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I’ve led two sales teams at SaaS and was a salesperson myself. I spoke to hundreds of C-level salespeople and founders from enterprises like Coca-Cola to different IT vendors.

When we talked about strategic sales planning, it was often confused with operational planning, as I came to understand through conversations. Back then, I thought it was just wordplay. In reality, though, this leads to inadequate sales quotas and misaligned stakeholder expectations.

In fact, , while only 44% spent the strategic planning time productively.

That’s a huge gap. This fact indicates that over 50% of the sales team can improve their performance.

Theory aside — let’s dive into a practical breakdown of strategic planning in sales.

Table of Contents

• What is strategic planning?
• What is the purpose of strategic planning?
• Strategic Planning and Sales Teams
• Strategic Planning Process
• Benefits of Strategic Planning
• Why is strategic planning important?
• Strategic Planning Software

Common frameworks for strategic planning include the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), Objectives and Key Results (OKR), and the Theory of Change (TOC).

sums up strategic planning nicely:

“It is a disciplined effort that produces fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, who it serves, what it does, and why it does it, with a focus on the future. Effective strategic planning articulates not only where an organization is going and the actions needed to make progress, but also how it will know if it is successful.”

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What is the purpose of strategic planning?

The purpose of strategic planning is for an organization to determine the direction it will head in over the next three to five years. You’ll set overarching goals and outline how you want to achieve them. Strategic plans are often adjusted based on market changes or unforeseen threats, so they may be modified to respond to changes in the business environment (internal or external).

When you have long-term business goals, it becomes easier for different departments in your organization to plan their activities, allocate resources, and take actions that will help your business meet your goals in the designated time frame. The plans created from strategic planning are called operational plans, and I’ll discuss below.

Strategic plans set long-term goals, while operational plans outline the daily, monthly, and quarterly actions to achieve those goals.

Operational plans turn strategy into action.

Usually, individual departments or team leaders create operational plans to support the broader strategic objectives.

For example, if your company’s goal is to increase revenue by 75% in 3 years, each department will develop operational plans to contribute to that goal.

• Customer service might focus on retention,
• Sales could upsell and generate qualified leads,
• Marketing may refine buyer personas to target the right customers.

In the end, each department’s efforts contribute to reaching the revenue goal.

Why is strategic planning important?

Having a solid plan keeps the team focused and proactive instead of reactive — no matter the size of the team.

When I worked at startup Signum AI as the first sales leader hire, we would typically sit together with the founder and outline our 12-month plan, which was a combo of strategic and operational goals. We mapped out high-level business goals and aspirations, and then cascaded them into quarterly and monthly operational plans aligned with marketing efforts.

It helped us meet sales quota almost every month (like 85-100%).

Without that, we would be just blind and pour money into sporadic motion, as it used to be at the very beginning (I’ll discuss this later in the article).

Bottom line: For sales teams, strategic planning directly impacts quota attainment, territory management, and how effectively reps use tools and data.

Another great example of the importance of strategic planning is ’s story; she is a corporate advisor and founder of

Kelly , who owns two successful restaurants, if he was going to revisit his strategic plan going into the new year.

He literally laughed and said, “What strategic plan?”

His approach was just to figure things out along the way and keep doing what’s been working.

“To be fair, he has been doing well,” says Kelly. But she also made a really good point here: What if he could be even more successful … with less stress? That’s what strategic planning is all about.

Kelly explains that every business, no matter the size or industry, can benefit from having a strategic plan. And why is it important? Well…

• A strategic plan defines your vision and mission. It sets the direction for where you want to go and how you’re going to get there.
• You’re prioritizing what actually matters and putting the rest aside.
• Markets change fast. With a strategy in place, you’re more prepared to pivot without losing momentum.
• Everyone (not only the sales team) is pulling in the same direction.
• Most importantly, it helps you measure progress. You can check in on where you are versus where you wanted to be, and adjust accordingly.

Strategic Planning and Sales Teams

The strategic plan is determined by senior leadership or executives to develop a long-term vision for the company. Then, it’s up to individual departments to create plans and strategies for their teams to align with and work towards the objectives set in the strategic plan.

Sales leaders create a sales plan (operational plan) that outlines the short-term strategies and tactics used to achieve long-term goals. This aligns sales teams and salespeople, so they know exactly what they're working towards and how progress and success will be measured.

Benefits of Strategic Planning for Sales Teams

If I had to pick one thing as the best part of strategic planning, it’d be focusing on the right moves and creating a roadmap for long-term growth, which, in turn, brings even more benefits.

Sets the direction and improves agility and adaptability.

I used to think a long to-do list was a good strategic plan. I learned this hard lesson when I led a SaaS sales team of five people at Signum AI. In the first months, I realized we were just busy — launching things, testing channels, hiring reps, etc. — but we were not strategic.

Basically, we were chasing quotas without connecting the dots. That couldn’t last long, and so we had to rethink our approach.

Professor Roger Martin calls this Teams feel in control because they’re managing tasks, but there’s no cohesive theory of success behind it.

