This year has seen an excellent performance against challenging market conditions. With one month left to achieve the targets in our Annual Operating Plan, Sales Director Andy Dennis looks at 2019 so far and the work still to do.
As we begin December, we can reflect on an outstanding performance in 2019, beginning in H1 with a result ahead of expectation, and cumulating in a demonstrable share gain, despite an overall flat market.
It is clear that the market has softened since August, and we see that in the account customer buying patterns, which makes the performance in Q4 all the more impressive.
However the year has not yet ended and we still have work to do, in order to close the year with the result that reflects the platform being built for the previous 11 months.
Over the coming weeks, delivery of the 2019 result remains a challenge, with the workload placed in the Supply Chain team who are delivering some of the highest send out days, continuously throughout December.
To ensure our result, every last sales opportunity must be realised to mitigate the market effect in the remaining weeks.
Indeed, whilst the year ends on 31 December, in reality we don’t ‘start’ a new year on 2 January; we follow the December result with a new and challenging target.
Operating in a market where competition is dynamic and varied, we must see January as the next in a series of challenges, where continuation, not re-starting, is our mind-set.
The reality of our result in 2019 is that we have gained share at the expense of our competitors. In those businesses the focus will be on closing 2019 and returning on 2 January with a step change to recover their position.
That would require share gain for the competitor. Obviously, we plan to protect the gains we have made. With the momentum we have built up and a maintained focus, we can continue January as we close December; performing strongly, ahead and, most importantly, winning.