Coming over the horizon, you see that highway traffic ahead is stopped due to construction. Do you settle into the line of motionless vehicles, or do you dive onto the exit that appears to your right, not knowing where it will lead? Neither choice sounds very promising, but is there a better alternative? Yes. It’s called strategic planning, and just as it can help you avoid unwanted delays and detours on the highway, it is essential if you want to stay on track in your organization with consistent plant operations producing consistent orders to meet consistent sales demand.

Here’s how you can map out a winning strategy to reach your sales destinations as quickly as possible:

First, some definitions:

A strategic plan is comprised of a set of measurable goals, coupled with a list of the most important, most effective things you or your sales team can do to reach those goals.

Sales strategy is the planning of sales activities and methods designed to reach clients and close sales. This, of course, means collaborating with other departments to solidify your target market, your competitive differentiators, and key resources available.

Sales tactics are the day-to-day activities of selling, including all parts of the sales process from prospecting to closing to following up.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember about strategic sales planning is this: You will be much more likely to reach your goal if you have one. In a manufacturing organization, it is vital that sales and operations, and engineering all must work in concert with one another to ensure your sales team is selling the right product to the right customer and the company has the right capacity to deliver.  The lack of a coordinated effort will result in lost opportunities, lost time, and lost revenue.

What should the ultimate strategic sales plan include?

The destination. What is your sales team’s ultimate goal? More touches with new customers? More sales of newly engineering products? Make sure your sales team knows not only the route but also what success looks like.

Preferred routes. The plan should dictate the path (which companies, which contacts, which product). Consider all relevant factors to determine if the direct route might actually be less desirable in the long run. For example, sales and operations working together to ramp the production of your new product could give your company a competitive edge in delivery.

Likely roadblocks or obstacles. Don’t let your team fall into the narrative of another “big one that got away” because key factors were unknown or discovered too late. Do your homework — proper strategic sales planning will reveal potential roadblocks early enough so you can avoid distractions and stay on track.

Deadlines and accountability. Without them, your plan isn’t really very meaningful.