Are your sales goals motivators or de-motivators for you?
It’s that time of year when we become fixated on deciding not only what our goals should be, but also how we’re going to go after them.
Here are 10 tips to help you in setting goals:
1. Use the first quarter and, in particular, the first month of the year to meet with as many customers as possible to uncover new opportunities.
Leverage these early in the year to give you time to capitalize on them this year.
2. Never set an annual goal without breaking it down into smaller segments.
You preferably want your annual goals broken down quarterly or even monthly to allow yourself to monitor on-going performance.
3. Never backload your numbers expecting the last quarter to be the big quarter or the last month to be your best.
Doing this sets yourself up for failure, as you will have little ability to adjust your efforts should you see yourself not making the number at the end.
4. Break down your numbers between existing customers and new customers.
Doing this puts you in a better position to manage your time, as it takes more time to get business from new customers than it does from existing customers.
5. Review what it’s going to take to achieve your numbers and isolate those activities that will require the longest period of time.
Example could be a new product, opening a new market, etc. Build your schedule in the first quarter in a way that gives you as much time as needed to get these big items moving forward.
You can’t afford to wait until later in the year to start, because by that time you may not have enough time.
6. Identify the fiscal calendar that each of your customers are on.
If you have customers that operate on a fiscal year other than a calendar year, knowing this in advance can help you in building out how you want to use your time.
7. Set 2 personal development goals.
In sales we become so fixated on the numbers, we forget we are our most important resource.
If possible make these in a way that allows you to achieve them no later than the 3rd quarter of the year. It’s amazing the motivational impact you will make on yourself, along with the skill set improvement, when you achieve these.
8. Create monthly benchmarks for your goals to allow you to always remain in tune with how you’re performing.
Keep your benchmarks simple to measure, but just because they’re simple, that shouldn’t be an excuse to simply ignore them.
9. Block time on your calendar for those periods you expect to be on vacation.
Recharging yourself by way of vacation time is essential if you want to be the top-performing person you know you can be.
10. Meet with your manager (if you’re a solo salesperson, meet with a peer) to do an assessment as to what you need to do to achieve your goals.
Gain their support and their insight. Although you’re looking to your manager for guidance, it does not mean you’re not the one who is responsible. They’re your goals; they’re your responsibilities.
Own them 100%, and when you achieve them, celebrate because you were the one that accomplished them.
Be sure to check out this upcoming FREE webinar by clicking on the image below. Virtual Sales Kickoff 2016 is sponsored by The TAS Group, Cirrus Insight and Velocify!
Copyright 2016, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price.
One Response
As usual Mark you make it so simply to follow. As well as helping me I hope YOUR New Year goals go well beyond YOUR expectations.
Best regards
Barry.