SKILL
managers need to listen to each other better. Here are some basic points to keep in mind. • Set realistic goals. Don’t shoot
from the hip. Base your objectives on your knowledge of the market and your experience. Ask yourself, “Can I really do this?” and discuss your goals with your sales manager. • Bring your customers into the conversation. Tell them you’re trying to set sales goals. Ask, “Tell me, do I have a chance at it? Is it unrealistic?” Many customers will be happy to give you honest feedback. • Find out what metrics are impor- tant to your sales manager. Many salespeople assume that selling at a higher margin is the name of the game. However, management might want to see higher margins – or to see you push a certain product line or new product. Of course, this affects how you develop your action plan. You won’t even know how to plan if you don’t ask and listen. • Write down your goals and
Goal Setting How to Reach All Your Sales Goals WILLIAM F. KENDY
It’s critical for salespeople to set goals, but – even though it seems obvious – many salespeople just don’t do it, and drift around from day to day and from crisis to crisis.
Successful salespeople take a lot of small steps in reaching their goals, but never forget the big
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picture. Goals need to be reason- able and achievable. To set real- istic goals, salespeople and sales
objectives. This gives your objec- tives more meaning and helps you stay on track. Write out your year- long goals and break them down by month and week. Figure out your past earnings history, including how much you average for each month and how many appointments you booked to achieve that average. Then, project how many deals and appointments you’ll need to meet your upcoming goals. • Realize that your goals and objec-
tives will shift over time. Adapt to the changes in the landscape and take self-correcting steps to succeed. Goals are merely guideposts. What was important in January may not be as important in June. Setting and reaching sales goals can, at times, seem almost as insur- mountable as Mt. Everest. But if you set reasonable objectives – and devel- op and work an action plan – reaching your goals may not be as hard as you think. Just remember the old adage: “By the yard it’s hard, but by the inch it’s a cinch.”
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