Last week via the blog post I described an activity I undertook and realized great success. I spoke about the use of a vision board to manifest my goals in 2019. I began thinking how I can make this relatable to the business owner or professional seeking to achieve tremendous success in sales. The result was a quick, practical guide to what I have dubbed “Goal Setting to Sales Success.”
Identify the Goal
What are you seeking to achieve in 2020 (as it relates to sales)? I usually recommend a review of the year prior and a preview for the incoming year.
For example, you may have realized that for the past financial year, you achieved only 73% of your overall target. So, a goal for your business can be to hit 90% of your overall sales target by November 30, 2020 (at the end of your financial year). Keep those goals S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Realistic and Timely). And be sure to align those goals to the overarching vision of your company.
Do an Audit
Do you have the internal or external resources to achieve this goal? For example, you may want to grow sales by 17% from last year’s performance but realized you do not have the right skill set internally to achieve this. A goal cannot be achieved without the ‘how to’ that gets you there. Therefore consider:
- What are our weaknesses? Is it critical to the goal achievement?
- If not in-house, do we have knowledge about the expertise that can be outsourced?
- Do we have the finances to propel the drive needed to sustain this?
- Should we tweak our systems to improve efficiency and facilitate this goal achievement?
Collaborate and Communicate
As part of a Sales Team, I always welcomed my Department Head’s collaboration with my teammates and I when setting goals. As a business owner, you may not include the team in every aspect of this exercise. However, to encourage greater buy in and engagement, be sure to include them at some stage of the goal setting exercise. Remember they are going to be the lifeline of the company for you!
Additionally, be sure to communicate the goal (s). Take the team out for a picnic or away from the office and sell why the achievement of this goal is beneficial to everyone. Make the process not about you (the business owner/boss) but seek to appeal to their motivators too.
Review
Be sure to measure your success weekly and monthly to the desired goal that you seek to achieve. It includes identifying the metrics that can evaluate your goal(s) at any time. For example, reviewing your monthly conversions is a good indicator of how resources are being utilized and contracted business which translates into revenue growth.
Happy Goal Setting!