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Guest post by: Brian Sullivan Become an Author

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Okay, I had to go and ruin it didn't I. Can't I just get off your back and let you enjoy the revelry of the next few weeks before dropping the "reminder bomb" of the "life altering" resolutions that you will be forced to make in a couple of weeks. But wait! I guess if you are on a fiscal year that ends in the summer, than your "career resolutions" can wait another six months, right? I mean January really is like everybody else's August, isn't it? If your on this wacky calendar, you still have six months of blowing out of work early and walking passed door after door of possible clients. Or if you're an inside phone sales rep, you can still take twenty minutes to do meaningless paperwork after one halfway decent tele-sales call. Sure, don't sweat it. Get in a few rounds of golf or perhaps a little shopping and head on home and throw some burgers on the grill, pour yourself a glass of red and just put the old sales year on auto-pilot. Your change can wait a while. Whew!

Well, I hate to do this to you. Hell, I like a good round of golf and a glass of wine myself, but I just can't let you do it. You are in this thing with the rest of us. We are all going into 2011 together...as a bunch of crazy PRECISE Selling machines. Why? Because that round of golf and that glass of wine taste a lot better when you are on TOP. The feeling of accomplishment that comes from being "the" top sales performer in your company or industry is tough to beat. Think of the perks that come with being better than "everybody" at the "world's greatest profession." While I will promise not to sound like a late night infomercial promising lavish yachts, fast cars, and beautiful people falling at your feet, I will promise you this. You will feel like a champion. You will gain the respect of your managers and company leaders, and perhaps as equally important, your peers.

While I fully realize the thrill of a large commission check may be good enough for you, for most, the driving motivation is recognition and respect. Well, I want you to ask yourself a question right now. When was the last time you were publicly recognized by your company or manager? I'm talking about an award, a voicemail passed on about something extraordinary you did, or a posting of a customer testimonial about your amazing service. When was the last time somebody made you feel respected by asking your advice about how to "sell" effectively, how to overcome that common objection, how to get to the top! If you said six months, one year, or never, then things are about to change. In '11 you WILL be noticed. You WILL be respected. And you WILL be a top performer. It's time to become famous in your company and famous in your industry. But how?

While I can't give you the whole formula written in the pages of my book "Twenty Days to the Top," I can give you what I believe is crucial to having a "breakout" year. I believe Roger Staubach, former quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys nailed it when he said:

"In business or in sports, it takes a lot of unspectacular preparation and planning to produce spectacular results."

So let's make that one or our "career resolutions." And believe me, I am with you on this one. I do seminars on time management and planning all the time and frankly, Mr. Hypocrite can use a little "fine tuning" himself. So are you with me? Good.

First, I want you to grab a pen and paper right now. All right, so about 5% of you reading this just grabbed a pen. Let me try this again. I want you to grab a pen and paper right now! This will take three minutes and mean thousands of dollars to you. If you did what I said, 2011 is going to be a great year for you! Welcome aboard.

Now I want you to fill in the blanks to these questions and write them on that sheet.

Your PRECISE Objectives

I will make $______________ this year.

I will be rank #_________ in my company in sales.

I will close ________ sales a week.

I will make _______ calls a day.

I will "plan" _________ hours/minutes each week to plan.

Now take that sheet, or print out a "classy" looking computer version of it, and tape it on your forehead. But feel free to blow it out of the way from time to time so you can actually see your customers (and your loved ones). Okay, maybe I'm getting a little nutty with the forehead bit, but I want that sheet to haunt you until this time next year. If you make a commitment to look at that sheet every Monday morning and every Friday afternoon your rise to the top will begin. The more you look at those objectives, the more quickly you will become a top performer. You see, by keeping the "finish line" in front of you at all times, you will know exactly where to run. The target will be stationary, and a stationary target is much easier to hit than one that is moving.

And notice the last line of the PRECISE Objectives. You need to "plan" to "plan." (Trivia question-Who do I sound like?) This means that you need to pick a set time each week to map out your month. And during that planning time, DO NOT pick up voicemails, emails or put on your favorite rerun of "The VIEW." I like to plan my "high value" activities at least three weeks out. Try it.

My friend, I have my first prediction for 2011. If you are committed to improving your career, consistently focus on your PRECISE objectives, and schedule time each week to plan, you will get the recognition and respect that we talked about earlier. Your peers will want to be like you, your CEO will want to know your secrets, and you customers will want to fix you up with their closest relative (assuming your single). And next holiday season, as you review 2011 on your "easy chair" with that nice glass of red, you will be thankful for the commitments to excellence you made one year ago.

And lastly, as we talk about setting objectives, I will leave you with a quote that made an impact on me. It says:

"No amount of success at work can compensate for failure at home." -Patrick Morley

Have a great year-end and may God bless you and your family during this Holiday season.

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