Your sales don’t have to be limited by seasonal or economic challenges. By creating a structured, repeatable and adaptable sales plan, you can build sustainable business growth.
“Without structure, sales teams operate reactively,” says Bill Benoit, VP of sales and marketing for The Integra Group. “A repeatable process ensures consistency, and adaptability is critical in our seasonal and highly competitive industry. A strong sales plan allows companies to forecast, measure, and improve performance so they’re not just hoping for more revenue; they’re actively pursuing their ideal customer.”
Benoit will provide a step-by-step approach to developing a sales plan that aligns your business objectives, market trends, and client needs during his session, “Building a Bulletproof Sales Plan: A Roadmap for Sustainable Growth” on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 2 p.m. at ELEVATE.
“Attendees should walk away with a clear framework for building a solid sales plan,” Benoit says. “This includes understanding how to structure a sales process, define and pursue the right prospects, set some realistic goals, and use data to make better decisions.”
This session is ideal for business owners, sales leaders and account managers.
Creating a Sales Plan
Benoit says while every lawn and landscape company will have different services, market position and growth stage, there are some foundational elements to every sales plan. This includes having clear goals, ideal client profiles, and a defined sales process and cadence.
“Each company needs to start with clarity of their business goals, whether it’s growth, profitability, or market segment,” Benoit says. “Then research local market conditions and evolving client expectations. Use this information to shape their offerings, pricing, and messaging. Finally, align their team’s activities with those objectives through training, CRM tracking, and consistent coaching.”
Benoit says you should develop your goals by starting with your historical data. Look at what has been sold in the past, to whom and at what margins. Then you should consider your readiness for growth and your capacity to take on new work such as staffing, equipment, market demand and company growth goals.
“Goals should stretch the team but be grounded in reality so all promises can be kept to new clients,” Benoit says. “Regular reviews and adjustments to the plan are important. Sales plans need to be malleable.”
Benoit adds you can create predictable revenue even when the economy is impacting demand by diversifying your services and customer base.
“Strengthen client relationships to retain recurring business,” Benoit says. “Invest in tools like a business operating system that allows the leaders to make informed business decisions during the estimating, proposing and the renewal processes along with a solid CRM that provides insight into sales activity. Predictability comes from a purpose and thoughtful approach.”
Building a Strong Sales Team
Another element to sustained business growth is having a high-performing sales team. Benoit stresses the importance of building accountability and having a good follow-up cadence so your team can perform consistently.
He recommends hiring individuals who are sociable, driven and have high integrity. Then you can train them in your sales process and how to build relationships and serve your clients.
“Set clear expectations that align with the company’s core values, provide positive coaching, and recognize results,” Benoit says.
If you build a sales culture where people feel supported, empowered and valued, they will thrive.
“If someone is responsible for growing a business in the landscape industry, this session will give them actionable tools to drive sustainable growth,” Benoit says. “They’ll leave with some strategies tailored to the everyday challenges landscape companies face when trying to grow, such as running a solid sales mtg, teaching a training methods for landscapers who haven’t sold before but would like to try, and understand what to do when they stumble. It’s more than theory; it’s a practical application.”
Ready to build a high-performance sales team and drive predictable revenue? Register for ELEVATE and we’ll see you in Phoenix, Arizona!