Instead of obsessing over execution, strategic planning makes you ask: What’s our bet? What unique approach are we taking that others aren’t?

It connects the dots between your goals, your actions, and your edge.

And here’s the impact: Organizations that build this kind of strategic clarity — where everyone understands and rallies behind the plan — are when things shift.

As I previously said, strategic planning translated into our sales growth, too, hitting high monthly quotas.

Forces us to make hard, but smarter choices.

Real strategy isn’t about doing more, it’s about choosing what not to do. That part’s uncomfortable. But every time I’ve committed to one clear path over three average ones, results followed.

Strategic planning pushes you to say no to “nice-to-haves” and double down on what you believe will work. It’s a bet, it’s risky, but it also creates focus.

Research shows that when companies they usually hit all of them. But when they try to juggle 4 to 10, they tend to only get 1 or 2 done, and if they go over 10, they often don’t finish any.

Aligns sales and marketing teams toward a clear, mutual goal.

When there's no strategic planning, sales teams chase random targets or react to short-term numbers. The same goes for the marketing department. They shoot campaigns just to hit the number of lead goals without much thinking about their quality and the number of lost relevant opportunities.

Guess what? That happened to us, too. But this time, in all the SaaS companies where I was employed. Marketing could launch a crazy campaign that filled our pipelines with totally irrelevant leads. The worst time was when 3 SDRs suffocated with 100+ leads over a week, with a 70% disqualification rate. I was furious because we must have contacted them, gone on discovery calls, and done basic SDR stuff to qualify them.

Conversely, a clear plan means everyone knows why we’re doing what we’re doing.

Not only does it sound great, but companies with strong sales and marketing alignment also compared to those with poor alignment.

Moreover, a found that 61% of execs struggle to connect strategy with day-to-day sales efforts. But when all employees understand the plan, they’re 77% more likely to perform at the highest level possible.

Also, according to one of the most experienced salespeople, a clear sales process leads to and 18% higher revenue growth compared to those without a defined process.

And speaking of growth, let’s close it out with the final benefit.

Turns sales into a long-term growth engine.

When your plan is strategic, you stop measuring success only by this quarter’s quota. You start thinking bigger: lifetime value, customer loyalty, and market positioning.

From my experience, companies that take time to build a strategic sales plan (one that connects marketing, product, and customer success) see compounding growth. Not explosive overnight wins, but steady, predictable scale.

Here’s a real-world example that backs “my” theory up:

Lloyds Banking Group recently as key growth opportunities. As part of a new sales initiative, they’ve trained a team of around 830 people to focus on building stronger customer relationships.

The goal? Boost the average number of products sold per customer by 5% by the end of 2024. That’s a long-term play built on connection, not just conversion.

Pro tip: I suggest using to map out your growth plan. It helps you monitor revenue, expand into new regions, add products, and grow your customer base. Super easy to fill out and keep an eye on progress.

The strategic planning process is designed during planning sessions to define the business’s overall vision and high-level, long-term goals that the business wants to achieve. The outcome of the entire process is a strategic plan.

1. Prepare for strategic planning.

Getting your strategic planning off the ground starts with setting the right foundation. I was part of strategic planning for a charitable foundation, a startup, and another SaaS company where I had worked. Here's how we set things up to make sure we were ready to execute:

Choose the right people.

First, you need the right mix of people:

• Executives and leadership set the vision and help guide the direction.
• The finance team keeps us grounded. Their input ensures the strategy is financially feasible.
• The operations team knows the nuts and bolts of the business. They make sure our plans are practical and can actually be executed, even if something has to be modified.
• The product team ensures the strategy aligns with what customers need.
• Sales and marketing teams know the customer and the market. Their input is critical for targeting the right opportunities.
• HR is often overlooked, but they make sure we have the right talent and resources to pull off the plan.

Set a realistic timeline.

When we have the right team in place, we usually want it all now and as soon as possible, but that’s not how things work. Here’s what to take into account when setting a realistic timeline:

• Company size and complexity: Smaller companies may only need a few weeks, while bigger ones might need a few months. I set a timeline based on the scope of the project.
• Allow for flexibility: Always leave room for adjustments. Plans change, and you don’t want to be scrambling when something unexpected comes up.
• Milestones: Break it down into phases (research, strategy development, feedback, approval) to stay on track.

Pro tip: I incorporated to assess progress, identify issues early on, and make necessary adjustments.

Set clear expectations.

The team is ready, we have deadlines, so it’s time to make sure everyone knows what’s expected of them.

• Commitment level: Be clear about how much time they’ll need to dedicate to attending meetings, presenting data, or leading a part of the process.
• Preparation: Always ask your team to come ready with research or data that can contribute to the conversation. It makes the sessions more efficient, and everyone feels their opinion matters.

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• Sales and Revenue Growth
• Expansion into New Regions
• Growth of Customer Base
• And more!

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All fields are required.

You're all set!

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2. Assess the business.

At this point, you want to know where your business stands. And this is how to do it:

Evaluate internal and external factors.

