Very often we get caught up in our success or in the crisis of the moment. We are reacting to everything that happens around us. We forget to ask ourselves, “why are we doing this?” We lose sight of our goals or don’t update the goals. Without that awareness and ability to change and adapt, we cannot succeed.

Here’s the best part: A business plan doesn’t have to be detailed to guide you. There’s no need to think that building your plan is a daunting task that requires a lot of time or resources to develop. But the plan should include a few fundamental elements, including understanding where your business comes from and the strategies and tactics you’ll execute to succeed. You’ll never know if you’re making a wrong turn or a wrong investment if you don’t have a referral plan.

Way back in the days when you started selling, life was pretty easy. I would take a list of prospects and one by one start calling out names, starting with the letter A, of course, at the top. Clients were eager to meet with you to hear what new services you had to provide that would make their business more profitable. You knew everything back then. You were a leading sales representative, one sought after by manufacturers for your talent and experience in the field.

Over time, you built relationships with these contacts, slowly progressing from the “meeting” stage to business partners, and now you are friends. These are the “clients” with whom they now play golf, exchange birthday cards, attend parties, and meet each other’s spouses and children. Essentially, he has taken a potential business and client and turned this person into a friend.

Now you’re scratching your head and wondering why sales calls are so difficult and tedious. What made you unique years ago is now commonplace. VAR superstars or others who sell on price have infiltrated your territory and taken over your business. Internet shopping makes it easy to order parts or accessories over the Web. While your customer may value your relationship, it’s easy to save time by using the Web. Deep down, he knows he can no longer act like “just a sales rep” and needs to think like a business person. He needs a process and a plan to overcome the changes and a way to anticipate these changes and reinforce the value of his business. Consultants and business planning books/templates can be overwhelming. Where do you start?

You are already working many hours a day; creating a time-consuming plan might not be a wise choice. Instead, create a business temperature check—a basic plan that helps you chart your course and determine what obstacles and benefits lie in your path.

1. Create a basic plan. Let’s take a step back and think about your core beliefs and values. What vision do you have for your business? What kind of company are you trying to be or become? How do you want your current and future customers to view your business? Your answers to these questions will focus your vision.

2. Determine why your current clients are working with you (or looking elsewhere) and create a plan to retain them. You have invested time and experience with these people. It’s good that they became your friends. Now you need to grow and nurture that special relationship into something fruitful for everyone.

Chances are your manufacturer will never ask you to share your business plan or marketing strategies. If asked, do you have them in place? If not, why should your client want to spend time and money with you? If you applied for a loan with a bank, the bank would ask you for a copy of your business plan as part of its investment strategy. Why are your manufacturers or customers different from a bank? They are also investing in a partnership with you. They want to know what your plan is to determine whether or not they want to work with you.

3. Take a holistic approach to discovering who you are. Take a look at yourself and your business and locate the gaps in your approach. It’s challenging and sometimes a bit unnerving to admit your weaknesses, but this is a fundamental business requirement. You must perform a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis on yourself and your business to maintain and then grow your customer base and bottom line. What are your strengths? Play those. What are your weaknesses? Find partners and build relationships to bridge those gaps. Where are the opportunities to grow your business? Often these lie in correcting weaknesses. Who or what are your main threats? Do not be fooled. Doing a SWOT analysis on yourself is difficult, but the results will open your eyes and help you focus on moving your business forward.

4. Spend time writing down your goals. With the fast-paced change in today’s world, it pays to re-evaluate the path you’re on. Will it lead you to success or a dead end? Write down some realistic goals. Try to identify the key features that are unique to your business, things that only you can provide, and determine how you can leverage them to increase your uniqueness in the marketplace. What makes you unique in today’s market? Write it. On paper you might realize you’re not that special or maybe you are, tell your story in the best way possible. Write down all the key opportunities you may have. What kinds of promotions and ideas do you have that your customers would be eager to invest in? Manufacturers will see you as the chart maker, to stay in tune with the market, and will want you to help them see upcoming trends before their competitors do. They will look for VARs that have good channels and thriving networks, and weed out those that consume time and energy (such as long personal sales calls) that don’t deliver results. It’s no longer just about the sales call and status quo selling. You are a smart business person. You need to focus on profit and not get carried away by the emotional side of the business.

Bottom line. Step back. Reassess and make a plan. Determine what your manufacturers need and what services you have to help them. Take advantage of your strengths and improve your weaknesses. Then use your new sales tools to wow your existing customers again like you did years ago. Deepen relationships with your customers and new leads will follow.