5 Reasons You Should Use a 12-Week Sales Projection

By Matthew Parker

The following post was originally published by Printing Impressions. To read more of their content, subscribe to their newsletter, Today on PIWorld.

Here’s why every salesperson can benefit from a 12-week sales projection:

You gain focus

Having a projection that lasts just three months means you have to get on with it. Unlike many long-term sales plans, it is not possible just to forget about it for a while. Also, because the project is fresh, initial enthusiasm is kept.

You get results quickly

This isn’t just about succeeding after a three-month period. You should see results coming in way before that. They may not always be sales: they can also be new connections and prospects, calls or even communications going out from your company.

You plan activity not just numbers

Most sales planning is all about the end number. Don’t get me wrong: this is vitally important. However, it is just as important to know how you are going to get to those numbers. You have to plan the prospect journey and the right activities around this. How many calls, e-mails, social media engagements and direct mail drops do you have to carry out each week.

You check in every week

The other key factor in a 12-week sales projection is to review every week. Did you carry out what you planned? If not, what stopped you and how can you prevent this being a barrier next week?

You know if it’s working or not

The weekly check-in should also review whether your activity achieved the results you wanted. Did your social media connection requests lead to enough new prospects? Did enough people answer your calls or open your e-mails? Do you need to review the targets in your project in order to get the right results? Change the messaging slightly? Or even move to a new project rather than wasting your time on something that just isn’t working?

Try setting yourself a 12-week sales project

“How To Succeed At Print Sales” gives you precise instructions on how to create a 12-week sales project. I also share lots of ideas on different sales goals for 12-week sales projects.

PS Find out more ideas on how to engage with today’s buyers: download my free e-book “Ten Common Print Selling Errors and What To Do About Them” right now at http://profitableprintrelationships.com/e-book/ You’ll also receive my regular “Views from the print buyer” bulletin, full of ideas on how to sell print effectively

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Matthew Parker Author's page

Many printing companies are frustrated how hard it is to engage buyers in today’s world. That’s where Matthew Parker can help. He is a gamekeeper turned poacher. Parker has bought print for more than 20 years and received over 1,400 print sales pitches. He now uses his buyer’s point of view to give practical advice to printers. He helps them engage with prospects and customers to create profitable relationships.

Download his free e-book, "Ten Common Print Selling Errors And What To Do About Them" and check out his recently launched book, "How To Succeed At Print Sales: Setting targets, planning the right activities and making sure goals are met."