“I know my numbers.” My then 3-year old son said to his grandmother in response to her comment while they were engaged in an activity during a visit. To give some context: My mother holds a master’s degree in Mathematics and develops assessments for national and international audiences. My son, a genius in my eyes, loves counting and at that early age can do basic addition and subtraction and is very proud of his intellectual abilities.
I was busy around the house when I heard my mother’s comment and my son’s response. Immediately, I smiled because I understood what was going on and why they had made their respective comment. It got me thinking of sales leaders, business owners and sales professionals… Many sales leaders, business owners and sales professionals are not clear of their target – their numbers, so to speak.
The great Zig Ziglar once made the point that even a stellar performer cannot hit a target unless the performer knows where to aim. In the sales context, even a top performer cannot consistently hit their target unless they know what the target is.
Most people are content with loose goals such as “I want to do better this year/quarter/month.” That is not a specific enough target. And consequently, the “numbers” you need to hit that goal cannot be clear, so success is not certain.
Specifically, What is Your Number?
To reach your sales goal in a period, you have to start with a real, specific
number. Having a specific number will allow you to create specific
plans/pathways and new ways of thinking to achieve that number. This is of course,
taking the case that the goal is bigger than ever been achieved yet.
The Path to The Goal
There will be many possible pathways and actions to get to the number/goal.
However, no matter your experience level, product, service or industry, there
are essential components of every sales strategy to guarantee success:
Excitement: You must be excited to start, maintain and finish the process. Without this, all else will fail!
Regular feedback: Building in regular sincere feedback with opportunities for development will help evaluate what’s working and what’s not and make adjustments.
Celebrate Wins: Celebrating success can be contagious! Recognize wins along the way to give energy for the path ahead.
Don’t Go in Alone: Be sure to have an accountability partner or a mentor throughout the process. Working with someone in that capacity creates a culture of expectation and commitment needed, as excitement, to go through peaks and valleys.
Bringing It All Together
Starting is the first step. However, a step in the right direction will get you
closer to your goals. Be specific about your goal for the second half of the
year and create a pathway to achieve the goal.
I know my numbers. Do you know yours?
Avoid “winging it” to grow your business. Establish a clear path for success. Need help? Let’s talk: info@thecommissioninternational.com
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