A B2B sales plan isn’t just a document that collects dust in a shared folder. It’s how your sales team knows what they’re going after, why, and how to get there. This guide breaks down what goes into a sales plan, walks through how to build one that actually holds up, and includes a free template you can download at the end.
What is a B2B sales plan?
A B2B sales plan is how companies strategize and set goals for their sales departments. It gives your team clear objectives, surfaces opportunities during the research phase, and lets you track performance so you can spot problems before they tank your quarter. Think of it as a way to find out whether your team is growing in their sales skills or if something needs addressing.
Now, let’s break down what should go into your sales plan.
What should you include in your strategic sales plan?
Your sales plan needs several key components. Here’s an overview of each section.
1. Introduction
The beginning of the plan gives a brief overview of what it covers. Most people find it easier to write this 2-3 sentence introduction after completing all the other sections.
2. Sales team structure
This section covers the structure of your sales department’s team, including roles, responsibilities, and how reporting flows through the department. It also often includes information about new hires, recent promotions, location changes, sales process updates, and other changes to the structure of your team.
3. Market position/industry
This is where you get honest about where you stand compared to competitors. That means acknowledging when a competitor launched a strong new feature or landed a client you were pursuing.
Gathering competitive intel is easier than it used to be. Modern digital marketing tools and programs surface traffic numbers, brand reach, and other useful metrics without much digging.
4. Target audience
Get specific with your ideal customer profile. “SMBs in the healthcare space” isn’t enough. “Private practices with 5-15 physicians struggling with insurance claim processing and patient billing” tells your team exactly who to pursue and why.
5. Challenges
This section is where you list the challenges your team faces and how you plan to address them. Be honest here.
Common challenges include:
- New competitors entering your space
- Price sensitivity in your target market
- Longer sales cycles due to economic conditions
- Product gaps compared to competitors
6. Sales goals (short/long-term)
Challenges focus on things outside your team’s control. Goals deal with things your sales team can control.
Short-term plans measure objectives from weeks to quarters. Longer-term plans can range from six months to years. This is where you establish KPIs: celebrating a certain number of new clients, growth in total sales over the last period, expansion into new territories, and similar targets.
7. Plan of action (sales strategy)
This is the core of your sales plan. Detail the specific steps your team will take and the sales initiatives you’ll use to hit those goals. Include concrete, actionable steps backed by data. “Increase market penetration” doesn’t cut it. Spell out exactly how you’ll accomplish each objective.
8. Finances
Every company operates on a budget. Include what’s available and how you plan to allocate it across your department. Use this section to list sales totals and revenue goals compared to previous periods, along with any other financial targets your team is pursuing.
9. Summary
Wrap up with a concise 2-3 sentence conclusion. Focus on the future and reinforce your strategy.
6 tips for building a stronger B2B sales plan
Here are a few tips for how to actually build one of these plans well.
1. Set realistic goals
It’s tempting to set targets that impress the leadership team, but unrealistic goals lead to burnout and disappointment. Base your goals on historical data, accurate forecasting, and market realities.
Use the SMART system, which stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-based
SMART goals separate the aspiration from the plan and keep your team focused on targets they can actually hit.
2. Back every claim with data
General statements and gut feelings don’t hold up in a sales plan. Every major claim should be supported by numbers:
- Market size estimates
- Competitive analysis metrics
- Historical performance data
- Customer acquisition costs
- Sales cycle length averages
This takes your plan from “trust me, this will work” to “here’s why this will work.”
3. Research your company’s target audience
Generic audience definitions lead to generic (read: ineffective) sales approaches. Dig deep into who your ideal customers really are:
- What specific problems keep them up at night?
- What’s their buying process like?
- Who has decision-making power in their organization?
- What industry trends are affecting their business?
This research often surfaces opportunities you would have missed otherwise.
4. Involve your sales team in the planning process
What group of people know the most about the challenges and opportunities your sales department faces? Your sales reps!
The people making cold calls and running demos every day have insights no one else in the company has. They’ll tell you which objections are killing deals, which competitor features are causing real problems, and which segments are more promising than your current targets. Bring them into the planning process early.
5. Align with marketing and customer success
Your sales plan doesn’t live in a vacuum. Marketing feeds the top of the funnel with lead generation and can help you sharpen your ideal customer profile with market research. Your customer success team handles retention and satisfaction, and selling to customers you’ve already won over is an easier path to hitting your goals. Account for both when building the plan.
6. Take a closer look at your competitors
Ignoring the competition is like driving with your eyes closed. You need to know what you’re up against.
 Use digital marketing tools and programs to find publicly available information about your competitors, including:
- Social media: Use social listening to look at followers, engagement metrics, and how they position themselves.
- SEO results: With the help of marketing automation tools, you can learn more about the online presence of your competition.
- Competitor news: Look for anything your team can capitalize on, like leadership changes, product launches, or market shifts.
Download the free sales plan template
Most salespeople would rather be closing deals than formatting documents. That’s why we’ve put together a ready-to-use sales plan template that covers everything above in a clean layout.
Click the image below to download it, fill in your details, and you’ll have a solid starting point.
Build a plan your team will actually use
A sales plan works when it gives your team clarity on what they’re pursuing, how they’ll get there, and what success looks like. Build it with real data, get your reps involved, and revisit it regularly. The template above will get you started. If it’s useful, pass it along to your team.
