Setting targets and goals is an essential part of succeeding in sales.
Goal setting can have huge impacts on sales volumes, profits and commission. But aside from making you money, goal setting can also be a major personal motivator if done right.
While most corporations set quantifiable targets for their team, leaders in sales take the idea of goal setting a step further. They make their goals personal.
How to set goals the right way:
1. Set a specific, personal goal. Don’t just set a dollar amount.
Example: In the competitive business of selling mobile devices, commission from selling protection plans along with the phones can amount to serious cash. But instead of saying, “My goal is to sell 20 protection plans this week,” make your target more personal.
“In sales, I had my salary and the commission made from selling protection plans,” said Eric Corbeil, W3 Solutions Business Development Manager. “Every single year, I set a goal of paying for at least one vacation completely from the commission I made from selling protection plans. Every year, I went on at least one or two trips.”
2. Touch your goals every day.
Having a goal in your mind isn’t enough. Neither is simply writing it down. Top sales professionals will go a step further to touch their goals every single day. If your goal is to buy a new car, or even a new house, print a picture of it and look at it every single day.
“Find out what you love, what you like in life and bring the personal part into business to keep you motivated,” Corbeil said. “Looking at your goal every day gives you something concrete to focus on. It works well and it will help a lot to reach your goals.”
3. Make goal setting an evolving process.
Fitness clothing giant lululemon places a huge emphasis on goal setting as a way to enhance their employees and clients personal and professional lives. Every person who applies for a job at lululemon must submit a goal-setting worksheet with their resume. The worksheet includes present, 5-year and 10-year goals.
Goal-setting tip from lululemon: Creating vision and setting goals is a continuous process. Your goals will (and should) evolve all the time. Make sure your goals are specific, measurable and written in the present tense.
According to lululemon, committing to the goal-setting process will:
- inspire you to do the work
- excite and even scare you
In a competitive sales industry, whether you’re selling warranties or yoga pants, the key to success is looking beyond the numbers and knowing how your work benefits your life.
“You need something outside the box to motivate you in sales,” Corbeil advises. “Get personal. If you’re still using numbers for sales targets, you’re not getting anywhere.”
The post How Top Sales Professionals Use Goals To Achieve Their Dreams appeared first on W3 Solutions.
