This year, we’re all about more in 2024. The best way to hit your targets is to know what you’re aiming for, right? And, as with every stratco, bosberaad or indaba, most companies carry out this time of the year, we haul out the whiteboard, Bakers biscuits, and Endearmints and whip up some semblance of a sales strategy.
But to this we say “strategy schmategy”!
You don’t need another copy-paste presentation.
You don’t just need a few colourful sprinkles on your vanilla goals. Unless your goal is “snore” in 2024.
No, like Bonnie Tyler, you need a hero.
You need something that will blow the competition out of the water, that will set your sales reps on fire, and make your prospects fall deeply, madly in love with your brand this year.
We need a moreish game plan. Or, as we like to say, a Rassie-fied game plan.
Here’s how.
1. Take it personally, really personally
As with Rassie’s highly publicised emphasis on his ‘why’, your sales team also needs to know why.
We don’t mean why they go to work in the morning.
No, your job is to show them why your ideal customer engages with you.
Why do they need you?
Why do they choose you above the rest?
Why do they keep choosing you?
To do this, you need to know your ideal customer inside and out. Your B2B sales strategy rises and falls on how well you do this first step. No shortcuts here; like running drills and eating broccoli, you need this first before the glory comes.
- Know your target market. The word ‘target’ is pretty important here, if you want to hit anything, that is. Go super granular – what industry are they in, what sub sector of that industry is your sweet-spot, how many staff they have, what geographical area are they in? And so on.
- Develop a buyer persona – This is pure fiction, but it is based on cold, hard sales data of your ideal customer. Give them a name, job title, their challenges, their motivators, their trigger words, and anything else that will help. If you don’t have a sales data analytics tool, this can be tricky. Once done, go all out on this: give your team training, print out a giant post of your personas and stick them up all over your sales office. Target acquired. Target locked on.
2. Hindsight is more than 2020-vision; its 2024 clarity
Your historical sales data is your treasure trove. No more gut-feel decisions, or ‘let’s do what our competitors are doing’ this year. Again. Not if you want more closed deals this year, that is.
Analyse your 2022 and 2023 sales data to identify patterns, trends, and customer preferences.
- Which products were bestsellers?
- Which territories showed the most growth?
- Which problems did you solve best?
- Which areas need work?
If you can calculate this information, you have stats to forecast future trends and customer needs.
Alternatively, if you have Skynamo sales CRM, you will already have access to a whole range of sales dashboards and reports that give you a clear indication of what is happening in your sales teams.
Bump that up a notch with Skynamo RADAR, and you get pro-level sales intelligence that gives you so many sales insights, you’ll be able to guide your sales team over the winning line with every try.
3. Use sales tech to your advantage this year
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and hoping for a different result. We can say the same about processes and systems. If you still use manual admin processes, spreadsheets, or even Whatsapp to manage your teams, you’ll get the same results (or worse) than before.
Field sales CRM, sales analytics, and sales mobility apps are not just buzzwords in B2B sales, they are your life support systems in the vast, evolving ocean of B2B sales. They are like Rassie’s lights while your team is neck deep in mud, sweat, and grit, and need some calm, confident clarity.
For 2024, you need this comprehensive view of your sales data so you can make informed decisions quickly.
Also, unlike other sales apps, Skynamo integrates seamlessly with your existing systems so you have a unified view of your sales operations. Bring it all together, and you’ll see how sales makes sense with Skynamo.
Staying ahead in 2024
So, the key to a successful sales strategy in 2024 is a blend of personalised, insightful historical data analysis and advanced tools like Skynamo RADAR. By following these steps, you’re not just prepared for the year; you’re setting the stage for unprecedented success. So, embrace the data, wield your sales tools unreservedly, and let’s make 2024 a year of remarkable sales achievements, together.
