to sell.”

A sales plan is a portfolio that includes a layout of your processes, target audience, objectives and tactics. It’s used to guide your sales strategy and predict cost and returns. 

Yet without a codified sales plan, it can be difficult to give a sales team the motivation and purpose they need to successfully engage customers and continue to generate revenue.

Not having a sales plan that’s written down and signed off on by stakeholders can lead to confusion around what sales reps should and shouldn’t be doing , which can be demotivating.

It might seem daunting or time-consuming to put together an entire sales plan, but it doesn’t need to be. Here’s how to create a thorough sales plan in 10 simple steps. 

What Is a Sales Plan? 

A successful sales plan defines your target customers, business objectives, tactics, obstacles and processes. An effective plan will also include resources and strategies that are used to achieve target goals. It works similarly to a business plan in the way it’s presented, but only focuses on your sales strategy. 

A sales plan should include the following three components: 

• Ideas: If you use specific business methodologies, you may choose to outline key principles and examples of them in action within your sales plan. An example could be conversation tactics when pitching your product to your target customer. 
• Processes: In order to streamline productivity and business strategy, you’ll want to make sure your processes are defined within your sales plan. Your sales team should be able to refer to the sales plan when they’re in need of direction. 
• Tools and tactics: The most effective sales plans include not only high-level business strategies, but also step-by-step approaches for your sales team to utilize. These tools can include key conversation pieces for your sales reps to use when pitching a product or content to close out a deal. 

Solidifying a sales plan is crucial for a strong business model. Taking the time to narrow in on the components above will set you and your business up for success down the road. 

Sales Planning Process

It’s important to keep in mind that sales planning isn’t just about creating a sales plan document. A sales plan should be a go-to item that’s used every day by your team, rather than sitting on your desk collecting dust. Creating an effective sales plan requires high-level strategy.

You should: 

• Decide on a timeline for your goals and tactics
• Outline the context
• Write out the company mission and values
• Describe the target audience and product service positioning
• Include sales resources
• Draw out an overview of concurrent activities
• Write an overview of your business road map
• Outline your goals and KPIs
• Outline an action plan
• Create a budget 

 Below we dive into each of these steps to create your ideal sales plan. 

1. Decide on Your Timeline

Setting goals and outlining tactics is not going to be productive if you’re not working toward a date by which you’ll measure your efforts.

Determining the timeline of your sales plan should therefore be your number one consideration. When will you be ready to kick-start your plan, and when is a reasonable time to measure the outcomes of your plan against your SMART goals?

Remember that you need to give the plan a chance to make an impact, so this timeline shouldn’t be too restrictive. However, you also want to make sure that you’re flexible enough to adjust your plan if it’s not producing the desired results.

Most sales plan timelines cover about a year, which may be segmented into four quarters and/or two halves to make it a little more manageable.

2. Outline the Context

Use the first page of your sales plan to outline the context in which the plan was created.

What is the current state of the organization? What are your challenges and pain points? What recent wins have you experienced?

Do you have tighter restrictions on cash flow, or does revenue appear to be growing exponentially? How is your sales team currently performing?

While you’ll discuss your business plan and road map later in the document, you can also outline the long-term vision for your business in this section. For example, where do you want to see the business in five years?

Tip: Comparing the current situation with your vision will emphasize the gap between where you are now and where you need to be. 

3. Company Mission and Values

It’s essential that you put your mission and values at the heart of your business. You need to incorporate them into every function – and this includes your sales plan.

Outlining your mission and values in your sales plan ensures that you remember what the company is striving for, and in turn helps ensure that your approach and tactics will support these objectives.

Remember: A strong brand mission and authentic values will help boost customer loyalty, brand reputation and, ultimately, sales.

4. Target Market and Product/Service Positioning

Next, you’ll need to describe the market or markets that you’re operating in.

What is your target market or industry? What research led you to conclude that this was the optimal market for you?

Who within this industry is your ideal customer? What are their characteristics? This could be a job title, geographical location or company size, for example. This information makes up your ideal customer profile .

If you’ve delved further into audience research and developed personas around your target market, then include them in here, too.

5. Sales Team and Resources

This step is simple: Make a list of your sales resources, beginning with a short description of each member of your sales team.

Include their name, job title, length of time at the company and, where appropriate, their salary. What are their strengths? How can they be utilized to help you hit your goals?

You should also include notes around the gaps in your sales team and whether you intend to recruit any new team members into these (or other) roles.

Tip: Communicate the time zones your team members work in to be mindful of designated work hours for scheduling meetings and deadlines. 

Then, list your other resources. These could be tools, software or access to other departments such as the marketing team – anything that you intend to use in the execution of your sales plan. This is a quick way to eliminate any tools or resources that you don’t need.

6. Concurrent Activities

The next step in creating your sales plan involves providing an overview of non-sales activities that will be taking place during the implementation of your sales plan.

Any public marketing plans, upcoming product launches, or deals or discounts should be included, as should any relevant events. This will help you plan sales tactics around these activities and ensure that you’re getting the most out of them.

7. Business Road Map

For this step, write up an overview of your business’s overall road map, as well as the areas where sales activities can assist with or accelerate this plan. You’ll need to collaborate with the CEO, managing director or board of directors in order to do this.

In most cases, the business will already have a road map that has been signed off on by stakeholders. It’s the sales manager’s job to develop a sales plan that not only complements this road map, but facilitates its goals. 

Tip: Highlight areas of the road map that should be touchpoints for the sales team. 

Ask yourself what your department will need to do at each point in the road map to hit these overarching company goals.

8. Sales Goals and KPIs

Another important part of the sales plan involves your sales goals and KPIs.

Outline each goal alongside the KPIs you’ll use to measure it. Include a list of metrics you’ll use to track these KPIs, as well as a deadline for when you project the goal will be achieved.

It’s vital to make these goals tangible and measurable.

A bad example of a goal is as follows:

Goal 1: Increase sales across company’s range of products and services.

A better goal would look something like:

Goal 1: Generate $500,000+ in revenue from new clients through purchases of X product by X date.

9. Action Plan

Now that you’ve laid out your goals, you need to explain how you will hit them.

Your action plan can be set out week by week, month by month, or quarter by quarter. Within each segment, you must list out all of the sales activities and tactics that you will deploy – and the deadlines and touchpoints along the way.

Tip: Organize your action plan by department – sales, business development and finance. 

While this is arguably the most complex part of the sales plan, this is where sales leaders are strongest. They know which approach will work best for their team, their company and their market.

Budgets vary from team to team and company to company, but whatever your situation, it’s important to include your budget in your sales plan.

How are you going to account for the money spent on new hires, salaries, tech, tools and travel? Where the budget is tight, what are your priorities going to be, and what needs to be axed?

The budget section should make references back to your action plan and the sales team and resources page in order to explain the expenditures.

6 Strategic Sales Plan Examples 

You can create different types of strategic sales plans for your company, depending on how you want to structure your sales plan. Here are a few examples.   

Customer Profile 

A customer profile outlines your ideal customer for your service or product. It will usually include industry, background, attributes and decision-making factors.  

Creating a customer profile helps narrow in on the target customer your sales team should focus on while eliminating unproductive leads.  

Buyer’s Guide

A buyer’s guide is an informational sheet that describes your company’s services or products, including benefits and features. This document is useful both for your sales team but also for a potential customer who requires more information on the product before purchasing. 

30-60-90-Day Plan

This plan is organized based on time periods. It includes outlines of goals, strategy and actionable steps in 30-day periods. This is a useful sales plan model for a new sales representative tracking progress during their first 90 days in the position or meeting quotas in a 90-day period. 

This type of sales plan is also ideal for businesses in periods of expansion or growth. It’s helpful to minimize extra effort in onboarding processes. 

Market Expansion Plan

A market expansion plan clarifies target metrics and list of actions when moving into a new territory or market. This sales plan model is typically used with a target market that resides in a new geographical region. 

You’ll want to include a profile of target customers, account distribution costs and even time zone differences between your sales representatives. 

Marketing-alignment Plan

Creating a marketing-alignment sales plan is useful if your organization has yet to align both your sales and marketing departments. The goal of the sales plan is finalizing your target customer personas and aligning them with your sales pitches and marketing messages. 

New Product/Service Plan 

If your organization is launching a new service or product, it’s best to create a sales plan to track revenue and other growth metrics from the launch. You’ll want to include sales strategy, competitive analyses and service or product sales positioning. 

Sales Plan Template

4 additional sales plan templates.

Here are some additional templates you can use to create your own unique sales plan. 

• Template Lab 
• ProjectManager

5 Tips for Creating a Sales Plan 

Now that you’ve seen and read through a few examples and a sales plan template, we’ll cover some easy but useful tips to create a foolproof sales plan. 

• Create a competitive analysis: Research what sales strategies and tactics your close competitors are using. What are they doing well? What are they not doing well? Knowing what they are doing well will help you create a plan that will lead to eventual success. 
• Vary your sales plans: First create a base sales plan that includes high-level goals, strategies and tactics. Then go more in depth on KPIs and metrics for each department, whether it’s outbound sales or business development . 
• Analyze industry trends: Industry trends and data can easily help strengthen your sales approach. For example, if you’re pitching your sales plan to a stakeholder, use current market trends and statistics to support why you believe your sales strategies will be effective in use. 
• Utilize your marketing team: When creating your sales plan, you’ll want to get the marketing department’s input to align your efforts and goals. You should weave marketing messages throughout both your sales plan and pitches. 
• Discuss with your sales team: Remember to check in with your sales representatives to understand challenges they may be dealing with and what’s working and not working. You should update the sales plan quarterly based on feedback received from your sales team. 

