“The bad news is, times flies. The good news is, you’re the pilot.” Michael Altshuler – Entrepreneur
There are only two months left in 2011, and if you are like many salespeople, you are looking closely at those sales goals you set back in January, and wondering how you are going to make it.
Depending on your industry circumstances, and your sales cycle, you may be able to make your numbers and you may not. But no matter where you find yourself on the path to meeting your targets, there are things you can do to make the most of the time you have left, and set yourself up for a winning 2012.
The first task is to make sure you have a specific target. Do you have a set revenue goal? Is it set by you or by your employer? If you are setting goals for yourself, make them specific and measurable. “Make more money” is not a definitive line in the sand. You need a specific target so you know where to aim your efforts.
Next you have to be certain of where you are now. How much distance is between you and your target? How often are you monitoring your progress? Equate that distance to the number of tasks you must complete to reach the goal. How many new clients? How many sales calls?
We coach our clients to aim higher than the actual target. If you need 10 new accounts, be talking to 15 prospective customers. If you need $100,000 in new sales, work on making $120,000. You’ll have a much higher probability of hitting your goal if you are in action to exceed it.
Create a list of actions that, when complete, will get you what you want. Don’t worry if there are too many things on the list. Just create a list of everything you would need to do to get to the goal. 25 sales calls a week. 5 written proposals. 2 product deliveries a week. Make sure that when you look at this list, the tasks would give you a 95% chance of hitting your target. If your list would only get you to 75% of your goal, add more things to the list.
Put those tasks in your calendar. Setting appointments with yourself to accomplish tasks greatly improves the likelihood of you accomplishing them. Your calendar is everything when it comes to meeting your goals. Put your tasks into the calendar and show up.
Create an existence system for your plan. What motivates you to stay on track? A visual reminder of your progress? Working with a team member? Our clients find that working with a coach is the best way to hold themselves accountable to their intentions. A weekly conversation with a coach goes a long way to staying on top of the tasks that will deliver results.
Over the next few weeks, we will explore these ideas in greater detail, and help you structure a plan for winning the game in 2011 and beyond.
Are you ready to win?