Last month Mark Roberts shared how hope is not a sales strategy. As we enter May, and you are 33% of the way through the year, where are you relative to goals? Are you “just managing”? Slightly ahead? What does your pipeline look like to ensure you are going to exceed your goals?
And remember, there are sales goals, strategic goals (you know, the one to support someone’s new product offering!), and then there is the really important goal – the profit goal.
Here’s the second part of Mark’s insights where he shares thoughts on developing a “real” business plan to help you optimize the other 2/3rds of the year.
And to help you make the most of the rest of the year, Mark has shared his template for a “Rest of Year Sales Plan”. Click to open and download, for free.
How to Replace Hope with a Real B2B Sales Plan
If you read the last post, you already know: Hope is not a sales strategy.
So, what is?
A real sales strategic plan is not:
- A PowerPoint
- A forecast
- A number
It’s a system your team can execute every week.
Here’s how to build your strategic sales plan.
Step 1: Get Honest About Where You Are
Before you fix anything…particularly fix sales problems…
You need the truth.
Not the CRM version.
The real version.
Ask questions:
- Which deals are actually real?
- Where are we winning—and losing?
- Which accounts are growing vs. shrinking?
- What’s our real conversion rate?
Clarity beats comfort.
Every time.
Step 2: Build the Plan from the Outside In
Most sales plans are built internally.
That’s the problem.
The best plans come from:
- Customers
- Lost deals
- Market reality
Ask:
- Why do customers actually buy from us?
- Why do they leave?
- Where are competitors winning?
If you don’t know…
You’re guessing.
Step 3: Define Where Growth Will Come From
Be specific.
Not:
“Grow revenue 15%”
But:
- Which accounts?
- Which segments?
- Which products?
- Which opportunities?
- How much growth will be organic?
- How much growth will come from new customers?
- What sales volume do we expect from new products?
- What is our sales goal from new markets?
If everything is a priority…
Nothing is.
Step 4: Define the Activities That Drive Results
Revenue is a result.
Activities drive revenue.
Your plan must answer:
- How many requests to meet?
- How many meetings per week?
- How many new opportunities?
- How many proposals?
- What conversion rates are required?
- What should our sales pipeline size be based on our close rate history?
No activity plan = no execution.
Step 5: Fix the Biggest Constraint First
Don’t try to fix everything.
Find the bottleneck:
- Weak pipeline? → Fix prospecting
- Low win rates? → Fix discovery & value
- Stalled deals? → Fix process & urgency
- Margin issues? → Fix pricing discipline
Focus wins.
Scattered effort fails.
Step 6: Upgrade Sales Skills (Targeted, Not Generic)
Most training fails because it’s too broad.
Focus on what matters now:
- Discovery & Qualifying
- Value communication
- Multi-stakeholder selling
- Follow-up discipline
- Closing
Train. Practice. Reinforce.
Step 7: Install Real Accountability
This is where most B2B sales plans fail.
Accountability is not:
- Quarterly reviews
- End-of-month pressure
It’s:
- Weekly deal reviews
- Pipeline inspection
- Activity tracking
- Coaching conversations
- Manager and salesperson performance agreements
Key Rule:
Accountability without coaching = punishment
Accountability with coaching = growth
Step 8: Manage Leading Indicators
Stop managing outcomes. They are already in the past.
Start managing inputs:
- Pipeline creation
- Deal progression
- Conversion rates
- Sales cycle
If these improve…
Revenue follows.
Step 9: Create a Cadence
Execution requires rhythm:
- Daily: Focus
- Weekly: Pipeline + deals
- Monthly: Performance vs plan
- Quarterly: Strategy
No cadence = no consistency.
Step 10: Lead the System
This is where it gets uncomfortable.
If your team is running on hope…
That’s not on them.
That’s on leadership.
Your reps don’t build systems.
They operate within them.
If you give them:
- A number
- A territory
- And no plan
They will fill the gap with activity.
Not strategy.
If you hope they just figure it out…
They might but will it be revenue at customers and profit margins you want?
The No Smoke & Mirrors Bottom Line
You don’t need:
- More leads
- More tools
- More pressure
You need: A clear, executable sales plan.
Final Thought
The gap between where you are and where you want to be…
Will not close on its own.
Hope won’t close it.
A plan will. Let’s talk if you want to replace hope with a real B2B sales plan.
About Mark Allen Roberts
Mark Allen Roberts has over 35 years of experience in driving profitable sales growth in market leading organizations, having done it at Timken, VMI, Gardner Denver, Mobility Works, Frito Lay and many clients in his sales consulting practice. He is the founder of OTB Solution and has a business development blog No Smoke and Mirrors. He helps clients diagnose and improve sales effectiveness and hire and develop their sales talent to improve sales results. Mark can be emailed at mark@nosmokeandmirrors.com
Leave a Reply