It’s that time of year again—a time to look back at the sales results from the past year and start to plan for next year. Those companies that were disappointed with their 2013 results may be hoping that the year ahead will bring better things. Unfortunately, hoping won’t make it happen, and companies that don’t take action might face the same disappointments at the end of this year.

Winning sales processes are not created by happenstance. They are the direct result of a solid commitment by company leaders to develop and support a sales culture with common goals and practices. The following eight steps offer an easy-to-follow guide that can help sales managers change the sales process and improve their results.

Everybody needs a goal. Print shop owners often lament that their sales personnel know what they are supposed to sell, but they get stressed out if they are given a goal. The reality, though, is that people need goals. Without goals, there is no sense of urgency. The sales cycle will meander, deals will be lost, and ultimately customers will be lost. If you do nothing else in the coming year, take a look at what your sales staff did last year and then tell them they have to do that plus a little bit more this year. The important thing is that you give them a number.