Got sales goals for 2005? Here’s how to achieve them.
Where will you be one year from today?
Where will your sales be?
How will you get there? Are your goals established for 2005? Are they written down? If not, next year you’ll likely be where you are today. Wishing you were someplace else, without the direction or drive to get there. The classic definition of a goal is: a dream with a plan and a deadline.
The classic three reasons people don’t achieve their goals are:
1. They fail to write them down and post them in plain view.
2. They fail to make a plan to achieve their goal.
3. They fail to commit, or don’t live up to the commitments they make. These reasons seem pretty easy to overcome, yet studies show that more than 70% of our adult society does not even set goals in writing. WOW.
Here are 7.5 classic steps to goal setting and achievement.
1. Identify it – Write your goal(s) down clearly. Write exactly what you want to achieve…in the most specific terms possible.
2. Date it – Put a date (and time limit) to start the goal and finish it. Unless you commit to a start and target an end, your ability to achieve any goal is questionable.
3. List the obstacles you will have to overcome to achieve your goal. Identification of obstacles will help prevent them from occurring.
4. List the groups and people to contact who will work with you and help you achieve your goal. People will help you if you ask.
5. What skills and knowledge do you need to have to achieve your goal? Do you have them or do you need to acquire them? Make a plan to acquire or hire the knowledge or skills you need.
6. Make (and write down) an action plan for each goal. The more specific and detailed your plan is, the more likely you are to enact it.
7. List the benefits of goal achievement – What’s in it for me after I achieve this goal? What’s my incentive? Is my incentive strong enough to ensure achievement?
7.5 Take action every day – It only takes ten or fifteen minutes a day to chip away at goal achievement. Make a personal commitment to act on your goals… and live up to that commitment every day.
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Goal achievement is up to you…your self talk, self visualization and self determination are 90% of the achievement process. So, here for your “I have no time” enjoyment, are the Gitomer Cliff Notes – the new (Y2K) classic goal achievement method:
- Ask yourself – Why do I want this? Am I willing to work hard for it?
- Make yourself – Select two big goals, and several smaller goals.
- Visually discipline yourself – Write down your goals and post them up where you can see them daily. Tell yourself daily that you are on the path to achievement and that it won’t be long now.
- Hang yourself – If your goal is something you want or want to be (car, computer, vacation, thin person, new clothes) hang a picture of your goal in the bathroom, in your bedroom, or by your office desk.
- Project yourself – If your targets are in front of you it makes it easy to hit them. Being able to hit the targets depends on your focus. The clearer your focus, the more likely you are to hit a bullseye.
- Commit yourself – If you don’t emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually commit yourself to achieve, it is likely you will not.
- Satisfy yourself – Achieving a goal is incredibly self satisfying. It gives you a feeling of accomplishment, purpose and the inspiration to set out and achieve the next goal.
The big secret of goal achievement is to figure out “the daily dose.” Determine how much you need to do each day to reach your goal in short steps. An amount you can measure, an amount you can achieve. Save pennies per day, lose ounces per day, make calls per day, earn dollars per sale — and achieve that daily dose each day. At last you can say the magic words. Scream them – I DID IT! (Screaming positive things always feels wonderful.) Sales note…Don’t confuse goals with quotas. Quotas are arbitrary numbers set by business owners and managers to strike fear and intimidation into salespeople. A goal is a game plan to achieve and exceed a quota. If you just “make quota,” you’ll never achieve goals.
Free GitBit… Want the secret to winning and achievement? Go to www.gitomer.com and click free stuff, then click GitBit. Register (if you’re a first time user) and enter the secret word “PERSISTENCE”. Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Sales Bible, and Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless. President of Charlotte-based Business Marketing Services, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts training programs on selling and customer service. He can be reached at 704/333-1112 or e-mail to salesman@gitomer.com
c2000 All Rights Reserved – Don’t even think about reproducing this document without written permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer o 704/333-1112
