Do you see what I see?

Without a clear vision, sales team can’t know the goals
It’s often been said that there is no way you can successfully build something unless you have a plan. That’s true in part. Yes, you must have a plan, but it’s the execution of the plan that determines its ultimate success or failure.
For the sales leader, the blueprint for creating a high-performance sales organization is the sales vision.
As the leader it is your responsibility both to your company and your people to create a plan of action – a plan that can be executed by all, that will garner an excitement and willingness to achieve high standards, that will reap financial rewards for all involved and that enables you to maintain order, provide clear direction and, most important, clearly establishes you as the leader.
Your sales vision requires a great deal of time and thought. It is a message that you will want to deliver directly to your sales team in a one-way format – not in a conversational, give-and-take manner. It should not be open for discussion; remember, you are the leader. Your people expect you to share your experiences and expertise in leading them. Your people should trust you as a leader who understands them and who will design plans with their best interests in mind.
There may be one other key component to creating a strong sales vision. You may have to humble yourself and realize that in the past you did not do all you could have done to ensure the overall success of the team. For example, maybe you didn’t get out in the field as often as you told your team you would. Perhaps you haven’t done any sales training designed to enhance the skills of your people. Maybe you’ve fallen short in meeting one-on-one with your people, truly understanding their challenges and trying to assist them in overcoming those challenges.
As leaders, we all get swept away in the fast pace of the day. Sometimes we lose focus on where we should be best spending our time. So remember, be honest in your own self-assessment. That may lead to your humbling yourself in front of your team.
If you set higher expectations of your people going forward, and if you want to change some of their past behaviors, you must make them aware that you are willing to do the same. That involves a heart-to-heart talk with your staff – a talk which might start out like the following:
“This morning I am going to share with you my sales vision. In my opinion what I am about to share with all of you is a blueprint for success. Just like I have, we all came here to be a part of a winning team. We came here to make a nice living and to build a career path for ourselves. We all believe that this is the company, the industry and the products through which we can achieve our goals. However, as the leader of this team, at this time I don’t feel we are playing at a championship level. This in part is my own fault. I have fallen short in providing the field time, one-on-one time and sales training that you should expect from a great leader. That is going to change today. On the other hand, I also feel that you have fallen short in some areas also that are crucial to your individual success as well as the success of the overall team – areas such as promptness, activity and professional appearance. This vision I am about to share will enable all of us to exceed our objectives. I will share this with you now. If there are any questions or concerns, I will address those individually off-line.”
You are probably saying, Wow! Wow is right. You have just laid the foundation for the execution of your sales vision. Now you must share what you believe the team needs to carry out. You are in control and whatever is put forth now could determine the entire outcome of the success or failure of your team.
Following are some suggestions on what to include in the sales vision.