Keeping it simple: Plan, execute, evaluate

February 16, 2015

By Joe Harford, founder of Reclamere

All machines need some sort of oil to run. This is no different when it comes to the machine that produces revenue for your company or organization – sales and marketing. The oil of your sales and marketing is your plan. Each sales call and marketing task needs to be calibrated so it can work with maximum efficiency. By identifying certain challenges ahead of time, you can plan accordingly. Planning, executing and evaluating your resources allow you to move forward as a properly calibrated sales and marketing machine.

Plan

A relationship forges between marketing efforts and sales growth when you start with a plan. A well thought-out, written plan will reveal areas of opportunity and predict potential gaps (or areas for concern) in growth. That way you can allocate money and resources accordingly.

Execute

Once the strategy is agreed to, you have to begin executing the plan. The plan or strategy certainly acts as a guide, but sticking to it is something else completely. Get excited about your plan and picture the outcome. Schedule tasks as benchmarks to make sure you hit your goals. Share with your entire team (not just sales and marketing) to create accountability.

Evaluate

And lastly, be sure to step back and evaluate your plan in action so you can recognize successes and make necessary changes. Look in the mirror to get a true assessment of how things stand. By taking an honest look at where you are, you will be able to identify where you are not, and how to proceed.

There are many challenges in sales and marketing, with no quick fixes. Knowing how to plan, and then how to work your plan, is your best bet for growth. Planning will take out the guesswork and keep you on track running your business. Have the guts to follow through and you will succeed.

“A goal properly set is halfway reached.” – Zig Ziglar

Join me at the NAID 2015 Annual Conference in my session, “Building the Marketing and Sales Machine,” at 11:30 a.m. on March 21.