When Should You Implement a Strategic Sales Plan? 

Does your organization currently not have a sales plan in place that is used regularly? Are you noticing your organization is in need of structure and lacking productivity across departments? These are definite signs you should create and implement a sales plan. 

According to a LinkedIn sales statistic , the top sales tech sellers are using customer relationship management (CRM) tools (50%), sales intelligence (45%) and sales planning (42%) .

Below are a few more indicators that you need an effective sales plan. 

To Launch a New Product or Campaign 

If you’re planning to launch a new service or product in six months, you should have a concrete marketing and sales strategy plan to guarantee you’ll see both short- and long-term success. 

The sales plan process shouldn’t be hasty and rushed. Take the time to go over data and competitor analysis. Work with your team to create objectives and goals that everyone believes in. Your sales plan should be updated formally on a quarterly basis to be in line with industry trends and business efforts. 

To Increase Sales

If your team is looking to increase revenue and the number of closed sales, you may need to widen and define your target audience. A sales plan will help outline this target audience, along with planning out both sales and marketing strategies to reach more qualified prospects and increase your sales conversion rate. 

Now that you’ve seen sales plan examples and tips and tricks, the next step after creating your sales plan is to reach those ideal sales targets with Mailshake . Connect with leads and generate more sales with our simple but effective sales engagement platform.

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Original text

The sales and marketing section of your business plan is especially crucial because it determines how you’ll plan on generating profit and describes how you intend to create exposure to best sell your product. It’s in this area of your business plan that you’ll hone the key elements of your marketing strategy. The actual implementation of your sales and marketing initiatives actually occurs before you launch, when you’ve set your go-to-market date so strategize the components of your sales and marketing plan early on.

Here’s a quick guide on what your key sales and marketing considerations should be:

This section should contain the following elements and should be no more than four pages.

Unique Value Proposition

Pricing strategy.

• Sales/Distribution Plan

Marketing Plan

Your unique value proposition is the market need you’re planning to solve. Think of it as your secret ingredient – your “special sauce.” This may be a combination of factors including customer service, technology, a twist on a product or service, etc. Create the case for why your product deserves to have a sustainable business built around it.

Determine your pricing scheme. First, check what your competition is charging. This should give you an indication of what customers are willing to spend. Then, determine how you can add value. Until you get your product out there, it’s hard to know for sure how much your added benefit is worth in the customer’s mind. The keyword here is “reasonable.” You can charge any price you want to, but for every product or service, there’s a limit to how much the consumer is willing to pay.

Remember, even if you’re trying to be the lowest-cost provider, give a higher perceived value to your ideal customer to stand apart from the competition. Competitors can slash their prices to meet or beat yours, so be very careful if you decide to compete on cost.

Sales & Distribution Plan

This section describes how you intend to get your product to customers and how you’ll measure the effectiveness of those methods. For example, once you figure out where you’ll be selling your product – online, at a retail outlet, door-to-door – determine the type of sales team you’ll need and how you’ll compensate them.

In terms of distribution, think about how you’ll actually get the product or service into the hands of the customer. Ultimately, you’ll want to sell your product or service in as many ways that make sense for your company: online, at a retail outlet, via house parties or mail order, or through other companies. Initially, however, focus on selling through just one of these channels so you can build your business before comfortably extending to others.

You’re going to need customers to buy your product. How do you plan to get them? There are many free or low-cost strategies such as referrals, word-of-mouth, public relations, and marketing partners to help cross-promote or sell your product, so I would avoid any expensive print, TV, or radio advertising campaigns at these early stages.

Create your strategy for attracting customers. Before you start actually executing your marketing strategy, however, think about “branding.” This is the look and feel of your business, what customers experience when interacting with it, from the fonts, colors, and text of the website and your business cards to the overall image you portray in the product itself. This branding will be reflected in the execution of your marketing strategy.

Describe how you want customers to experience your product or service. Take a look at products or companies that you really like, and think about why you like them. What makes you feel good about them? Do these characteristics permeate all aspects of the product, from website to packaging to letterhead?

After you document the marketing plan activities, calculate the costs that you expect to incur. For example, if referrals are part of the strategy, then calculate how much you’re willing to pay a referral partner for each new customer they bring your way. Will it be $1, $20, $50, or more? Let’s say, for example, you expect a referral partner to refer 100 clients to you, and each of those referred clients spends $10, giving you a total of $1,000. You’ve agreed to pay this partner $1 for each referral, so you’ll spend $100 on referrals for your marketing strategy. In this example, your cost of acquisition – the cost you pay for each new customer – is $1. You’ll need to know this number, especially when you draft your financial plan.

Business Plan Template for a Startup Business To increase your odds of a successful business startup, download this step-by-step business plan template you can use to plan for your new business.

Every Business Deserves Planning Don’t make the common mistake of dismissing the value of planning. Every well-run business needs to manage strategy, metrics and essential business numbers.

Copyright © 2024 SCORE Association, SCORE.org

Funded, in part, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

How to Create an Effective Sales and Marketing Plan

Table of Contents

A comprehensive sales and marketing plan sets up organizations for long-term growth and success. In this guide, we’ll dig into the differences between sales and marketing plans, how to create your plan, and templates to get the ball rolling.

What is a Sales and Marketing Plan?

Sales plan vs. marketing plan, marketing plan template: the essential components, sales plan template: the essential components, steps to create a sales and marketing plan.

A well-crafted sales and marketing plan is indispensable for the success and growth of any company, whether it’s a startup, small business, or enterprise. This plan serves as a roadmap, outlining clear objectives, targeted customer segments, and actionable tactics to drive sales and promote brand awareness.

It enables companies to understand their market position, competitive landscape, and customer needs. On top of that, it provides a structured approach to buyer engagement , ensuring consistent and effective communication across various touchpoints.

By defining specific goals and identifying key performance indicators (KPIs), a sales and marketing plan provides a structured framework for marketing and sales to align their go-to-market efforts. And when teams are aligned, companies can generate up to 208% more revenue from their marketing efforts.

While sales and marketing are integral to an overall business plan, they serve distinct purposes and focus on different aspects of the customer journey. Here are the key differences between a sales plan and a marketing plan:

Focus and Objectives

Sales Plan: Primarily focuses on the activities and strategies to drive direct revenue generation. It outlines the specific actions the sales team will take to achieve targets and goals.

Marketing Plan: Concentrates on creating awareness, generating interest, and positioning new products or services in the market. It aims to build and maintain the brand, nurture leads, and create favorable conditions for sales.

Sales Plan: Typically more tactical and operational, it details the sales team’s day-to-day activities. It addresses how sales representatives engage with prospects, close deals, and meet revenue targets.

Marketing Plan: Has a broader scope, encompassing the overall market strategy, brand positioning, promotional activities, and communication efforts. It sets the stage for sales by creating a favorable market environment.

Sales Plan: Often focuses on short-term goals and immediate revenue generation. It may have a more immediate and tactical orientation focusing on quarterly or annual targets.

Marketing Plan: Can have a longer-term perspective, building brand equity and customer relationships over time. It may include short-term and long-term initiatives aligned with the overall business strategy.

Sales Plan: Includes sales tactics, prospecting strategies, target setting, and customer relationship management (CRM) activities.

Marketing Plan: Encompasses market research, target audience identification, advertising, content creation, social media strategy, and overall brand positioning.

Sales Plan: Metrics focus on sales performance , revenue targets, conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and individual sales representative performance.

Marketing Plan: Metrics include brand awareness, lead generation, website traffic, social media engagement, customer acquisition costs, and marketing ROI.

Collaboration

Sales Plan: Primarily involves collaboration within the sales team, setting individual and team goals, and coordinating efforts to meet targets.

Marketing Plan: Requires collaboration between marketing and other departments to ensure a consistent brand message and a seamless customer experience. This collaboration extends to content creation, advertising, and customer relationship strategies.

Here, you can see that a sales plan is more tactical and concentrates on direct revenue generation. In contrast, the marketing plan is strategic, focusing on creating a favorable market environment and building brand equity.

An effective marketing plan outlines a business’s strategies and tactics to achieve its marketing objectives. Here are the key components that typically go into creating a new marketing plan:

Executive Summary

• Brief overview of the marketing plan, including goals, strategies, and key components.

Market Analysis

• Analysis of the target market, including demographics, trends, and opportunities.
• Competitor analysis, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis).

Target Audience and Buyer Personas

• Detailed profiles of the target customers, specifying their needs, pain points, preferences, and behaviors.
• Development of buyer personas to guide marketing strategies, messaging, and sales outreach.

Marketing Goals and Objectives

• Clearly defined SMART goals for the marketing efforts.
• Specific objectives, such as brand awareness, lead generation, customer acquisition, or market share.

Positioning and Messaging

• Clear articulation of the brand positioning and competitive advantages.
• Development of consistent messaging that resonates with the target audience.

Marketing Strategies

• Overview of the overarching marketing strategies, including product positioning, pricing, distribution, and promotion.
• Differentiation strategies and competitive positioning.

Marketing Mix (4Ps)

• Product: Details about the products or services being marketed.
• Price: Pricing strategy, discounts, and payment terms.
• Place: Distribution channels and logistics.
• Promotion: Advertising, public relations, digital marketing, content marketing, and other promotional activities.

Marketing Budget

• Allocation of budget for each marketing activity and channel.
• Cost projections and expected return on investment (ROI).

Marketing Calendar

• Timeline for planned marketing activities, campaigns, and promotions.
• Seasonal considerations and industry-specific events.

