This is the January Sales Management Meeting Topic our subscribers received.  To get sales and sales management meeting topics, visit us at https://www.meetingtowin.com/subscribe to see all the options.  Enjoy the following exercise as a realistic and motivating start to the new year.

Meeting to Win
Sales Management Meeting Topics
January Topic:  SWOT Your Team for the New Year

Hello Sales Leaders,

You’ve probably all done SWOT Exercises before and the new year is a great time to go through this important and eye-opening exercise again.  I suggest re-visiting it at least twice a year to see what’s changed, what you’ve been able to address and prioritize sales management activity.  Do this exercise as a team for the region.  Each sales manager may want to take it down to their own territory level at the same time.  The outcome of this exercise will be an action plan and awareness around the realities of the STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES and THREATS facing you and your team in the new year.  Understanding the playing field is important in your overall game strategy.

In the following chart,

1. As a team, list the region’s STRENGTHS.  This list could include things like top performers, struggling competitors, stronger economy, no open sales territories, etc.  List anything about your region that could be considered a strength.
2. As a team, list the region’s WEAKNESSES.  This could be open territories, low-price competitor, natural disaster, etc.
3. As a team, list the region’s OPPORTUNITIES.  This could be an upcoming marketing campaign, new products, etc.
4. As a team, list the region’s THREATS.  This could be competitors recruiting your top performers, lowering employee morale, etc.

 

STRENGTHS
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
WEAKNESSES
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
OPPORTUNITIES
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
THREATS
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________

 

Once you’ve completed your lists, answer the following questions:
Which strengths can you maximize in the new year?
1.  ____________________
2.  ___________________
3.  ___________________

How will you do this?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

What weaknesses can be eliminated? (open territories, etc)
1.  ____________________
2.  ___________________
3.  ___________________

How will you do this?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

What opportunities can you seize?
1.  ____________________
2.  ___________________
3.  ___________________

How will you do this?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

What threats can you eliminate?
1.  ____________________
2.  ___________________
3.  ___________________

How will you do this?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

What strategies can you use to combat your weaknesses and threats?  For example, if a competitor is undercutting their price, you cannot eliminate this threat.  What strategy can you use to reduce this threat?

Weakness or Threat	Strategy
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________
_____________________________________	_____________________________________

From this exercise, choose the 3 things that your sales management team can do to make the most impact on 2010’s sales performance.
1.  ____________________
2.  ___________________
3.  ___________________

What is the action plan to do these 3 things and what results do you expect?  When will they be completed?  When will you see the desired results?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Nice work.

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