Sales Plan Project

Goals:

Research specified type of business and create an appropriate sales force development plan

Design a prospecting plan that makes sense for this business. (Don’t give me the whole kitchen sink. What the core prospecting activities in which your outside salespeople are to engage).

Decide on a selling system (a philosophy of interacting with customers) that makes sense for this business

Identify specific, measurable, desirable attributes of your sales staff

Create a process for tracking progress and holding your salespeople accountable for the prospecting activities described above.

Outline an appropriate sales training program

Devise an appropriate compensation plan

Showcase the knowledge you acquired in this course

The Business

You’ve opened an office furniture store in Ocala. You carry a nice selection of midrange products. Your prices are neither the highest nor the lowest so selling by being the lowest bidder is not an option most of the time. You have a nice showroom but realize that the real money is not in selling a desk here and there to a walk-in customer but rather in furnishing whole offices. For that you’ll need an outside sales force. Your target market is medium to larger businesses within fifty miles of Ocala but you’ll take smaller sales if the opportunity cost is not too high. Your business is reasonably well capitalized so you can spend some money on marketing but not so much that you can totally rely on marketing generated leads.

Note: Your plan is for the business above. Your plan must focus on the outside sales aspect of the business. Your plan is just that: a plan, not a narrative. It must look great. It must be something that you would be proud to show to potential investors. It must be useful to sales management. It must include all relevant tools, tables and checklists. It must demonstrate thorough knowledge of the topics covered in this course.

Do not put this off until the last minute. Writing a good plan takes some thought and effort.