Marketing Channels

• Identification and description of the marketing channels to be utilized (online and offline).
• Social media strategy, content marketing plan, email marketing, advertising channels, etc.

Content Strategy

• Development of a content plan, including types of content (i.e. case studies, one-pagers), frequency, and distribution channels.
• Content creation and distribution strategy.
• Regular content audit to see what’s working and what isn’t.

Measurement and Analytics

• KPIs to benchmark the success of marketing activities.
• Tools and methods for data collection and analysis.

A sales plan is a strategic document that outlines the tactics and activities a business will undertake to achieve its sales objectives. Here are the key components that typically go into a sales plan:

• Brief overview of the entire sales plan, summarizing the goals, strategies, and key components.

Sales Objectives

• Clearly defined and measurable sales goals, such as revenue targets, market share, or customer acquisition metrics.
• Specific and realistic objectives for the sales team.

Target Market and Customer Segmentation

• Identification of the target market and specific customer segments.
• Create ideal customer profiles and characteristics to guide sales efforts.

Product or Service Offering

• Detailed information about the products or services being sold.
• Value propositions and key differentiators.

Sales Strategies

• Overview of the overarching sales strategies , including prospecting, lead generation, and conversion tactics.
• Strategies for acquiring new customers, upselling, cross-selling, and customer retention.

Sales Team Structure

• Organization of the sales team, including roles, responsibilities, and reporting structure.

Sales Tactics and Techniques

• Detailed description of the tactics and techniques the sales team will use to engage with potential customers and increase the bottom line.
• Sales methodologies employed by the team.

Sales Forecast

• Prediction of sales performance over a specific period.
• Revenue projections, taking into account market conditions and other relevant factors.

Sales Territories and Distribution Channels

• Definition of sales territories and distribution channels.
• Strategies for reaching and serving customers in different geographic areas.

Sales Metrics and KPIs

• Identification of key metrics to measure sales performance.
• KPIs such as conversion rates, average deal size, and customer acquisition costs.

Sales Training and Development

• Plans for training and developing the sales team.
• Continuous improvement strategies.

Now that you have templates in place, let’s put them together to create an overall plan and what it could look like.

Look for trends in the data

Before you start digging into the meat of your plan, you need to gather data, drawing from internal company insights and external market trends. Internally, you can look at historical sales data, customer behaviors, and product performance, providing a foundation for understanding the company’s strengths and areas for improvement.

On the other hand, keeping a keen eye on external market trends, consumer preferences, and industry developments allows for a proactive approach to shifts in the market. This data-driven strategy enables businesses to effectively tailor their sales and marketing initiatives , aligning them with evolving customer needs. By combining internal insights with external trends, organizations can craft a dynamic plan that is not only grounded in historical performance but is also adaptable to the changing landscape of the business environment.

Know your customer

One of the most important steps when creating a sales and marketing plan is to know who you’re selling to. You should develop in-depth buyer personas based on demographic, psychographic, and behavioral attributes. By understanding your target audience’s characteristics, preferences, and pain points, you can tailor your sales and marketing strategies to resonate more effectively.

This key step not only enhances the efficiency of marketing campaigns but also streamlines the sales process by aligning efforts with the expectations and behaviors of your customers.

Set achievable goals

Now that you have a clear image of who you’re selling to, where you stand, and where the market is, you and various stakeholders can begin to set realistic goals and targets for your team.

Setting goals is crucial for your success. They allow you to track if you’re making a real impact on your business. They create alignment between teams so they know what they must do to achieve those goals. A recent study by HubSpot found that 25% of companies say their sales and marketing teams are either “misaligned” or “rarely aligned” on goals, leading to confusion and poor performance.

To get your teams on the same page, you should consider setting SMART goals. Here is a great example of how to think about goal setting:

Specific: Make sure your goals are clear. What will be accomplished? What actions will you take? Don’t just say you want to increase revenue — explain how you plan to achieve it. For example, you can say: We will increase revenue by 15% by using a guided selling approach.

Measurable: What metrics will you use to determine if you met your goal? This makes a goal more tangible because it provides a way to measure progress.

Achievable: Consider how to accomplish the goal, if you have the tools and skills needed, and what it would take to attain it. Don’t set objectives that are impossible to reach. The goals are meant to inspire motivation, not discouragement.

Relevant: Goals need to fit your current situation and sales strategy. They should align with the overall business goals and department objectives.

Time-Bound: Realistic timing for when you can achieve your goals is crucial. Provide deadlines and target dates to hold teams accountable.

Determine how you will measure success

Now that you’ve set goals, it’s time to start measuring them.

KPIs are crucial metrics that help measure the effectiveness of sales and marketing efforts. Here’s a list of KPIs for a sales and marketing plan:

Sales KPIs:

• Revenue: Total income generated from sales.
• Sales Growth Rate: Percentage increase in sales over a specific period.
• Conversion Rate: Percentage of leads that convert into customers.
• Average Deal Size: Average value of a sales transaction.
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Cost incurred to acquire a new customer.
• Sales Cycle Length: Average time it takes to close a sale.
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Predicted revenue generated throughout a customer’s lifecycle.
• Win Rate: Percentage of opportunities that result in a sale.
• Churn Rate: Percentage of customers lost over a given period.
• Upsell and Cross-sell Rate: Percentage of existing customers who purchase additional products or services.

Marketing KPIs:

• Lead Generation: Number of new leads acquired.
• Website Traffic: Number of visitors to the website.
• Conversion Rate (Marketing): Percentage of website visitors who take a desired action.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Percentage of people who click on a specific link.
• Cost per Lead (CPL): Cost associated with acquiring a new lead.
• Social Media Engagement: Likes, shares, comments, and other interactions on social media.
• Email Open and Click-through Rates: Percentage of opened emails and clicked links.
• Content Engagement: Interaction with blog posts, videos, or other content.
• Brand Awareness: Measured through surveys, social media mentions, or search volume.
• Return on Investment (ROI): Ratio of the net profit from marketing campaigns to the cost of those campaigns.

Overall Business KPIs:

• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): Measurement of customer satisfaction.
• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Indicator of customer loyalty and likelihood to recommend.
• Market Share: Company’s portion of the total market.
• Brand Equity: Perceived value and strength of a brand in the market.
• Customer Retention Rate: Percentage of customers retained over a period.

Regularly monitoring these metrics provides insights into performance, helping businesses make informed decisions and optimize their sales and marketing strategies.

Define your sales and marketing strategies

How are you going to generate demand for your product or service? At this stage in your plan, you can start to define how you will reach your ideal customers and move them through the buyer’s journey. Integrated marketing campaigns that use various channels, such as social media and paid ads, are a great way to get started. Additionally, you should include lead generation strategies such as content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and targeted promotions to nurture prospects and guide them through the sales funnel.

It’s important here that you work with your sales enablement team to create relevant content for the sales team .

Formulate a sales team structure and training program

A well-defined sales team structure and comprehensive training program are vital to a successful sales and marketing plan. The structure of the sales team should outline roles, responsibilities, and reporting hierarchies to ensure efficient workflow and clear lines of communication.

Along with getting the structure right, you must ensure that your sales reps have the right training and coaching to improve their skills, ramp up product knowledge, and stay aligned with the right messaging and communication techniques.

Teams should work closely with sales enablement to schedule regular training sessions that not only focus on enhancing existing skills but also address emerging market trends and customer expectations. Continuous improvement is key, and fostering a culture of learning within the sales team contributes to adaptability and responsiveness. This dual emphasis on structure and training ensures the sales team is well-organized and equipped to navigate challenges.

Download resource: What Good Onboarding, Training, and Coaching Look Like

Create a sales forecasting model

Creating a sound forecasting model provides a structured framework for predicting future sales performance. This model involves analysis of historical sales data, market trends, and external factors that might impact sales.

The sales forecasting model should incorporate variables such as product demand, pricing strategies, and market conditions to provide a comprehensive and accurate estimation.

A well-crafted model not only aids in resource allocation, inventory management, and budgeting but also serves as a proactive tool for anticipating challenges and capitalizing on emerging opportunities, contributing to the overall success of the sales and marketing plan.

Continuously Optimize

Recognizing that markets, consumer behaviors, and competitive landscapes evolve, an effective plan should be agile and responsive. This involves regularly reviewing KPIs, analyzing data, and soliciting feedback to identify areas for improvement.

Whether refining marketing strategies, adjusting sales tactics, or fine-tuning messaging, the goal is to stay attuned to shifts in customer preferences and market trends. By fostering a culture of continuous optimization, businesses can adapt swiftly, capitalize on emerging opportunities, and mitigate potential challenges.

Execute Your Sales and Marketing Plan with Highspot’s Sales Enablement Platform

Aligning your sales and marketing plans is no easy task. Highspot’s sales enablement platform aligns marketing initiatives with sales goals to maximize collaboration. By tracking key metrics across the buyer’s journey, you’ll know how to drive measurable revenue growth that improves lead acquisition and retention. Book a demo today !

The Highspot Team works to create and promote the Highspot sales enablement platform, which gives businesses a powerful sales advantage to engage in more relevant buyer conversations and achieve their revenue goals. Through AI-powered search, analytics, in-context training, guided selling, and 50+ integrations, the Highspot platform delivers enterprise-ready sales enablement in a modern design that sales reps and marketers love.

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16 Sales Plan Templates to Plan Your Sales Strategy

Written by: Olujinmi Oluwatoni

Crafting an effective sales plan creates the stage for your sales team to exceed targets and secure those coveted wins.

But let’s face it, it demands hours of meticulous planning. On top of that, time is a luxury that can be hard to find amidst a whirlwind of meetings, pitches and follow-ups in sales.

