What is a fact base in annual planning?

It’s an agreed, data-based view of how the commercial organization performed over the last year, compared with benchmarks. It covers performance, customer economics, the market, commercial capacity and existing commitments.

Who should own the planning fact base?

Revenue operations should lead data collection, because it has access to the CRM, finance and HR data. Each functional leader should own the interpretation of their own numbers.

What is a good pipeline coverage ratio?

SBI’s general guideline is 3:1 to 4:1 of total pipeline to the revenue target. The right ratio for your business depends on your win rate: the lower the win rate, the more coverage you need.

What is a strategic bet in annual planning?

It’s a specific, funded change the business commits to in order to close the gap between current performance and the target, such as raising win rate in a segment or improving retention.

How many strategic priorities should an annual plan have?

SBI’s approach narrows the list to three to five. More than that spreads management attention and field capacity too thin to change results.

How do you prioritize growth initiatives?

Score each on time to realization, level of effort and revenue impact. Then test the finalists: each should have one owner, funding, a leading indicator and a clear trade-off.

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AOP Planning Starts With a Fact Base, Not a Forecast | SBI

October 8, 20268 min read

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Sales

AOP Planning Starts With a Fact Base, Not a Forecast | SBI

Short answer: Good AOP planning starts with a fact base: an honest look back at how the commercial system actually perfo...

7 min read

By Gregg Blatt

Sales

Annual Planning: How to Pick the Strategic Bets That Matter | SBI

Short answer: An annual plan with 15 priorities has no priorities. SBI’s planning approach has the CEO and CFO narrow a ...

7 min read

By Gregg Blatt

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