Tweet

Goal Setting for Success

Guest post by: Mike Schultz

Article Overview: Co-author of Rainmaking Conversations, Mike Schultz, explains the importance of setting personal sales goals for long-term success.

Goal Setting for Success

A colleague of mine who’s a young serial entrepreneur has a sign over his computer. It reads, “Goal: Own the San Francisco 49ers.” And it has a date that’s not so far away.

When we talk I always ask about progress. Last week I asked him, “Can you at least buy the 22ers yet?”

Interestingly enough, since he just sold his first company and is now leading a major venture-backed organization, he’s probably about that far away.

Progress notwithstanding, his goal is set and he knows where he wants to go.

Sales people need to do the same, because if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. But you might not be so happy when you arrive.

Rainmakers, those in the top 10% of all sales performers, believe in the power of goals and action plans. Just like my 22er (for now) friend, those who truly want to reach the elite status don’t get their by accident – they live by goals and they are committed to doing what they need to do to achieve.



There are two important things that set apart sales people, sales managers and leaders who live by their goals and those who don’t.



First, people who have goals know where they want to go. Contrary to what you might read in other books about goal setting, you don’t have to sort out your life’s purpose in order to achieve success in sales. All you need to do is set a target. It can be as simple as having an annual revenue goal, and having the answer to the question, “Do I really want to achieve this badly?”

• Second, once you know where you want to go, commit to a goals routine. If you have already done so, bully for you! It’ll help you achieve. In any case, take care to keep your goals routine simple, and to visit it frequently. The simpler it is, the easier it is to stick with it. A simple roadmap can help you build and stick to your own goals routine. Below is one that is easy to follow in your journey to sales success:
  
  
• Review your goals first thing in the morning every day. Say your big picture goal out loud, then review your action plan for the day. This should only take a few minutes. At the end of each day, review how the day went, and set goals and actions for the next day. In the time you might take to drink a cup of coffee (if you down it as fast as I do), you will have accomplished this review.

• On Friday, or during the weekend, review the week and set goals and actions for the next week. Do this with a colleague who can be a “goals partner” so to speak. Your goals partner can be a peer, a mentor, a coach, or a friend, but it’s someone you work with explicitly each week to make sure you’re on top of your goals, staying committed, and pushing yourself.
  
  
• Once per month, meet with a small group of people you trust to review what you’re doing, where you’re headed, what you’ll do in the next month, and get ideas for how you can achieve more and shake off any nagging hassles.
  
  
• Once per quarter, review your progress toward your annual goal. During this meeting step back and ask yourself, “What do I absolutely positively need to get done over the next three months to achieve my annual goals?” Set no more than three priorities for the next quarter that you’ll direct all your passion, energy and intensity toward so you can stay on track.
  
  
• Once per year, set your targets for the next year. Make sure you ask yourself, “What do I need to do to get my big picture goal?” When you’re done with your goals and annual plan, ask yourself, “If I get done what I’m about to do, will it help me get to my big-picture goal?” Make sure it does!
  
  
• As you’re crafting your goals, you should also take your big-picture goal and check to see that it aligns to your shorter-term goals and actions.

Also, don’t let not having the perfect template or detailed tracking mechanism stop you from getting started. This is a form of goal procrastination best to avoid.



Some of the highest-achieving goal setters just write their goals on one sheet of paper and stick it in the top drawer of their desk. One person we worked with for years keeps a Word file on his desktop, and reopens the document each week to review and update the progress.



One caveat with goal setting: the process of setting them can shine a light on the fact that you’re not yet even near where you want to be. Don’t worry ‘bout it. Remember that the road to success is always under repair. Live by goals and you won’t get lost on the side streets, wondering to yourself why you’re not there yet.

I’d say “good luck” but you don’t need luck. Set your goals and your actions, and you’ll make your own.

Related Articles
  The \"Sales Goals Motivate\" Myth
  How to Set Goals
  Goals Lead to Success
  Business Coaching: 3 Key Questions To Enhance Accountability
  You Need to Close the Knowing-Doing Gap
  Reaching Your Goals
  Steps to Reach Your Goal!
  Home Business Expert: How To Set Your Goal – Short, Mid And Long
  Most successful people set goals. How about you?
  Is Goal-setting bringing you down?
  Goals-Start By Setting Them Small!
  The Big Mistakes in Goal Setting
  The Secret to Successful Goal Setting for Changing Times: Seven Steps to Achieving Your Dreams
  How to Increase Sales Using a Goal Achievement Mentality Instead of a Goal Setting One
  Time Management Must Be Connected to Your Goals
  Top 7 Mistakes that Prevent People from Achieving
  Goal Setting Sucks
  Recap of four part series on successful goal setting.
  Start Goal Setting Now
  The Miraculous way to achieve anything, Goal setting©

Article Tags: coauthor, conversations, longterm success, mike schultz, personal sales, sales goals, success goal



Related Forum Posts
Re: What are your January Goals? - Here's a quick update on mine: Goal #1: Hire New Writer = done - Post job description on oDesk - Set up trial job - Pick top candidate Goal #2: Follow up with Clients = done - Create and send quarterly report - Touch base with last year's clients - Follow up with 4 connectors Goal #3: PERSONAL = about 70% done on the month - Do something nice for my wife each week - Exercise 4 times per week - Daily stretch - want to touch my toes
Re: Drop out Billionaire - I reveived Bill Bartmann's DVD "9 Steps To Achieve Any Goal" as part of my monthly pack from Success University a few months back. It is a great presentation. I've watched it several times but not for a while so I'll view it again in the coming week. He is one of the greats. Like the best success mentors, he speaks with authority because he has come through much tribulation. His program sounds like a great bargain at $100 a year.
Re: How do you monitor what people say about you in the web? - Setting up Google alerts for your keywords can give updates about your site. Also the publicity you create in the social media sites will do help too
Re: What is Your Favorite Thing About Owning A Business? - 1. Not feeling like I have to get approval for anything. 2. Not feeling like I have to please anyone. 3. Not having to ask permission before I do something. 4. Setting my own hours. 5. Sounding really cool when I tell people I have my own business.
Re: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD...RIGHT NOW!!! - Success = Thinking (Head) + Heart (Feeling / Interest) + Hand (doing/ action). Success - H3 Robert


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

The Substance Abusing Employee

Promoting your company and self with verve

Soda Vending Machine = Energy Hog

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.