That’s why sales plan templates come in handy. They streamline your sales planning efforts, enhance productivity and ultimately improve your team’s chances of achieving sales targets.

In this article, we’ve curated a collection of the finest templates out there, designed to rescue you from the time-consuming ordeal of creating your sales plan from scratch.

Let's get to it!

Table of Contents

Benefits of using a sales plan template, 16 sales plan templates you can use.

• How to Create a Sales Plan Template With Visme
• Utilizing a template when creating a sales plan is time-efficient, creates structure and organization, ensures consistency and facilitates communication and alignment.
• To create a sales plan template with Visme, sign up or login to Visme, choose a template, gather all the necessary information you need, customize the template and download or share the document.
• Visme offers a user-friendly interface with a wide range of customizable templates, advanced features and AI-powered tools to help you create stunning sales collaterals, sales enablement content and sales plans that will help you captivate your audience and accelerate your sales growth.

Using a template to jump-start your sales plan creation offers a number of benefits.

Let's take a look at some of the benefits:

• Structure and Organization: A sales plan template provides a structured format, guiding you through essential steps to create a comprehensive sales plan. With a template, you can capture all necessary elements, like setting goals, outlining the target market, sales strategies , timelines and lots more.
• Time Efficiency: Using a template saves time by eliminating the need to create your plan from scratch. You can focus on customizing the template to your specific business needs rather than starting from a blank page.
• Consistency: A standardized sales template ensures consistency across different sales teams or periods. This means you can easily track progress and compare results.
• Communication and Alignment: A well-structured sales plan template aids in communicating goals, strategies and expectations to stakeholders, ensuring everyone is aligned toward common objectives.

Build relationships with customers and drive sales growth

• Reach out to prospects with impressive pitch decks and proposals that convert
• Monitor clients' level of engagement to see what they are most interested in
• Build a winning sales playbook to maximize your sales team's efficiency

Sign up. It’s free.

There are so many ways Visme can help you close more sales . For a start, we've carefully selected these pre-made sales plan templates to jumpstart your process. Each template can be fully tailored to suit your business needs.

Here’s what one of Visme's clients had to say about our templates and service:

Now, let’s get to the templates!

1. Sales Business Plan One Pager

Looking for a way to efficiently communicate the critical information of your sales plan to stakeholders in a concise format without overwhelming details? This sales business plan template is your silver bullet.

It uses a mix of subtle and bold colors to emphasize content, making it visually impactful. You can utilize the template sections to capture your sales tactics, goals, target audience, key performance metrics and more.

Short on time? Try Visme's AI document generator to quickly create your business sales plan or any document. Just input your prompt, offer some context, choose a design and watch it generate your draft in seconds.

2. Sales Employee 30-60-90 Day Plan

Take advantage of this sales employee 30-60-90 day plan for efficient onboarding of your new sales team members. This minimalistic template features a clean white background with black and grey accents. Each page also boasts engaging visuals that complement the content.

Utilize the template’s sections to outline specific objectives, goals and actionable steps for the first 90 days, including growth strategies, sales targets and more.

Make your sales plan engaging by incorporating animations and interactive elements like animated text, graphics, hotspots, pop-ups and hover effects to reveal additional information. With these additions, your team members can go through the plan in a more engaging way.

3. Company Territory Sales Plan

Create a strategy to refine your sales efforts within specific territories with this sales plan. It features sections for defining territories, identifying target customers, setting sales objectives, implementing tactics and evaluating performance.

With a vibrant purple color scheme, impressive fonts, icons and a sleek minimalist layout, this template ensures your sales plan stands out.

Easily leverage Visme's AI Touch-Up Tools to fine-tune your visuals, whether it's sharpening, removing backgrounds, or replacing elements, ensuring your images are perfect for the template.

4. Sales Budget Plan

This sales budget plan template is an indispensable asset for businesses aiming to effectively manage finances while optimizing sales strategies .

The template comprehensively covers vital budgeting aspects, encompassing revenue objectives, cost of goods sold, sales expenses and allocation for marketing and promotional endeavors.

Its structured use of color schemes, typefaces, fonts and design elements ensures a coherent and engaging document.

Avoid the hassle of manually incorporating brand elements repeatedly. With Visme's brand design tool , simply input your website URL and watch as it automatically integrates your brand assets into your brand kit.

5. Business Development Sales Plan

Need to create a business plan that’ll drive business expansion? This template is your sure bet.

It not only employs a stylish fusion of colors but also integrates captivating visuals, icons and data widgets in each slide.

With sections spanning company overview, launch plan, target market, goals, plans, budget and more, this template simplifies sales planning processes.

Engage your team seamlessly through Visme's collaboration tool , fostering commentary, annotations and idea exchange for refining the plan collaboratively. With Visme's workflow feature, you can effortlessly manage roles, tasks, progress and deadlines in a unified platform.

6. Product Market Expansion Sales Plan

Seeking to introduce your products to new markets or expand within existing ones? This product market expansion sales plan template is your best bet.

It features a bold, modern design adorned with vibrant colors, compelling imagery and dynamic graphics, offering a visually engaging way to present your ideas.

This sales planning template features detailed sections covering market analysis, competitive landscape, marketing strategies, distribution channels, sales tactics and performance metrics.

Customize colors and fonts and leverage customizable charts and widgets. You can use Visme’s library of data visualization tools , including charts, graphs, maps, and widgets, to create concise sales pitch presentations .

7. Company Sales SOP Plan

This company sales SOP plan template is an essential asset for businesses seeking to efficiently standardize and streamline their sales procedures.

What sets the template apart is its incorporation of captivating visual elements. The images and graphics elevate the document's visual appeal, while the vibrant color palette sparks emotions and enthusiasm. The layout also ensures a clutter-free presentation and directs focus towards critical aspects of the content.

You can utilize the template’s sections to provide a detailed description of your goals, workflow and protocols for your sales activities.

Leverage Visme’s dynamic fields to effortlessly update information, data and dates across multiple projects with a single click. Dynamic fields enable swift adjustments to company details, results, or sales plan recipients, ideal for distributing multiple proposals to various stakeholders.

8. Consulting Revenue-based Sales Plan

This sales plan example is a specialized framework crafted specifically for consultants and consulting firms seeking to propel revenue growth through strategic sales initiatives.

Designed with a white background, balanced black tones and accents of orange and gray, this template offers a harmonious visual aesthetic that exudes vibrancy.

Dedicated sections within the template focus on client acquisition strategies, service offerings, pricing models, sales pipelines and performance metrics directed towards revenue targets.

Struggling with content creation? Visme's built-in AI writer simplifies the process. This sophisticated tool aids in text creation, modification and proofreading, saving valuable time and energy while ensuring the production of high-quality content. Just input your prompt and watch the tool perform its magic.

9. Sales Cloud Software Sales Plan

Tailored for software sales managers or sales teams in tech companies, this template is your compass for crafting an impactful sales strategy for your company.

The template features a color palette blending a white backdrop with accents of lemon and black tones. It also employs subtle shadows, clean lines and ample open spaces, which improves readability.

Use the template’s sections to highlight your market analysis, target audience identification, competitive positioning, sales strategies, customer acquisition tactics and lots more.

Your sales plan doesn’t have to be boring. Spice it up with visually appealing images and interactive icons. Simply browse through Visme's vast collection of stock photos, icons and more to choose the visual that suits your needs.

If you cannot find the exact you need, then utilize Visme's AI image generator. This feature allows you to craft unique photos, paintings, pencil drawings, 3D graphics, icons, abstract art and beyond. Just input a precise prompt and begin generating your personalized visuals effortlessly.

10. Sales Business Plan Infographic Template

Creating a comprehensive sales plan often entails complex steps, which might pose challenges when presenting to potential stakeholders. This template offers a concise yet thorough way to showcase your plan, emphasizing crucial elements while minimizing excessive text.

Its dynamic presentation, enriched with a captivating fusion of colors and visuals, offers an impactful way to convey information.

The template’s sections allow you to visualize your goals, timelines, market analysis, strategies, performance metrics and more.

You can utilize this template for your sales meetings, strategy sessions, or as a comprehensive reference tool for your sales team.

11. SaaS Product Sales Plan

Craft a high-impact sales approach for SaaS products effortlessly with this template. Whether you're a SaaS startup founder, a product manager, or part of a tech company's sales team, this template will help you create a concise plan.

This template has a sleek white background complemented by shades of green and nude tones. Its design elements, coupled with compelling charts and graphics, also make it a breeze to convey your sales insights.

The template’s section covers essential sections such as market analysis, target audience profiling, competitive assessment, pricing strategies and customer acquisition tactics.

What's more, you can download your design in JPG, PNG, or PDF formats for printing or easy sharing with team members for collaborative efforts.

12. Digital Marketing Agency Sales Plan

Designed for digital agency owners, sales managers, or marketing teams, this template offers a structured approach to craft a robust sales strategy.

With a sleek, contemporary design, user-friendly layout and engaging visuals, this template effectively conveys your vision and offers a detailed roadmap to accomplish your agency's objectives.

It covers sections on market analysis, target audience identification, service offerings, pricing strategies, lead generation tactics and performance metrics. Tailor the template to match your brand's style, ensuring a unified and visually appealing plan.

13. Real Estate Sales Plan

Tailored explicitly for real estate agents, brokers, or agencies, this template is a great tool to outline strategies to proficiently market properties and close deals. It employs captivating fonts, vibrant colors and graphics that’ll engage your sales team members.

You can utilize the template’s sections to outline your executive summary, sales goals and KPIs , revenue targets, target markets, marketing strategy, prospecting strategy, budget and lots more.

