Sales Planning 101: How to Crush Your Quota and Grow New Accounts

Two Tall Guys Talking Sales

Welcome back to Two Tall Guys Talking Sales! In this episode, hosts Kevin Lawson and Sean O'Shaughnessey dive deep into the nuts and bolts of individual sales planning. This conversation moves beyond just hitting quotas—it’s about creating a personal strategy that drives you toward success. Whether you’re starting fresh in a new fiscal year or planning for growth, Kevin and Sean have you covered with actionable advice, real-world examples, and inspiration for developing your own winning sales plan. Get ready to sharpen your tools and plan to exceed your quota!

Key Topics Discussed

• Building Your Sales Plan (2:00): Sean breaks down the critical elements of creating your personal sales plan, including setting a quota, calculating the number of deals you need to close, and how to push yourself beyond expectations.

• Analyzing Your Existing Customer Base (4:10): Kevin emphasizes the importance of understanding your existing customers, maintaining relationships, and strategically growing accounts that can carry you through the year.

• Knowing Your Competitors and Market (6:30): Both hosts discuss the significance of competitor analysis and knowing your market, down to the behaviors and needs of your customers.

• Planning for New Accounts (9:00): Sean challenges listeners to add new accounts to their plan and start treating those prospective clients like they are essential to your financial future.

• Collaborating with Marketing (11:00): Sean and Kevin stress the importance of working hand-in-hand with your marketing team to fill the gaps in your sales plan and generate quality leads.

Key Quotes

• Sean (2:50): “If you’re supposed to do 50 deals to hit your million-dollar quota, guess what? You have to do 60. We’re going over quota—no excuses!”

• Kevin (4:40): “Am I taking care of the customers that I know I should be taking care of? Yes or no. It’s really straightforward.”

• Kevin (5:50): “Know who your competitors are, and know who you want to do business with. Don’t just rely on marketing to tell you—figure it out for yourself.”

• Sean (9:55): “You need to think of these prospective accounts as your best friends. If they are important to your success, know everything about them.”

Additional Resources

• If you missed last week’s episode on Building a Sales Plan That Works: Aligning Vision with Execution, go back and listen for an in-depth look at building sales strategies from a leadership perspective. https://sites.libsyn.com/458454/site/building-a-sales-plan-that-works-aligning-vision-with-execution

A Significant Actionable Item from this Podcast

Identify 20 new accounts you do not currently have a relationship with and begin learning everything about them—competitors, pain points, goals, and market behaviors. Integrating these targets into your sales plan today can set you up for growth and success as early as January.

Summary

This episode of Two Tall Guys Talking Sales is packed with valuable insights for every sales professional looking to take control of their personal sales plan. Kevin and Sean encourage you to meet your quota and exceed it by going the extra mile—analyzing existing customers, targeting new ones, understanding your competitors, and working closely with marketing to generate leads. Whether you’re an individual salesperson or a sales leader, this conversation will leave you energized and ready to tackle the coming months with a winning strategy. Don't miss this episode!

To understand if your company is doing a great job in sales, take this quick and easy 10-question assessment: https://salesxceleration.com/sales-agility-assessment/?locationid=28995327 You can reach out to Kevin at Lighthouse Sales Advisors & Sales Xceleration - [e-mail] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwlawson/ You can reach out to Sean at New Sales Expert, LLC & Sales Xceleration - [e-mail] - https://www.linkedin.com/in/soshaughnessey/