Sales is a game of numbers they say. In a sense it is. How much money a salesperson wants to make. How many contracts get signed. How many prospects get called.

The fact is that to make a sale you have to contact X number of prospects, pitch Y number, visit Z number, to get A number of contracts signed. Some would call that simple math. Others call that the Numbers of Selling. But what to do with the numbers?

You need a Sales Plan. A Sales Plan is your blueprint for your Sales Efforts. It can be adjusted as you go, but it serves as a foundation to get you started on your sales efforts. It will describe the following:

• What salary are you shooting for?
• How much vacation will you take?
• Who will you target?
• What will you sell the target?
• How will you develop leads / prospects / clients?
• How many calls per day, per week?
• How will you follow-up?

This is Goal Setting 101. You need to know what you are aiming for to get there.

Who will you Target: This is required for every market segment, every vertical, that you will chase. Some businesses have multiple targets. In Pharma, a sales rep will call on specialists, pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics. All under the same specialty (or vertical), like cardiovascular. In tech, the sales plan may have 3 targets: consumer / residential; SOHO; and very small business. A SIC code can be a target. Each target has a different need.

What will you sell to each Target: Not every target will have the same needs. Each target (segment or market) should have a mini-plan that includes what you are selling to them, questions you will ask them, sales pitches, USP, and What’s In It For Them.

How will you develop Leads: This is big one because most salespeople want leads handed to them or they wait by the phone for one to ring in. Sales is about Hunting. You can get leads by cold calling (or appointment setting), door knocking (or canvassing), networking (at the Chamber of Commerce), leads groups (like BNI), speaking, trade shows, press releases, website, Adwords, webinars, demos, referrals, direct mail, advertising, etc. You can buy leads (from Harte-Hanks). Make a list of every possible way you can sell your product. Get creative and specific.

How Many Calls: Back to the numbers. It varies, but you want to be prepared for each call. Do you have your Open Ended (Probing) Questions? Have you done some research on the company? Do you have your Elevator Pitch or USP? Have you got the answer to What’s In It For the Prospect? I’m not saying you have to script it, but you have to be prepared and confident. (I’m also not saying spend 7 hours per day “Getting Ready”).

How will you Follow up: Following up is the key to says. It is an indicator to the prospect of service expectation. If the prospect has questions and you get back to him with the answers, that is service he can appreciate. Sending relevant news articles to your prospect is another great way to follow up. A checklist of sales tips from Entrepreneur.com includes ways to follow up. It takes an average of 7 touches to get a client to buy.

You might want to add a section on Motivation. What will keep you motivated? Solid goals help, but maybe reward yourself for hitting some milestones. I won’t get that Starbucks frapp until I make 5 follow up calls this morning.

The next part is the Sales Process. One example is here.