Many companies have a sales strategy. Far fewer have a real sales plan. The difference is bigger than it seems — and it is exactly that difference that determines whether your growth ambitions are actually realized in the field.
Strategy versus plan: not the same thing
A sales strategy answers the question “what are we going to do?” It sets the direction, the choices, the positioning. Its shelf life is usually three years. It is ambitious and directional, but not operational.
A sales plan — or business plan — goes one step further. It answers the question “how do we do the right thing right?” It is the execution of the strategy, translated into concrete actions, objectives and resources for the coming fiscal year. Without a sales plan, the strategy remains a document gathering dust on the servers year after year.
The MOPSI model: five building blocks for a strong sales plan
At The House of Sales we use the MOPSI model as the structure for a good sales plan. Five components that together provide focus, clarity and executability.
M — Markets
Which market segments will you proactively approach in the coming fiscal year? This is about deliberate segmentation decisions: not everything for everyone, but targeted choices about where your energy goes. Which sectors, which company sizes, which regions are central?
O — Objectives
A maximum of three objectives. Two expressed in euros, one in numbers. That limitation is deliberate: too many objectives lead to fragmentation and loss of focus. Three sharp objectives create direction and make course corrections possible during the year.
P — Portfolio
Which products or services do you want to actively convert into revenue this year? Not the entire offering, but the strategic choices. Which solutions are central to your commercial approach? This is also where the Trojan Horse belongs — but more on that later.
S — Sales channels
Through which channels will you approach the market? Your own direct sales, indirect channels via partners and resellers, or product-led sales via the website? The channel choice helps determine how you work the market and which segments you reach.
I — Investments
What resources are needed to achieve the objectives? People, tools, marketing, training — every objective requires an investment. By making that investment explicit in the sales plan, the choices become transparent and manageable.
A living document, not an annual ritual
The MOPSI model is not a one-off exercise at the start of the year. It is a living framework that guides every commercial decision throughout the year. Which new offering do we launch? Ask MOPSI. Do we invest in an extra channel? Ask MOPSI. Do we need to adjust the objectives? MOPSI provides the structure to have that conversation.
Companies that work with a clear sales plan structurally achieve better results than those that run purely on intuition and momentum. Not because a plan foresees everything, but because it forces choices. And making choices is the essence of leadership.
Which extra component have you included in your sales plan?
Reflection question from The House of Sales
