Disclaimer One: We are getting very close to summer, and goal setting could will help you stay on track during the warmer months, where golf, vacations, alfresco dining, the beach, and baseball distract us from working.
Disclaimer Two: As you will see below, I originally wrote this post in 2015. What is a reasonable sales goal for 2024?
I love goal setting and find it quite fun. I have found it to be a powerful tool in both my personal and professional life. I’ve always been one to have goals, write them down, dream about them, and then work hard to achieve them. Maybe it’s my type A personality… I was the oldest child after all. Or, maybe it’s because goal setting has worked very well for me.
Even though I have set goals for myself almost my entire life, it wasn’t until my mid-twenties, that I started to use goal setting to its full potential. I was fortunate enough to get a job working with a very successful financial advisor who focused on goal setting. He taught me a great deal in the two years I worked with him and it’s what he taught me that I continue to use today in my own business.
So, how does goal setting work? Well first, you need to have some goals. Everyone has goals. Sales goals, health goals, career goals, family goals, etc. Write them ALL down and put them into categories, such as career – family – personal, etc. For this article, I’m going to focus on sales goals.
Let’s say you have an annual sales goal of $24 million. To stay focused and motivated, we will break that annual goal down into monthly goals, making your monthly sales goal $2 million. Now for the month, you only have to focus on selling $2 million worth of product, premium, or service – whatever it may be. You can break that down even further if you like and have a goal of $500,000 per week but typically a month goes by fast enough and your weekly sales may fluctuate a little, so having monthly goals has always worked best for me.
Write down your monthly goal and put it somewhere where you can see it. On your computer, in your planner, you want to be able to look at this daily! To make achieving goals even more fun feel free to associate a reward with a particular goal. For instance, if you reach your sales goals for October, you could buy that expensive golf club you’ve always wanted. Or, if you reach your sales goals in February, you will book a weekend getaway for March. I realize some companies have incentive trips, and those are great rewards to work towards. Or maybe you are saving for a new home, a new boat, a new car, whatever it may be … tie it to your sales goals.
Looking at your goals motivates you to make that last phone call, schedule that last meeting, and use your time productively. Achieving your goals feels great and becomes the stepping stone for you to achieve even more the next time. Writing your goals down on paper reinforces the goal. Drawing a relevant picture next to your goals is also a great way to remember them and stay focused on them. So, if you want that new home, car, boat, or trip, tack a picture of it up next to your desk or computer and you’ll be amazed at how much you can achieve when your goals are always right in front of you!
To make goal setting even more effective, write down the goal, how you plan on reaching that goal, and how you intend to implement the plan.
For example:
Goal: $24 million in sales for 2015
Plan: $2 million in sales each month by hosting lunch events, conducting annual reviews, and getting referrals.
Action: Host one lunch event per month, follow up with attendees, schedule annual reviews for the month, and gain referrals from existing clients at their review.
Happy goal setting and good luck! Remember, the sky is no longer the limit because we can go further than the sky.
-Danae Branson
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