14. Marketing Agency Sales Plan

For your marketing agency's success, a well-organized sales plan is pivotal. This marketing agency sales plan is a great tool to craft a robust sales strategy that attracts clients effectively.

The modern design boasting a harmonious color palette, enriched with images and icons gives the plan a great visual appeal. It includes sections to detail your market analysis, target audiences, service offerings, pricing strategies, lead generation tactics, budget allocation and performance metrics.

For added flair, you can animate this annual sales plan template with illustrations, incorporate characters and integrate clickable interactive icons.

15. Health Insurance Sales Plan

This specialized health insurance template is crafted exclusively for insurance professionals aiming to optimize their sales strategies, specifically for health insurance products.

The template provides a refined layout while integrating vibrant and compelling imagery. It covers comprehensive sections on market analysis, identifying target audiences, competitive analysis, pricing strategies, lead generation tactics, regulatory compliance and performance metrics.

Effortlessly incorporate data from platforms such as Google Sheets, Excel and various tools directly into your charts and graphs. Once connected to your data sources, your charts and graphs will dynamically adjust to any changes in the external data, keeping your information organized and up-to-date.

This feature boosts the professional quality of your sales plan while simplifying data handling.

16. Customer Product Sales Plan

This Customer Product Sales Plan template offers a strategic framework designed for businesses seeking to enhance sales by prioritizing the customer's perspective. The striking combination of grey, black, and white gives it a great visual appeal.

From sections like customer segmentation, market analysis, product positioning, sales tactics and more, this template has everything you need to create a comprehensive sales plan.

For detailed tracking of data, leverage Visme analytics . Monitor views, engagement and interactions to gain insights into audience interaction with your visual content. You can easily track your audience’s activities by customizing and saving each document separately with the prospect's name.

How to Create a Sales Plan Template with Visme

With the wide variety of features and templates available in Visme, you can quickly whip up visually appealing and professional sales business plans.

Here’s how to write a sales plan using Visme.

Step 1: Register or Log in to your Visme Account

Create a new Visme account or sign in if you're already a user. Once logged in, you can dive into Visme's impressive array of features and tools.

Step 2: Choose a Suitable Template

Choose a sales plan template that matches your unique needs and objectives. Visme offers an extensive collection of professionally designed templates tailored to your project or initiative.

Step 3: Input Relevant Content

Once you’ve selected your template, the next step is to input relevant information into it. The information you’ll require here depends on the type of sales plan template you’ve chosen.

Simply replace the template’s placeholder content with yours. With Visme's user-friendly editor, you can quickly and easily add, edit, or remove pages and content to suit your needs.

Step 4: Input Your Sales Data By Integrating Visme With Your CRM

A sales plan typically includes various sales data such as target market analysis, sales strategies, product or service details, and lots more.

One of the perks of using Visme to create your sales plans is that it offers seamless integration with CRM tools like Salesforce and HubSpot. This connection enables direct input of your sales data and client information from your CRM into your visual content. This way, you can showcase up-to-date sales data within your sales plan.

The integration also allows easy export of projects created in Visme to your HubSpot or Salesforce storage. When you have all your sales data in one central place, you create a single source of truth for your sales team.

This will aid the effective execution of your sales activities.

Here’s how to set up Visme’s integration with Hubspot or Salesforce:

• Go to the Visme Apps section and click HubSpot or Salesforce
• Log in to your HubSpot or Salesforce account using your credentials to connect your account to Visme.
• Access your HubSpot or Salesforce files within Visme, then select the specific file you want to incorporate into your Visme project.
• When you are done with the project, select the dropdown next to the Download button to export the file directly to your HubSpot or Salesforce storage.

Step 5: Customize the Template

Once you've selected a template and gathered the necessary information for your sales plan, the next step involves crafting the content and personalizing the template to suit your needs.

Simply replace the placeholder content in the template with your own. Visme's user-friendly editor allows you to seamlessly add, edit, or delete content and rearrange design elements across the canvas.

You have the flexibility to modify text by adjusting font size, style, color, alignment and even add animations. Easily tailor section headings, include or exclude sections and ensure the content aligns perfectly with your project or organization.

Earlier, we highlighted several features and design elements within Visme that will assist you in customizing your sales plan templates. Take advantage of these tools and features to craft visually appealing and professional sales plans tailored to your needs.

Step 6: Download and Share

Publish and share the completed sales plan with relevant team members and stakeholders. You can download designs in PDF, JPG, PNG, or HTML5 formats or easily share them via email or a shareable link. Plus, effortlessly publish your content anywhere online by generating a code within the Visme app.

Sales Plan FAQs

Q. what are the 7 steps to creating a sales plan.

Here are 7 steps to create a sales plan:

• Review Sales and Customer Data
• Set Clear Objectives
• Identify Gaps and Opportunities to Improve
• Define Sales Strategies
• Establish KPIs
• Create an Action Plan
• Allocate Budget and Resources:

Q. What Should a Good Sales Plan Include?

A typical sales plan includes the following sections:

• Executive Summary
• Sales Goals
• Target Market
• Competitors Analysis
• Action Plan
• KPIs to Measure
• Team Structure

Q. What Does a Sales Strategy Plan Look Like?

A sales strategy plan typically consists of several key components, including:

• Market Analysis
• Value PropositionTarget Audience
• Sales Objectives
• Sales Channels
• Sales Tactics and Techniques
• Resource Allocation

Q. How Do You Write a Sales Strategy Plan Template?

Follow these steps to write a sales strategy plan template:

• Analyze the Market and Persona
• Define Your Sales Goals
• Analyze Current Position and Opportunities
• Align Sales and Marketing
• Create Sales Strategies
• Define Sales KPIs
• Map Out Your Action Plan
• Evaluate Budget and Resource
• Create a Timeline

Easily Design Captivating & Data-Driven Sales Plans with Visme

A well crafted sales plan will help you focus efforts, allocate resources effectively and adapt to market changes, ultimately contributing to sustainable profitability.

Thanks to Visme, creating your sales plans doesn't have to be overwhelming.

Visme is a comprehensive tool for effortlessly creating engaging and data-driven sales plans. Its broad range of features, customizable options, AI-powered tools, and templates allow for the creation of professional-quality plans.

You can also utilize Visme's real-time collaboration tools and versatile sharing options to seamlessly engage all stakeholders in crafting and conveying your sales plan, irrespective of physical proximity.

Beyond sales plans, Visme can be used to create various business assets, such as sales presentations, infographics, e-books, whitepapers and more.

Ready to level up your company's sales game? Sign up or book a demo to discover how Visme can help your sales team drive tangible results.

Put together stunning sales plans using Visme

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About the Author

Olujinmi is a Content writer for Visme who creates human-first SEO content. She loves helping businesses smash their ROI goals with strategic content development and optimization. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her composing songs.

The Sales Manager's Guide to Strategic Planning

Updated: February 18, 2021

Published: December 30, 2020

Have you ever felt like your sales team is doing an okay job, but you know they could be doing better? Or, alternatively, perhaps you're second-guessing some of your hiring decisions — could you have found a rep who would've sold more?

Fortunately (it's a good thing, we promise), this may be due less to the people you've hired and more to the guidance you've provided.

For instance, if you've previously handed your salespeople a list of potential customers and sent them on their way with "You've got this!" ringing in their ears, you might actually be inhibiting your team's growth potential.

On the other hand, if you provide them with a strategic sales plan that clearly outlines the company's goals — and a thoughtfully laid out system to get there — you can expect your salespeople to impress.

Here, let's dive into what a strategic sales plan is, plus how to make one for your own team.

What is a strategic plan?

If sales is a journey, your strategic plan is the roadmap you'll provide your team to help them reach their destination. It is one of the most important activities you will ever do as a sales manager because, without it, your sales team will have no direction and no instruction manual to follow in order to achieve their targets.

This roadmap allows the company to focus on long-term revenue through both the retention of existing customers and the acquisition of new customers. They are often created with investors and shareholders in mind.

What are the benefits of creating a strategic plan?

A strategic plan is essential because if none exists, your sales reps are left to their own devices, making uneducated decisions based on the information they have in the moment. Without knowledge of the company's long-term goals, you can't blame your reps for falling short — they're just working with what they have.

By creating (and following) a strategic plan, you:

• Create a "North star" for your business by establishing a sense of direction
• Allow your organization to be proactive instead of reactive
• Make your team more efficient and productive
• Increase profitability
• Provide baseline expectations your team needs to meet when/if your team hits unexpected challenges

The Elements of a Strategic Plan

This document is sometimes created quarterly, but more often yearly, and it includes several different elements. By answering these questions, you'll be able to create a robust strategic sales plan for your business. You don't have to do this alone. Instead, I'd urge you to collaborate with some of your top salespeople, who likely have unique insights to offer.

What did your business look like last year?

Before you can decide where you're going, you need to know where you've been. A few things to look at (though not all!):

• How much was sold?
• Who on your team closed sales?
• Who were the customers that purchased?
• Will they be back for repeat business?
• How long is your sales cycle?
• Which clients took up the most time vs who had the highest revenue?

What does the market look like?

This includes information about your specific industry and the other companies playing in the same arena. Has anything changed from past years?

What is your value proposition?

What makes your product the right solution for prospects' problems? What makes your company different than all the others who offer similar products or services? Now is a great time to do a SWOT Analysis to determine your:

• Opportunities

Be honest. Sugar-coating this exercise won't help you grow.

Who are you selling to?

