This is my last 2-Bullet Tuesday of 2023, so you can focus on finishing the year strong. We’ll be back the second week of January. Until then, I wish you and yours a happy, safe, and restful holiday season.
If your company is on a calendar year-end, there are 18 working days left before we head out for the holidays and close the books in 2023.
It may be easy to overlook that Q1 2024 results have been in the works for six months or longer.
Meaningful Q1 deal decisions and bookings have likely been in the sales pipeline since Q3, and your marketing initiatives started even earlier.
These last working days of 2023 are an ideal time to review a few sales plan execution motions to deliver strong 2024 results for Q1.
2024 Q1 SALES PLAN EXECUTION TIPS
1-Prioritize
There’s more to get done than the time and resources you have available.
What are the 3-5 critical success factors will increase your ability to achieve your goals?
It’s rarely more than five factors, and you’ll need a relentless focus on the most critical ones, as we know unplanned distractions happen and demand our time.
Critical Success Factor example: # of won deals over $250,000.
2-Make Action Plans
SMART – Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, Time-bound
SMART goals are essential to align your team behind the critical success factors.
Critical success factors typically require the attention of several to many people, and everyone has a day job.
The only way to balance focus and the day jobs is to hold everyone accountable via regular progress updates.
3-Weigh Yourself Often (It’s a Metaphor)
If you want to lose weight, will you step on the scale once a quarter or once per week? I know it’s a metaphor, but it works.
Reviewing action plans and tracking critical success factor progress is not a quarterly exercise.
Distractions and competing priorities abound, so it’s easy to lose focus on the critical success factors. A bi-weekly cadence is ideal. Things don’t always go as planned, and if things go poorly, countermeasures may be needed.