Sales Goal Setting

Happy New Year! So with a little inspiration from the sound of the surf here at the beach, I decided it's time for that annual goal setting. There's just nothing I love more than having a 365 day blank calendar ready for me to outline the goals for the year. So you know the secrets of goal setting: every goal must be measurable, quantifiable and certainly a stretch, but every goal must be achievable. Now for so many that blank calendar is intimidating. To make the process easier, I break it down.

Feng shui tells us the magic number is three. So my first goal is to think in terms of 3's. The first question I ask myself is what are the 3 main accomplishments I want to have this year? Now if I'm feeling particularly ambitious, I may break those out into two categories: business and personal. So in truth, I'm making 6 goals for the year; 3 for my business life and 3 for my personal life.

The next step is to break those goals down by quarter. What are 3 things in first quarter I can do to help me achieve my goals for the year? For example, if one of my goals is to increase my client base with 4 new clients for the year, I know I need to work to secure one in first quarter. To secure one new client, I know I have to pitch at least 5 prospects. To get 5 pitches, I may need to make 25 calls. Sound tough? No! That's just 6 calls per month with at least one pitch per month. That's just over a phonecall a week! Breaking it down quarterly, then monthly, then weekly and finally daily, makes any annual goal easier to achieve!

Goal setting is just a critical part of the sales process. Every client I work with says their goal is to make more money this year. But when I ask them how, I get the blank stare. Selling without goals is like taking off on a trip with a definite destination but no roadmap. If you're content to wander aimlessly (and believe me, sometimes that's the vacation for me,) leave without a map. But if you want to make 2010 the year you truly accomplish your goals, take the time to write them out. Take the time to break them down by quarter, month, week and day. Commit them to writing; it makes them real. Send them to me and I'll help you stay on track. Goal setting at the beginning of the year can truly make for a happy new year!