Do you want to get your business off the ground? Put a sales strategy in place. Okay, it’s not quite that simple, but almost. By following all the steps that come before, make up, and follow the development of a sales strategy, I have NO DOUBT that you will see the results of your work. Understand what it is, its benefits, the steps to follow, and the different types of strategies, and move forward with your sales strategy. So hop on board, we’re taking an all-inclusive cruise to the wonderful land of won-over customers!
What is a sales strategy?
A sales strategy brings together the means and directions to put in place to achieve your sales objectives. So there are a few prerequisites. To define and implement your sales strategy, your sales objectives must take into account the market, your business model, as well as your vision and the values you embody. The sales strategy is also built as an extension of the marketing strategy. It answers three essential questions:
- what are you selling?
- who are you selling to?
- what resources do you have available to sell?
How to build it in 5 steps?
Let’s build the ideal sales strategy for your company together, step by step!
- Define your objectives
For this, you can use methods such as the SMART method, which allows you to cover all the essential questions needed to define objectives clearly and precisely.
It states that your objective must be:
- Specific, very clearly defined
- Measurable, because in marketing what is not measured does not exist
- Achievable; like any objective, it can be challenging but never impossible
- Relevant; it must address an issue
- Time-bound
- Define your target (and understand your market)
Knowing who you want to sell to is essential. You need to know the sales persona, that is to say, the typical profile of your target. Based on your marketing persona, it is a very specific subset.
Once your target is clear, take the time to understand them well, to learn more about the issues this category faces, what is happening in their world, etc.
- Define the actions to put in place
Whether they are prospecting, promotional, or even advertising actions, you need to define which actions can enable you to achieve your objectives and therefore form part of your sales strategy. These actions should be framed as much as possible: who does it, under what conditions, at what time, etc. For example, a qualification call can be a sales action in your strategy. For this one, you can say, for example, that it will be carried out by the salesperson in charge of the contact, for all contacts who have submitted a contact form, by phone or video conference, with the aim of getting to know the client’s project better. Take the opportunity to establish the list of questions to ask!
- Define indicators to monitor your strategy
Your strategy is ready. Congratulations! To implement it properly and assess it regularly, put indicators in place to track your progress thanks to your strategy. The number of sales, conversion rate, increase in average basket size, customer loyalty, and drop in churn rate are all factors to track and watch closely in order to quickly adapt your strategy to the results. Also keep an eye on your sales pipeline. However, do not forget the external factors that influence your sales (holiday season, sales periods, or a global pandemic, for example)
- Define actions to improve it
Test, test, test, evaluate, adjust, and test something else! There is no miracle recipe; each market has its own sales levers, which evolve very quickly. Also stay on the lookout for new developments, through sales communities on social networks, webinars, etc.
Why implement a strategy?
Not putting a sales strategy in place is a bit like going on vacation to the other side of Europe without a GPS (or a map, you cheater!). You will probably end up like Christopher Columbus, minus the discovery of a new land. So if you do not want to get lost, put your sales strategy in place. You will gain in efficiency and revenue and see your sales performance rise.
The different strategies
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Innovation
Having a product that is constantly evolving is a considerable advantage. You will adapt to the market according to feedback from your customers or prospects.
By being at the cutting edge of technology, you will find an audience looking for quality and exclusivity, with novelty being a real lever for them!
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Prospecting
Marketing and sales techniques can be a strategy in their own right. Do things differently in these areas, dare to step off the beaten path, and you will find a market! Communication channels your competitors do not use, very well-trained salespeople, an unconventional tone, a strong presence on social networks: it is up to you to find the right tool for your sector. Keep in mind that you are notably trying to sell your brand before your product, in the same way that a customer buys the salesperson before the product!
The lever to look for here is more about likability
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Differentiation
By creating a difference, you will have a strong argument for your prospects: you are the only ones offering this feature. That little extra is worth its weight in gold, since it allows you to become THE benchmark in your field.
The pain point here is generally pride, but you can also offer more comfort by adding a return or refund policy that your competitors do not offer, better after-sales service!
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Low cost
The same thing as elsewhere, but cheaper! This is often what is sought in markets where there is a great deal of competition, and it still works. You will need to make sure you can do volume in order to be profitable, since you will certainly lower your margin. Be careful, however, not to be too cheap, as that can create an impression of poor quality and mistrust.
The “pain” (the problem expressed by the prospect) here: money, of course.
All that remains is to finalize and implement your sales strategy, now that you know the reasons and the methodology to follow. Feel free to send us your feedback; among salespeople, feedback from experience is always valuable, and we are also delighted to share!
