Tips for planning your sales action plan
The sales action plan, to be effective, concise and clear, must follow a simple presentation model. In addition to the content that must be worked on, I suggest here a framework to follow to prepare your action plan effectively.
Sales Action Plan //
Each year, it is crucial to look at the action plan to adapt to each situation or market trends. The annual report is drawn up and then set new objectives for the coming year. Learn from what happened and adapt your actions, tactics according to your strategies and objective.
Summary report.
Recall the company’s objective and its main business strategies.
The plan
- Analysis of the situation
Reminder of the description of the hotel, its environment, its history // Put its USP (Unique Selling Points) or “key success factors” // Reminder of the positioning of the hotel or if changes are recommended // Update market data (highlights of the past year) on its market (City, Region) and its source markets (Country, International) // Holiday calendar for the coming year // Calendar of festivals, major events for the coming year in its market // Trends, customer needs, experiences and how the teams go beyond, product improvements. - Study of Competition
Up-to-date analysis of its main competitors // State of the competition // SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities Threats) // Recommendations. - Development of sales office activity
Updated analysis of the volume of business provided by the sales offices, sales networks or affiliation network // Review of the past year // Analysis of successes or failures // Setting of objectives for the year to come up. - Sales calendar of actions
Present, in the form of a table by month, the commercial actions carried out // Trade fair trips by target customer // Travel to target cities by market // Travel to target countries by market. - Sales activity by market segment
Present an analysis and quantified objectives by market segment of the situation: Corporate market – MICE – Individual Leisure // Present the key accounts according to their annual volume generated // Report for the past year and objectives for the coming year / / Price positioning strategies // Status of contracts signed // Comparison of the competition in terms of product-price // Commission strategy for intermediaries (Market 5 * = TO 20%, DMS 15%, Travel agencies 10% , OTAs depending on contracts). - Sales activity in international markets
Present a file by target international market (National Tourism Office and your Regional Tourism Office can send you updated data each year) // Analysis of market trends – Economic situation – Tourist situation // Strategies developed according to market segments // Agencies or networks targets for marketing the destination // Figures achieved and targets.
Report of figures & appendices
Present the appendices of the action plan // Price list by yield (season) and room categories // Calendar of events over the year by date with prices per day // Precise organization chart of the sales team with per person: the mission , the markets covered per person, the geographical areas treated, the company accounts managed and the distribution of tasks by market segment if versatility.
Present the turnover per month as a target compared to last year.
Present the commercial expenditure budget according to the action plan presented and by month. If at cruising speed, in the 5 * segment, the Sales & Marketing budget (including personnel costs) varies between 4% and 8% of the company’s total turnover, it can rise by 10% at 20% during the first years of launch or recovery period.
