Is the Target in Your Sights?

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up somewhere else.” – Yogi Berra, American Baseball Player

Last week we started a conversation about how to finish the year strong and meet those 2011 sales goals. This week we’re going to dig a little deeper into one of the most important, yet frequently overlooked concepts that impacts success in sales.

At Possibilities Unlimited, we believe in being specific and measurable. Whether it’s personal intentions or a management mandate, every goal should be designed and communicated as clearly and specifically as possible. This is good for both employees and employers, as it clearly marks the playing field and defines the rules of the game.

All too often, the benchmarks of success are muddy at best. New employees are told they will be evaluated on “how much business they bring in,” “being a team player,” and “outperforming last year’s results.” These are all valid measures of performance, but they are not specific. And when the goal is not specific, the employee will make up his own version of what those goals mean.

For instance, if an employee is told he needs to outperform last year in order to make his bonus, he doesn’t know by how much he needs to exceed last year’s results. By 5%? 10%? We’ve worked with salespeople who will meet those minimum distinctions by September 30^th. If there is no clear incentive to do more, they will back off the sales effort, or hold off booking deals until the next year. If they hit what they perceive to be the target, they will stop taking aim.

With only a few weeks left in 2011, it is imperative to know what your targets are and how close you are to hitting them. How much distance do you need to cover? How do you need to schedule your time so that you can meet that target? Where do you need to step on the gas, and where have you already won the game? It’s hard to hit a bulls-eye when the target is fuzzy or moves around.

A good employer will create precise and measurable benchmarks so that every employee knows what is expected. Write down at least ten specific things that would tell you this person is doing a good job. Talk it over with the employee so there is no misunderstanding about the expectations. A good employee will ask for specifics, and ask the employer to define goals and objectives. The players have to know where the goal line is if they want to have any chance of scoring. And it’s the well managed team that will score more points and win the game.

Are you ready to win?

Two Months and Counting

“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?

Individual Sales Objectives

“A salesman minus enthusiasm is just a clerk.” – Harry F. Banks

Sales and Marketing plans need to reflect both company-wide objectives as well as the individual salesperson’s goal numbers. Both corporate and personal goals should align with the company’s profit intentions. Last week’s blog spoke to the company objectives. This week we will look at how to craft a sales and marketing plan for the individual salesperson.

Here are some key elements of a personal sales plan:

Marketing Tasks – Marketing tasks are things like networking, sending e-newsletters, blogging, and doing internet research to find prospects who have a high likelihood of buying your product. Without this kind of legwork, salespeople are hard-pressed to find those ideal clients.

Sales Actions – Sales actions include setting appointments, meeting with clients, preparing proposals, presenting the product, closing deals and following up. Each of these actions must happen consistently, and they must be scheduled into the calendar. Sales people who present proposals, but don’t follow up or close the deal are not going to meet their objectives. Break your sales effort into specific actions like these, and determine where those are going to appear in your calendar.

Accountability System – Salespeople need accountability systems if they want to stay on track to meet their goals. Who holds the salesperson accountable in your company? Is there a sales manager? A production manager? Who is responsible for tracking the progress and offering support to the sales staff? Is that chain of command clear to the salesperson?

Existence System – This is something the salesperson needs in order to be disciplined about performing the sales and marketing actions that will result in sales. The most common and best existence system is a calendar. Scheduling sales and marketing actions into an Outlook calendar gives one a picture of future results. A weekly sales meeting is another kind of existence system, as is a visual chart or graph that plots the salesperson’s progress toward his goals. Existence systems require some discipline, and it’s best if they have visual components that are easy reminders of where you stand.

Proposals – What kind of proposals do you need to have to present to clients? Maybe yours is a simple pricing sheet that you discuss over the phone, or maybe it is a highly detailed and customized PowerPoint presentation that you will deliver to the board of directors. Either way, it’s essential to have your materials prepared and be able to articulate how your product or service will be able to answer the prospect’s concerns.

Ongoing Training and Support – A salesperson should never feel like an island, separate from the company and colleagues and left to sell without direction. Salespeople should continually receive training on product capabilities and new ways to reach out to the marketplace. Salespeople also need to understand where to go for support when customers have complaints, questions or special requests.

The salesperson is often the embodiment of the company’s brand and reputation in the marketplace. Salespeople need clear individual objectives and well established channels for support. Businesses need to manage for personal and corporate objectives so that salespeople can distinguish themselves in the marketplace and deliver on the company sales intentions. A winning plan will yield winning results and will keep your business on the leading edge of the game of sales.

Are you ready to win?

Setting Sales Intentions

“Fear melts when you take action toward a goal you really want.” - Robert G. Allen, Business, Financial and Motivational Author

It’s that time of year when all good salespeople are working hard to meet the sales goals they set eleven months ago. It’s also a good time to review our results from the past year and use what we’ve learned as we plan for 2011.

We work with people to craft sales intentions, and then use those intentions as tools to structure their sales actions. A sales target should not just be picked out of the air…it should be a well thought out combination of what’s possible and what’s unprecedented. When we say unprecedented, we are pointing toward that all important stretch, an intention that the salesperson may not necessarily know how to achieve. At Possibilities Unlimited, we firmly believe that when you open up an unprecedented sales intention, it allows the salesperson to become much more creative in designing the actions that will deliver on that intention.

That doesn’t mean that the goal should be unattainable. If you sell lemonade at 50 cents a glass , you should not plan on selling a billion dollars worth of lemonade. Rather, an unprecedented sales number should be something that exceeds a predictable increase. If you already know how to increase your sales by 5% (make 3 more calls a week, work a few extra hours) then that goal doesn’t present enough of a stretch. We challenge people to take on intentions that go beyond what they already know how to do. It’s only then that salespeople can open up to new possibilities for delivering on those intentions. Here are some things to consider when developing your sales intentions:

1. Will this target get me to my desired result?
2. What are the sales actions I will need to take to achieve this target?
3. How much time will those actions require?
4. Where is that time scheduled in my calendar?
5. What additional resources do I need in order to deliver on my intention?

Whether your sales targets are set for you or you set them yourself, it’s a good idea to create a concrete plan for meeting those targets. You must design the sales actions that will add up to you hitting the numbers. You may need to do things differently than you ever have before. It’s a time to consider trying new things such as:

1. Hiring an assistant to make additional calls or provide administrative support.
2. Joining networking groups that can yield additional leads.
3. Designing new marketing materials that appeal to new segments of your market.
4. Researching and pursuing new clients that have higher dollar buying thresholds.

Once you have selected a sales intention, it’s easy to become overwhelmed at the thought of how to achieve it. As coaches, we work with our clients to keep them in action on their intentions, and bring to light new possibilities for those actions. It always helps to have someone to keep you on the path that will yield results, instead of reverting to the same old systems that did not get you where you wanted to go.

If you would like support in designing your sales actions and your targets for 2011, give us a call. We have an excellent track record in coaching our clients to breakthrough results. Schedule an introductory assessment, and lay the groundwork for winning the game of business in 2011. Are you ready to win?