This includes your target market as well as your buyer personas. Your answers from the prior year question will come in handy here. Knowing who buys your product is important. Knowing who takes up 80% of your time and only brings in 20% of your revenue is gold. Your buyer persona will tell you who your ideal client is, and who you should stay away from.

How much do you need to make?

What are your target revenue goals for the year? For the quarter?

How are you reaching them?

These are the strategies and tactics you will use to connect with your customers. They include:

• Marketing tactics to attract new customers
• Ways to grow existing accounts or bring back old customers
• Methods for leveraging existing customers for referrals

Your sales process should be noted here, as well as the prices you charge and any planned promotions.

Who is on your team?

Outline the structure of your team and clearly communicate who is responsible for what — and by when.

What resources exist?

What tools will your team have access to in order to reach their revenue goals. What type of support will they receive from you, other departments, and outside sources?

Keep in mind that even after the company's strategic plan is created, you will need to work with your individual salespeople to determine how they will meet their individual goals and create a clear plan for them to follow with check-ins and key performance indicators along the way. This will include:

• Their individual revenue goals
• How many sales that represents
• How many calls it typically takes to close those sales
• How much time they should spend on sales calls
• How to work with existing clients and past clients to increase their purchases and give referrals

Strategic Sales Templates and Examples

Like most things in business, there's no need to reinvent the wheel or start from scratch when there are wonderful examples to model your strategic plans after. Once you find one that fits your industry and your company's structure, you can tweak it to meet all of your needs.

Here are a few examples to review:

• A one page strategic plan
• SWOT Exercise
• Sales Strategy Blueprint

If you want your sales team and your business to thrive, creating an annual strategic sales plan is the best action you can take. With a specific destination and a clear path to get there, your salespeople will have the tools they need to succeed.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Better Knowledge. Your Insight Is Sharper

The Ultimate Guide to Marketing and Sales for Business Growth

Updated: September 1, 2024 · Reviewed by: Ahmad Nasrudin

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission if you purchase through our links. This helps support our work.

This guide offers a comprehensive overview of marketing and sales strategies for business growth. It covers essential topics like understanding your target market, building a robust marketing strategy, implementing effective sales tactics, measuring success, and navigating international markets. You’ll be equipped to attract, engage, and convert potential customers into loyal clients by the end.

Understanding Your Business and Your Customers

To effectively market your business, understand your target market’s demographics, psychographics, and behavior. Develop a compelling customer value proposition that highlights your unique selling points. Determine your company’s market position and tailor your messaging accordingly. Identify your unique selling proposition and offer value-added products to differentiate your business and attract customers.

1. Define your target market

Your target market is the specific people you want to reach with your products or services. To market to them effectively, you must understand their characteristics, needs, and preferences.

Market segmentation

Divide your potential customers into smaller, more manageable groups based on shared characteristics. These characteristics can include:

• Demographics: Age, income, location, family size, etc.
• Psychographics: Interests, values, lifestyles, attitudes, etc.
• Behavior: Purchasing habits, brand loyalty , usage frequency, etc.

By segmenting your market, you can tailor your marketing messages to resonate with each group more effectively.

Consumer behavior

Understanding how your target market researches, evaluates, and purchases products or services is essential for developing effective marketing strategies. Consider the following questions:

• How do your customers find out about your products or services?
• What factors influence their purchasing decisions?
• What are their biggest concerns or pain points?

Answering these questions will help you identify the key touchpoints in your customers’ journey and tailor your marketing efforts accordingly.

Customer value proposition (CVP)

Your customer value proposition is your unique value to your target market. It goes beyond simply listing features and benefits; it should highlight how your product or service solves your customers’ problems and improves their lives.

• What makes your product or service different from competitors?
• How does your offering benefit your customers?
• What problem does it solve for them?

A strong customer value proposition will help you differentiate your business from competitors and attract customers who are looking for the specific value you provide.

Market leadership and market challenger

Understanding your company’s market position is crucial for tailoring your messaging. If your company is a market leader , you can leverage your dominant position to emphasize your brand’s trustworthiness and reliability. For example, you might highlight your long history, customer satisfaction ratings, or industry awards.

If your company is a market challenger , you can differentiate yourself by offering a more innovative, affordable, or specialized solution. For instance, you might focus on your product’s unique features, lower prices, or niche expertise.

2. Identify your unique selling proposition (USP) and value-added products

Your unique selling proposition (USP) is the key factor that sets your business apart from competitors. It should be something your target market values and your competitors cannot easily replicate.

• What makes your product or service different from others?
• How does it uniquely solve your customer’s problems?
• What are the key benefits that customers will appreciate?

Once you’ve identified your USP, incorporate it into your marketing messaging to attract customers looking for that specific value.

Value-added products

In addition to your core product or service, you can offer value-added products to enhance the customer experience and increase perceived value. Additional features, benefits, or services could complement your main offering.

• What additional features or benefits can you offer to your customers?
• How can you provide a more comprehensive solution?
• What can you do to exceed customer expectations?

Offering value-added products can differentiate your business from competitors, build stronger customer relationships, and increase customer loyalty.

Building Your Marketing Strategy

To build a successful marketing strategy, define clear objectives, understand your target market, and implement the marketing mix (product, price, place, promotion, people, process, physical evidence). Prioritize customer value management by collecting and analyzing customer data to personalize marketing efforts. Focus on highlighting the benefits of your product or service and using customer testimonials to build trust.

Marketing objectives

Marketing objectives are the specific goals you aim to achieve through your marketing efforts. They provide a clear direction for your marketing strategies and help you measure your success. Here are some common marketing objectives:

• Increase brand awareness. Make your brand more recognizable and familiar to your target audience. This can be achieved through various channels, such as advertising, public relations, social media, and content marketing .
• Generate leads. Attract potential customers interested in your products or services by capturing contact information through forms, landing pages, or social media interactions.
• Drive sales: Convert leads into paying customers by effectively promoting your products or services. This can be done through targeted marketing campaigns, sales promotions, and excellent customer service.
• Foster customer loyalty. Build strong customer relationships to encourage repeat purchases and positive word-of-mouth. This involves providing exceptional customer experiences, personalized offers, and loyalty programs.
• Increase market share. Outperform competitors to gain a larger portion of your target market. This requires effective marketing strategies to differentiate your brand and attract more customers.
• Improve brand reputation. Enhance your brand’s image and perception in consumers’ minds through positive brand associations, crisis management, and ethical practices.

By setting clear and measurable marketing objectives, you can align your marketing efforts with your overall business goals and track your progress toward success.

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The marketing mix (7Ps or 4Ps):

The marketing mix encompasses the seven (or four) key elements you can adjust to influence customer behavior:

• Product: The core offering itself, including its features, benefits, quality, branding, and packaging. When strategizing, consider the product lifecycle stages (introduction, growth, maturity, decline).
• Price: The amount customers pay for your product. Pricing strategies include market-based, competitive, value-based, premium, and penetration pricing.
• Place: The channels through which your product reaches customers. This could be direct sales, online channels, distributors, or retail stores.
• Promotion: Strategies to communicate your product’s value to your target market. Common tactics include advertising, public relations, social media marketing, content marketing , and sales promotions.
• People: The human element of your marketing. Consider your sales team, customer service representatives, and anyone interacting with your customers. Their skills and training significantly impact the customer experience.
• Process: The internal systems and procedures for delivering your product or service. Streamlined processes ensure smooth transactions and customer satisfaction.
• Physical evidence: The tangible elements representing your brand, including your website, store environment, packaging, and customer service interactions. Consistent and positive physical evidence reinforces the brand image.

Marketing mix examples: E-commerce customer value

In an online business, your website is a crucial element of the place component of the marketing mix. It’s your digital storefront and needs to be designed to attract and convert customers.

• User-friendly. Make sure your website is easy to navigate and use. This means ensuring a clear and intuitive layout, easy-to-find information, and a smooth checkout process. Consider conducting user testing to identify any usability issues and make necessary improvements.
• Visually appealing. Your website should have a clean and attractive design that reflects your brand and is consistent with your brand identity. Use high-quality images and videos to enhance the user experience.
• Optimized for conversions. Ensure your website encourages customers to take action, such as purchasing or signing up for your newsletter. This involves strong calls to action, creating a sense of urgency or scarcity, and minimizing distractions.

Customer value management

Customer value management involves effectively managing customer data and interactions throughout the entire customer journey. Collecting and analyzing customer data can personalize your marketing efforts and provide a more tailored experience.

• Collect customer data. Gather information about your customers, such as their preferences, purchasing history, demographics, and online behavior. This data can be collected through website forms, surveys, and purchase records.
• Analyze customer data. Use data analytics tools to identify trends and patterns in customer behavior. This will help you understand your customers’ needs, preferences, and pain points.
• Personalize marketing efforts. Tailor your marketing messages and offers to individual customers based on their preferences and needs. This can include personalized email campaigns, product recommendations, and targeted advertising.

By effectively managing customer value, you can build stronger relationships, increase customer loyalty, and improve your overall business performance.

Customer value marketing

Customer value marketing focuses your campaigns on showcasing the value proposition and benefits customers receive from your product or service. Instead of simply highlighting features, emphasize how your offering solves customers’ problems and improves their lives.

• Highlight the benefits. Clearly articulate the value customers will derive from your product or service. Use persuasive language and storytelling to convey the benefits effectively.
• Use customer testimonials. Share positive feedback from satisfied customers to demonstrate the value of your offering. Social proof can be a powerful tool for convincing potential customers.
• Focus on customer needs. Understand your customers’ pain points and tailor your messaging to address them. Show how your product or service solves their specific problems and improves their lives.

Focusing on customer value can create more compelling marketing campaigns that resonate with your target audience and drive conversions.

