How to Build a Sales Plan in 2026

Hello WorldVia Travel Network Family, 

I noticed something when I sat down to write this that made me stop mid-sip of coffee. 

This week’s weekly message is #167. That puts us well into year four of this little tradition, which is both wildly encouraging and mildly suspicious. I am grateful you’ve tolerated me every week for nearly four years, still talking about the same two things in different outfits: building a better business, and building a better you. 

When I started writing these in October of 2022, we were crawling out of the pandemic and staring down 2023 like it was either going to be a comeback year…or a chaos year…or both. I wanted to help everyone jumpstart sales, and the most practical way I knew how was to provide a simple, repeatable system. 

So, I wrote a five-part series on building a Sales Plan. Looking back, those messages were not really about spreadsheets. They were about control. Not control over the economy, or supplier decisions, or flight schedules, or the next headline, but control over the few levers that actually move your business, even when everything else feels unpredictable. 

So, for message #167, I want to revisit the Sales Plan framework with fresh eyes and a big dose of gratitude. Not as a “remember this?” lesson, but as a reminder that the advisors who win long-term are the ones who commit to a clear target and then get just a little bit better, consistently. 

The Sales Plan is a translation tool 

Here’s the core idea that still holds up beautifully: Your Sales Plan translates a life goal into business activity. 

Most people do the opposite. They do business activity and hope it turns into a life goal. A Sales Plan says, “Nope. We’re going to reverse-engineer this thing.” You start with your Profit Target, then work backward through: 

• Fixed Expenses (what it costs to keep the lights on) 

• Required Revenue (profit + expenses) 

• Sales Target (based on your Gross Margin) 

• Transactions (based on Average Sale) 

• Proposals (based on Close Rate) 

• Contacts/Prospects (based on Proposal Request Rate)

That is the whole machine. 

And here’s the part that matters most: the magic is not in setting perfect numbers. The magic is in improving the levers. 

The five levers that quietly make you rich 

In that original series, we talked about improving each KPI over time. I still believe this is one of the most important concepts in building a high-profit travel business without working yourself into the ground (or any business for that matter). 

Because tiny improvements compound. 

Let’s revisit the levers, in plain English and with a 2026 mindset. 

1) Profit Target: stop making it abstract. 

Profit targets that are vague get ignored. Profit targets tied to life goals get protected. 

Back then, I encouraged you to build three plans: Year 1, Year 2, and Ultimate. That still works because it keeps you practical now, ambitious next, and inspired long-term. 

A quick test: if your profit target showed up on your calendar as a recurring appointment, would you know what it’s for? If not, attach it to something real. Tuition. Debt payoff. A milestone trip. Buying back Fridays. Funding retirement. Supporting a cause you care about. 

Money is not the point. The life it enables is the point. 

2) Gross Margin: get paid like a professional. 

Gross margin is what you keep per dollar sold. This is where a lot of advisors unknowingly leave money on the table. 

Not because they are doing anything wrong, but because they are doing what feels easiest in the moment. 

The long game is building habits that naturally lift margin: strong supplier alignment, smart product mix, proper use of travel insurance, thoughtful add-ons, and yes, service fees where appropriate. 

Said simply: if you deliver professional value, price it like a professional. 

3) Average Sale: stop selling with your own wallet. 

This was one of my favorite lessons to write, and one of the hardest for many advisors to adopt. 

Do not decide what a client can afford, and therefore what you should offer, based on what you would spend. 

Your job as an advisor is to present thoughtful options that match their goals, then let them decide. When you consistently offer pre and post-trip nights, better air, meaningful experiences, and curated upgrades, two things happen: 

• Clients have better trips. 

• There are fewer transactions needed to hit the same profit. 

That second one matters more than it sounds. Fewer transactions often means fewer emergencies, fewer emails, fewer handoffs, fewer “small problems,” and more space to run your business. 

4) Close Rate: protect your time. 

Close rate is the heartbeat of sales efficiency. Improving it does not just increase profit. It gives you your life back. A better close rate usually comes from three places: 

• Better qualification (the right clients) 

• Better proposal process (clear, compelling, not overwhelming) 

• Better follow-up (proactive, confident, professional) 

You do not need to be pushy. You need to be present. 

5) Proposal Request Rate: turn attention into action. 

This is the sleeper KPI. It’s the bridge between “people like me” and “people buy from me.” 

If you have a large audience but low proposal requests, it usually means one of two things: 

• You’re attracting the wrong audience, or 

• You’re not giving the right audience a clear, confident path to engage 

The fix is usually simpler than you think: stronger calls to action, clearer positioning, and consistent “activation” content that tells people what to do next. 

Why this still matters now 

The industry will keep changing. Technology will keep evolving. Client expectations will keep rising. But the engine of your business is still the same: A clear target. Measurable levers. Consistent improvement. 

If I’ve learned anything from watching advisors grow inside our network, it’s that success is rarely a lightning bolt. It’s a weekly habit. 

Which is a funny thing to say while writing a weekly message, but I stand by it. 

The real reason I’m grateful you’ve tolerated these messages is not because I enjoy hearing myself type. It’s because a weekly rhythm is how you build momentum, and momentum is how you build freedom. 

Action 

This week, do a “Sales Plan reset” in 30 minutes: 

1. Write down one clear Profit Target for the next 12 months. Attach it to one life goal that actually matters to you. 

2. Pick one lever to improve this quarter: Gross Margin, Average Sale, Close Rate, or Proposal Request Rate. Just one. 

3. Decide on one tiny change you will test for 30 days, then measure it. 

That’s it. No overthinking. No grand reinvention. Just one lever, one test, one month. 

To everyone who has read these messages, forwarded them, rolled your eyes at them, argued with them, used them, ignored them, and then used them later, thank you. I do not take your attention for granted, especially in a world that is fighting for every second of it. 

Here’s to message #167, and to the next small improvement that makes your business, and your life, meaningfully better. 

Best Success, 

Jason 

PS – If you want to check out the original series, it has been republished using the links below. If you have a Sales Plan success story or tip, I’d love for you to share it with me at jblock@worldvia.com. 

2023 Sales Plan Series

Part I: Selecting Your Profit Target

Part II: How To Improve Your Gross Margin To Increase Profits

Part III: How to Improve Your Average Sale To Increase Profits

Part IV: How to Improve Your Close Rate to Increase Profits

Part V: How To Improve Your Proposal Request Rate To Increase Profits With Fewer Prospects