Look at what’s driving the business and what could hold it back. Here are some key things I advise focusing on.

• Growth areas: Is a specific part of the business growing fast? Identify what’s working and figure out how to support that growth further.
• Technology: Are there any new tools or tech that could make a big difference in improving efficiency or processes? If so, look at how you can use them.
• Legislation changes: Keep an eye on any laws or regulations that could impact the business. If something’s coming down the pipeline, ensure you’re prepared to respond.

Choose the strategic planning frameworks.

I always rely on these five frameworks because they keep me clear on the big picture, help me spot what matters, and make it easier to turn ideas into real steps.

1. Identifies your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It helps you understand what’s working and where you’re vulnerable.

2. Looks at competition by analyzing new competitors, supplier power, customer power, substitutes, and industry rivalry. It helps you spot market pressures.
3. A visual plan that shows your mission, vision, goals, and how to measure progress with KPIs and action steps.
4. Pick 3–5 main goals, and for each, set 3–5 measurable results you can track with a score (like 0–100%).
5. Start with your big goals, then work backward to figure out the steps needed to get there.
6. Evaluates the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors affecting your business. It’s about understanding outside forces that could impact you.

3. Outline your mission, vision, and key stakeholders.

What’s your business’s mission or vision? Identify the core values and priorities of your business by outlining your mission and vision statements.

Mission: This is why you exist. Keep it customer-focused. What problem are you solving, and how does your product/service help?

• Example: “We want to help small businesses scale with affordable tech solutions.”

Vision: This is your end goal. What’s the bigger picture?

• Example: "To be the top provider of cloud solutions, helping businesses thrive."

Identify your target customers.

Know exactly who you’re selling to. Create profiles based on their pain points, needs, and buying behavior.

For example, if you’re selling a productivity tool, target business owners looking for efficiency.

• Focus on what’s driving their buying decisions. If they need more efficiency, position your product as the solution to that issue. Sell outcomes, not features.
• Go after high-potential customers who are likely to convert and stick around. Look at repeat buyers and big spenders, then tailor your efforts to them.

List all stakeholders.

Include investors, suppliers, and board members. Keep them informed on how your strategy will drive profits and growth.

Start with aspirational goals.

Your goals should focus on measurable growth.

• Avoid vague goals. Instead of “grow the business,” aim for clear targets like “Get 100 new customers by Q3.”
• Tie your goals to delivering value. Example: “Increase customer retention by 15% by improving the user experience.”

4. Create a strategic plan.

Record the agreements and strategies in a strategic plan. The strategic plan is a physical document that can be shared across departments in the company.

Many companies have gone digital with strategic planning software, so their strategic plan can be accessed by anyone in the company from their electronic devices. Many of these software options are collaborative for people at all levels of the company, which increases the transparency of the business's primary goals.

Pro tip: I recommend using (available for use in Word, PDF, or Google Docs). It covers everything from the executive summary to SWOT analysis and helps organize market research, product details, and marketing strategies.

Strategic Planning Software

With all moving parts, it’s hard to keep track of all plans and tactics across the teams. I recommend delegating it to strategic planning software. Here are some options, in no particular order.

1.

Cascade Strategy helps you create a plan and execute it with its . It allows you to create a strategy map, outline your goals, and include specific details like goal timeframes and the metrics used to evaluate goal achievement.

Additional features include a KPI builder, smart frameworks, goal and project management tools, and dashboards to report on progress.

What I Like

Cascade’s strategy planner helps you define your long-term goals, and an easy-to-use drag-and-drop builder allows you to seamlessly input the operational plans that will help you achieve those goals.

2.

This strategic planning tool has that enables you to build your strategic plan. The platform provides you with the ability to build interactive Balanced Scorecards and create dashboards and strategy maps to track your goals.

You can assign elements of the strategic plan to different owners so they can tackle specific parts of the strategy.

What I Like

Allows you to visualize your strategic plans and operational plans all in one place, making it easy to understand goal attainment and areas that need strategy upgrades.

3.

WorkBoard offers a strategic planning solution that's specifically for CEOs and General Managers. And with tools like the , teams can identify and plan using the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) technique.

The tool provides a way to align organizations and help them identify risks with OKR heatmaps.

What I Like

WorkBoard's objective and key results tool helps you visualize goal alignment across your organization to increase transparency and help you understand progress towards meeting your strategic plan goals.

4. (Khorus)

Khorus is a strategy execution software that creates transparency for CEOs, management, and individual contributors. CEOs set objectives and then teams and individuals can add their own goals that contribute to the overarching objectives.

This improves the ability of businesses to execute their strategies, and it increases alignment and transparency.

What I Like

Built for executive leadership that puts together the strategic planning and is compatible with any goal methodology that works best for your business (SMART goals, OKR, MBO).

5.

With this , you can manage ideas and projects to help you and your team develop a strategy. An interesting feature is the star rating system that allows employees to rate each project. The system takes this information, analyzes it, and rates the project's overall potential.

The tool creates transpa