Implementing Your Sales Strategy

To implement a successful sales strategy, understand the sales funnel and tailor your approach to each stage. Utilize techniques like cold calling and networking to generate leads and build relationships. Prepare compelling sales presentations that address customer needs and highlight your product’s benefits. Leverage a CRM system to manage customer interactions, track sales opportunities, and provide personalized service.

The sales funnel

The sales funnel represents the journey potential customers take toward becoming paying customers . Each stage requires a specific approach:

• Awareness. Attract potential customers through marketing efforts that generate brand awareness and highlight your value proposition.
• Interest. Engage potential customers by providing informative content that addresses their needs and showcases the benefits of your offering.
• Desire. Convince potential customers that your product or service is the solution they’ve been looking for. Highlight positive customer testimonials and social proof.
• Action. Incentivize potential customers to purchase with clear calls to action, attractive offers, and streamlined purchasing processes.

Sales techniques

Cold calling involves directly contacting potential customers by phone. Prepare a script, be enthusiastic, respect their time, and follow up with interested prospects. Networking involves attending industry events to connect with potential customers. Prepare a brief introduction, be proactive, and follow up with contacts. Both techniques can effectively generate leads and build relationships.

Cold calling and networking

Cold calling and networking are two effective sales techniques that can help you generate leads and build relationships with potential customers.

Cold calling: Reach out to potential customers directly by phone to introduce your product or service . While it can be challenging, cold calling can be effective strategically.

• Prepare a script. Develop a concise script outlining your key points and addressing potential objections.
• Be confident and enthusiastic. Project a positive and enthusiastic tone in your voice.
• Be respectful of your prospects’ time. Respect your prospects’ time and avoid rambling on.
• Follow up. Follow up with prospects interested in your product or service.

Networking: Attend industry events, conferences, and trade shows to connect with potential customers and build relationships. Networking can be a valuable way to generate leads and referrals.

• Prepare a brief introduction. Develop a concise introduction highlighting your business and your offer.
• Be proactive. Seek out opportunities to connect with potential customers and build relationships.
• Follow up. Follow up with contacts you meet at networking events to continue the conversation.

Sales presentations

Effective sales presentations can help you persuade potential customers to purchase your product or service.

• Prepare a compelling presentation. Highlight your product’s or service’s key benefits and address potential objections. Use visuals and storytelling to make your presentation engaging.
• Practice your delivery. Rehearse your presentation to ensure you deliver it confidently and effectively. Pay attention to your body language, voice tone, and pacing.
• Tailor your presentation to your audience. Customize your presentation to your audience’s specific needs and interests. Research your prospects to understand their challenges and how your product or service can help them.

Customer relationship management (CRM)

A customer relationship management (CRM) system can help you manage customer interactions, track sales opportunities, and provide personalized service.

• Choose the right CRM software. Select a CRM system that meets your specific needs and integrates with your other business tools. Consider factors such as ease of use, features, and cost.
• Enter customer data. Record all relevant customer information, including contact details, purchase history, preferences, and interactions.
• Track sales opportunities. Use your CRM to track sales leads and opportunities, from initial contact to closing the deal. This will help you stay organized and follow up with potential customers.
• Provide personalized service. Use customer data to personalize interactions and recommend relevant recommendations. This can help build stronger relationships with your customers and increase customer loyalty.

By effectively utilizing cold calling, networking, sales presentations, and CRM, you can build strong relationships with potential customers, identify sales opportunities, and close more deals.

Measuring Success

Conduct market analysis to stay updated on industry trends, competitor activities, and customer preferences. Research consumer behavior through surveys, focus groups, interviews, and social media listening. Use sentiment analysis to monitor public opinion and identify areas for improvement. This information will help you make informed decisions and effectively tailor your marketing and sales strategies.

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial for measuring the effectiveness of your marketing and sales efforts. These metrics provide valuable insights into your business’s performance and help you identify areas for improvement.

Here are some essential KPIs to consider:

• Website traffic. Monitor the number of visitors to your website and track their behavior using analytics tools. This will help you understand how people find your website and what they do once they get there.
• Lead generation. Track the number of potential customers interested in your products or services. This can be measured through inquiries, sign-ups, or other contact forms.
• Conversion rates. Calculate the percentage of leads who become paying customers. This metric shows how effectively your sales efforts convert potential customers into actual customers.
• Customer satisfaction. Measure customer satisfaction through surveys, reviews, and feedback. This will help you identify areas where you can improve the customer experience and build loyalty.
• Return on investment (ROI). Determine the financial return on your marketing and sales investments. This will help you assess the effectiveness of your spending and identify areas where you can allocate your resources more efficiently.

By tracking these KPIs, you can better understand your business’s performance and make data-driven decisions to improve your marketing and sales strategies. For example, if you notice a decline in website traffic, you can investigate the reasons and take steps to increase it.

If your conversion rates are low, you can analyze your sales process and identify areas for improvement. You can optimize your marketing and sales efforts and drive business growth by continuously monitoring your KPIs and making data-driven adjustments.

Marketing research

Marketing research is essential for understanding your industry, competitors, and customers. By staying updated on industry trends, analyzing competitor activities, and researching consumer behavior, you can make informed decisions to improve your marketing and sales strategies.

Key areas to focus on:

• Customer preferences: Understand your target market’s needs and wants.
• Industry trends: Keep track of emerging trends in your industry.
• Competitor analysis: Analyze your competitors’ marketing strategies and offerings.

Market analysis

Staying updated on industry trends, competitor activities, and customer preferences is essential for making informed marketing and sales decisions. This information can help you identify opportunities and challenges and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Here are some key areas to focus on:

• Industry trends. Please keep track of your industry’s emerging trends and how they affect your target market.
• Competitor analysis. Analyze your competitors’ marketing strategies, product offerings, and pricing. This will help you identify areas where you can differentiate yourself and gain a competitive advantage.
• Customer preferences. Understand your target market’s needs and wants. This information will help you tailor your marketing messages and product offerings to meet their needs better.

Consumer behavior research

Conducting research into consumer behavior can provide valuable insights into your target market’s decision-making process. This information can help you develop more effective marketing and sales strategies.

Here are some research methods you can use:

• Surveys. Collect data from your target market through online surveys or questionnaires.
• Focus groups. Conduct group discussions with potential customers to gather their opinions and feedback.
• Interviews. Interview individual customers to better understand their needs and preferences.
• Social media listening. Monitor social media platforms to track conversations about your brand and industry.

Conducting consumer behavior research can help you better understand your target market and identify opportunities to improve your marketing and sales efforts.

Sentiment analysis

Sentiment analysis involves monitoring social media and online reviews to gauge public sentiment towards your brand. This can help you identify areas for improvement and address any negative feedback.

• Monitor social media. Track mentions of your brand on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
• Analyze online reviews. Monitor reviews on websites like Google, Yelp, and industry-specific reviews.
• Identify trends. Look for customer feedback patterns to identify areas for improvement.

By conducting sentiment analysis, you can gain valuable insights into your customers’ perceptions of your brand and take steps to improve their experience.

Online Marketing

In today’s digital age, it’s crucial to leverage the power of online marketing to effectively reach your target audience. Two key strategies to consider are network effects and mobile marketing.

Network effects

Leverage the power of social media and online communities to create a network of satisfied customers who can promote your brand through word-of-mouth. This is known as network effects. When you provide a valuable product or service, satisfied customers are more likely to recommend it to their friends and family, which can lead to significant growth.

• Build an online community. Create a forum, social media group, or other online platform where customers can connect and share their experiences.
• Encourage customer reviews. Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on your website, social media, and review platforms.
• Offer referral incentives. Reward customers who refer new customers to your business.

Mobile marketing

With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, optimizing your marketing efforts for mobile devices is essential . This means ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, creating mobile-optimized ads, and using mobile marketing channels like SMS and mobile apps.

• Mobile-friendly website. Design your website to be easily accessible and usable on mobile devices.
• Mobile ads . Create ads specifically designed for mobile screens and platforms.
• Mobile marketing channels. Use SMS marketing, mobile apps, and other mobile-specific channels to reach your target audience.

Leveraging network effects and mobile marketing can expand your reach, attract new customers, and drive business growth.

Tapping into the International Market

International marketing involves promoting and selling your products or services in foreign markets. It’s a complex process that requires careful planning and execution. By understanding the key strategies and challenges of international marketing, you can successfully expand your business and reach a wider audience.

Market research

To expand into foreign markets successfully, thorough market research is essential to gain a deep understanding of your target audience and the market dynamics.

• Identify target markets. Determine which foreign markets are most suitable for your products or services based on factors such as market size, economic growth, consumer purchasing power, and competitive landscape. Consider factors like cultural similarities, language proficiency, and existing trade relationships.
• Analyze market trends. Stay updated on your target market’s latest trends and developments to identify opportunities and challenges. This includes monitoring economic indicators, consumer behavior changes, and industry-specific trends.
• Understand consumer behavior. Research consumer behavior in foreign markets to identify their needs, preferences, and purchasing habits. This information will help you tailor your marketing messages and product offerings to resonate with your target audience. Consider factors such as cultural values, lifestyle preferences, and buying habits.

Cultural considerations

Cultural differences can significantly impact the success of your international marketing efforts. It’s crucial to be mindful of cultural nuances and adapt your strategies accordingly.

