Mark Hunter |
Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter", is a sales expert who speaks to
thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For
more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read
his Sales Motivation Blog, visit http://www.TheSalesHunter.com |
Mark Hunter
has written 7 articles for SB Informer. |
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Sales Goals in a Tough EconomyMark Hunter
April 13, 2009
Making your sales goals in a good year is one thing, but attaining them
in a difficult year is an entirely different challenge. Putting aside
the common cliché that when times are tough, great salespeople are
made, the reality is that making your goals puts more money in your
pocket. Therefore, I keep reminding salespeople to think of how many
times in the past they've watched a customer materialize out of nowhere
only to become a major player in helping reach their year-end
objectives. If you've been in sales for any length of time, you've had
this happen. I am not advocating that you kick back and relax while
you wait for the big customer to appear.I understand that it takes
work to make your goal, but, at the same time, don't lose sight that
occasionally nice breaks do occur. The good news is that you can be
successful if you're willing to take the time to work through the
following steps, despite the current state of the economy. The
first step to help you make your sales goals in a tough economy is to
break down your goal into weekly objectives. Keep in mind, however,
that these should not be based on closing "x" number of sales, but
instead on accomplishing "x" number of activities that you've found are
critical to your success. When your goals are strictly measured in
terms of sales dollars or units, you can easily become dejected by
numbers you're not happy with. Activities to monitor may include
making prospecting phone calls, conducting customer presentations, or
having follow-up meetings. This breakdown strategy is similar to the
way coaches successfully motivate their teams. By dissecting the game
into a series of activities that the coach knows the team can
accomplish, they will be in a better position to win the game. Second,
find a peer with a positive attitude who is willing to take an interest
in you. By reciprocating the interest, you will motivate each other.
Meet together at least once a week, preferably in person, but by phone
or web conference if that's not possible. Keep your conversation
focused solely on the positives of the previous week to discuss the
lessons you've learned from them and then how you'll be able to
leverage those lessons in the weeks to come. Remember, there's no
point in bringing negative baggage to the meeting. If you blew it,
don't dwell on it. Move beyond it! We all know that it's very easy
for one person's attitude to rub off onto another. A positive outlook
can create a heightened level of energy that will result in both of you
being able to think more clearly and foster new ideas and
opportunities. At the conclusion of the conversation, make yourself
accountable to the goals for the upcoming week by discussing exactly
how you intend to make them. Then, at your next meeting, make sure
you take the time to review each other's goals to ensure both of you
kept the focus where you expected it to be. Next, use the time
in between each meeting with your positive peer to focus on your key
activities. At the end of every day, ask yourself what you've done
toward accomplishing the week's objectives. By doing something daily
to move yourself towards achieving the goal, it will give you
motivation for the next day. Try to avoid putting expectations on
yourself to accomplish an entire week's goal in one day. If you can
attain it in that short of a time period, you've set it too low and
you'll never reach your full potential in sales. At the same time,
don't allow the weekly goal to be so difficult that you rarely achieve
it. Remember, the breakdown of the activities must be achievable. Missing your weekly goals too frequently will cause you to walk away
from the entire process. Finally, never allow yourself to be
influenced by negative voices. Today's economy has created an
incredible amount of pessimism, especially in the news media. If the
news is negative, don't listen to it! This may include not reading the
newspaper, avoiding certain websites, and changing the dial on some
radio stations. Furthermore, your friends and fellow employees may even
contribute to the buzz. Consider cutting them off before their
opinions sway you. For those of us in sales, it's important to
remember that people who aren't going to make their goal are going to
do everything possible to ensure their peers don't either. The last
thing they need is for somebody to show them up. Don't allow anyone to
take control of your goals. It goes without saying that
achieving your sales goals in a tough economy is not easy. But, like a
leaky roof, ignoring it and refusing to take action doesn't make it go
away just because it isn't leaking on a sunny day. Resolve to stop the
problems that contribute to your discouragement. You can't control
what the economy is doing, but you can control what YOU are doing. Take the necessary steps to motivate yourself to achieve those weekly
goals, which, in turn, will help you successfully reach your year-end
objectives.
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