How well did your sales strategy work out for you in 2011?
If it achieved your goals – well done, and congratulations. If it left you disappointed and frustrated – commiserations, better luck next time.
Will 2012 be different? Most people see the new year being even more difficult than the old one. In virtually every market confidence is dropping, competition is getting hotter, there are fewer deals around and they are all harder to win.
Austerity is the new word on everybody’s lips. We all have to get used to the idea of more work, for less reward.
Market conditions like these are treacherous for sales people. Simply surviving the year will be most people’s measure of success. Only the winners will still be standing after the fall out.
Are there ways sales organisations can load the dice? Can anything be done to mark the cards, gain an advantage, get an edge? Maybe there is?
Your sales strategy is where you should be looking. Get really real about who should buy, what they should buy, how much they should pay, and why they should pay you.
Review what happened in 2011. What worked out the way you expected, and what didn’t. What could you have done differently to win those deals you lost, or the others which simply melted away.
Now look at how conditions will be different in 2012. Are there new opportunities to outflank the competition? Is there a new proposition you might adopt to reduce the customer’s risk.
Taking a hard look at last year’s performance and next year’s market conditions, and making the tough choices which focus resources on the best opportunities will give you the best chance of surviving and even thriving in 2012.
For more thoughts on sales strategy check out Who Needs a Sales Strategy