• Language barriers. Consider the language barriers in your target markets and develop strategies to overcome them, such as using translation services, hiring local staff, or creating multilingual marketing materials.
• Cultural nuances. Be aware of cultural differences in values, beliefs, customs, and etiquette. Avoid using symbols or imagery that may be offensive or misunderstood in foreign cultures. Research local customs and traditions to ensure your marketing efforts are culturally sensitive and respectful.
• Local customs and traditions. Understand local customs and traditions to avoid cultural faux pas and build trust with your target audience. This may include knowing the appropriate greeting customs, gift-giving etiquette, and business practices.

Legal and regulatory requirements

Navigating the legal and regulatory landscape of foreign markets can be complex. Familiarizing yourself with the relevant laws and regulations is essential to avoid legal issues and ensure compliance.

• Import and export regulations. Understand your target markets’ import and export regulations, including tariffs, quotas, and licensing requirements. Research any specific regulations or restrictions that may apply to your products or services.
• Intellectual property protection. Protect your intellectual property rights in foreign markets through trademarks, patents, and copyrights. This will help safeguard your brand and prevent unauthorized use of your products or services.
• Data privacy laws. Comply with data privacy laws in foreign markets to protect customer data and avoid fines or penalties. Different countries have varying data privacy regulations, so it’s important to research and comply with the applicable laws.

International distribution

Establishing effective distribution channels is crucial for reaching your target customers in foreign markets.

• Choose appropriate distribution channels. Select the most suitable distribution channels for your products or services, such as distributors, wholesalers, or retailers. Consider factors like the market size, product type, and your target audience’s preferences.
• Manage logistics. Ensure efficient and timely delivery of your products or services to customers in foreign markets. This includes managing transportation, customs clearance, and warehousing.
• Build relationships with local partners. Collaborate with local partners who have knowledge of the market and can help you navigate the complexities of foreign markets. This could include distributors, retailers, or logistics providers.

Pricing strategies

Determining appropriate pricing for your products or services in foreign markets requires careful consideration of several factors.

• Currency exchange rates. When setting prices, factor in currency exchange rates to ensure profitability. Fluctuations in exchange rates can impact your pricing strategy.
• Local costs. Consider local costs, such as taxes, transportation, and labor when determining your pricing. These costs may vary significantly between countries.
• Competitive pricing. Research competitive pricing in foreign markets to ensure your prices are competitive and attractive to customers. Consider your competitors’ pricing strategies and the perceived value of your products or services in the market.

Promotion and advertising

Effective promotion and advertising are essential for reaching your target audience in foreign markets.

• Adapt your marketing messages. Tailor your marketing messages to resonate with your target audience in foreign markets, considering cultural differences, language barriers, and local preferences.
• Utilize local media channels. Use local media channels, such as newspapers, television, radio, and online platforms, to reach your target audience.
• Partner with local influencers. Collaborate with local influencers who can promote your brand to their followers and reach a wider audience.
• Consider local events and sponsorships. Participate in local events and sponsorships to increase brand awareness and build relationships with the local community.
• Language localization. Ensure your marketing materials are translated into the local language to communicate effectively with your target audience.

Going Online: Harnessing Digital Marketing

In today’s digital age, a strong online presence is essential for businesses of all sizes. Digital marketing offers various tools and strategies to reach your target audience, build brand awareness, and drive sales. By effectively utilizing digital marketing , you can increase your visibility, generate leads, and achieve your business goals.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). By implementing effective SEO strategies, you can attract organic traffic to your website and increase your chances of converting visitors into customers. 

• Keyword research. Identify relevant keywords your target audience is searching for using keyword research tools. These keywords should be related to your products, services, or industry.
• On-page optimization. Optimize your website’s content, structure, and metadata to improve search engine rankings. This includes using relevant keywords in your title tags, headings, and body content and optimizing your website’s loading speed and mobile-friendliness.
• Off-page optimization. Build high-quality backlinks to your website from other reputable websites. This involves creating valuable content that other websites will want to link to and contacting other websites in your industry to request backlinks.

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising allows you to create paid ads at the top of search engine results pages or social media platforms. By targeting your ideal audience and creating compelling ad copy, you can quickly drive traffic to your website and generate leads.

• Create effective ad campaigns. Develop compelling ad copy that communicates the benefits of your products or services and targets your ideal audience. Use relevant keywords and strong calls to action.
• Manage your budget. Set a realistic budget for your PPC campaigns and monitor your spending closely. Use tools to track your performance and make adjustments as needed.
• Track and analyze results. Measure the performance of your PPC campaigns by tracking metrics such as clicks, impressions, click-through rates, and conversions. Use this data to optimize your campaigns and improve your return on investment.

Social media marketing

Social media platforms offer a powerful way to connect with your target audience, build brand awareness, and drive engagement. By creating engaging content, interacting with your followers, and running targeted advertising campaigns, you can leverage social media to achieve your marketing goals.

• Choose the right platforms. Select the social media platforms that are most popular among your target audience. Consider factors such as demographics, interests, and usage patterns.
• Create engaging content. Share valuable, interesting content that resonates with your followers. This could include blog posts, articles, videos, images, or infographics.
• Build a community. Interact with your followers by responding to comments, messages, and questions. Encourage engagement and participation to foster a sense of community around your brand.

Content marketing

Content marketing involves creating and distributing valuable, informative content to attract and engage your target audience. By producing high-quality content that addresses your audience’s needs and interests, you can establish yourself as an authority in your industry and drive traffic to your website. 

• Create high-quality content. Develop informative and engaging content that provides value to your target audience. This could include blog posts, articles, ebooks, webinars, or infographics.
• Optimize for SEO. To improve visibility, ensure your content is optimized for search engines. This includes using relevant keywords, optimizing your page titles and meta descriptions, and building backlinks.
• Promote your content. Share your content on social media, email marketing campaigns, and other channels to reach a wider audience.

Email marketing

Email marketing is a cost-effective way to reach your target audience and build relationships. By building an email list and sending targeted campaigns, you can nurture leads, promote your products or services, and drive sales.

• Build an email list. Collect email addresses from your website visitors, social media followers, and other sources. Offer incentives, such as discounts or exclusive content, to encourage people to sign up for your email list.
• Send targeted emails. Segment your email list based on demographics, interests, or behavior to send personalized messages relevant to each group.
• Track email performance. Measure your email campaigns’ open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to assess their effectiveness. Use this data to optimize your future campaigns.

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About Ahmad Nasrudin

I am an introspective writer with a strong passion for storytelling and a keen analytical mind. Drawing on my experience in equity research and credit risk, I bring a unique perspective to my writing. I aim to provide you with the information you need to start a business or make informed investment decisions. Learn more about me

• Roles of Business: Satisfying Needs and Wants and Creating Value, Jobs, Income
• Sociocultural Environment: Key Factors Impacting Businesses
• Business Size: How Business Scale Shapes Success (Importances, Measurement, Classification)
• Values, Attitudes and Lifestyles (VALS): Categories and Why They Matter
• Span of Control: Importance, Types, Advantages, Disadvantages

Company Plan

Running a busy is no easy task. There are so many aspects that need to be put into consideration. High points are the outcome of hard work while low points test a company’s strength to overcome obstacles. A company’s management must determine lapses and find appropriate solutions to problems that weaken overall operations. This is why it’s important for a company to develop a plan examples .

Holding Company Business Plan Template

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SEO Agency or Company Business Plan Template

SEO Agency/Company Sales Plan Template

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Moving Company Marketing Plan Template

Plumbing Company Marketing Plan Template

A free business plan will help a company identify strategies to improve employee performance and increase product sales. To do so, company meetings are conducted for significant members of the company to formally discuss such issues. They work to develop effective company plans to garner positive outcomes.

Printing Company Marketing Plan Template

Printing Company Sales Plan Template

Security Company Marketing Plan Template

Roofing Company Marketing Plan Template

Painting Company Marketing Plan Template

Painting Company Sales Plan Template

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Flooring Company Sales Plan Template

Catering Company Plan

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Trucking Plan Sample

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Investment Company Plan

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What Is a Company Plan?

A company personal plan is an official statement that typically consists of defined goals and plans for attaining them.

It could include an executive summary of business operations, employee performance, and other relevant matters. It promotes proper communication for business partners, stakeholders, and significant members of the company. A company plan  is important to ensure that a business stays on course with its operations. It sets a direction for the company in terms of what it aims to achieve over a period of time. It also creates a vision for a company to constantly evolve in this ever-changing world.

How to Write a Company Plan?

A company plan can be based on different topics. simple Business plans could center on safety, security, strategy, or even investment. To write a company plan, determine the goals that you want to achieve. You can the attain these goals by developing a plan, a mission for the company to carry out.

A company plan should consist of significant information that can provide a clear layout of company strengths and objectives. A plan needs to contain a detailed review of important aspect of a business. This could be anything from the marketing plan to the company’s inventory. It’s also essential to state financial statements and other supporting information.

Company Strategic Plan

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Company Marketing Plan

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Company Safety Plan

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Printing Company Plan

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Why Should a Company Develop a Marketing Plan?

Customer satisfaction is one of the main factors that keeps a company alive. After all, how can a business continue operations without clients and customers. With this in mind, companies work on developing a good marketing plan.

A marketing plan example plays a significant role in developing a business plan. It covers everything from your target market to your marketing strategies. It also allows a company to constantly grow and develop in the industry. A solid marketing plan will help you establish your brand and achieve a good following of loyal customers. The primary goal of a marketing plan is to put yourself out there. You can do so through good advertising. A company website and publicity gimmicks can easily gather an audience.

A marketing plan works on making your company stand out amidst the long list of competitors as well. Without a proper marketing plan, you company will fall flat on the public radar. You need to consistently switch up your annual marketing plan to gain attention and see an increase in sales.

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Create a study plan for final exams in high school

Develop a project timeline for a middle school science fair.