Too early to think about 2017? No way! Sales reps should be setting up their strategies and plans now for the new year. In a Business2Community article, Marisa Smith shares some tips for getting on track for success, writing that her advice will help you “learn from the past, dream big, and put together a sensible plan for achieving your goals in 2017.” Read on for a couple of her suggestions:

Review and update your ideal customer profile and personas

You don’t want to waste time targeting the “wrong” prospect, so make a list of the top traits shared by your best customers. What makes them profitable? Why do you enjoy working with them? Once you’ve identified these key characteristics, update your customer profile and personas accordingly. Then, once the new year begins, you will have a clear, accurate idea of who you should target to reach your sales goals.

Document your buyer’s journey

Now that you have your customer profiles and personas updated, take a look at their journey. “Your contacts take lots of tiny steps along the way to becoming a buyer,” Smith explains. Uncover each interaction point that each persona will have with you and your company. She suggests starting at the end of the journey and working backward. She recommends asking yourself the following:

• What will they do immediately before signing a contract with you?
• What’s the step before that?
• The one before that?

Brainstorm what questions, objections and motivations each persona may have, and identify what you need to provide at each point.

Now is the time to get planning for next year, and with Smith’s tips, you can position yourself for a successful, on-​target 2017!