How to Achieve Your Sales Objectives in the New Year

Like many of you, I recently completed my FY2007 goals. Here’s a suggestion if you want to significantly increase the likelihood you actually achieve your sales goals this upcoming year.

Write your SMART goals down as you normally do. Again, SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-based. If you’re not familiar with the SMART process, simply Google and you’ll find plenty of information.

Once you’ve written down your SMART goals, write the words, “I will:” at the top of your goal page. Then, print your name and a signature line at the bottom of your goal page. Sign your name on the signature line and prepare yourself for the most important step. This task is critical, so please make sure you take this final step! Make a copy of your signed goal document and hand the signed copy to at least one other individual.

The individual may be a co-worker, manager, mentor, subordinate, spouse or even best friend. The role the person plays is not as critical as that you give your signed, goal document to someone you respect. If you want to increase the likelihood you achieve your goals even more, hand your signed goal document to a number of different people.

I use this process in my sales seminars and I encourage clients to use the process with their sales reps for a variety of sales processes.

This simple process leverages the well studied principles of commitment and consistency. Humans feel a strong internal drive to remain consistent in their actions with commitments they’ve made. According to well known social psychologists, Robert Cialdini, we significantly increase the likelihood we will “live up” to commitments made when those commitments are active, effortful, public and voluntary.

Writing your goals down, signing your name and providing your FY2007 goals to another individual or a group of people, leverages these four factors to increase the likelihood that you are consistent (live up to) your goals.

While this is a very easy process, I promise many of you will not take the final step. Quite frankly, it is actually somewhat difficult to make these commitments because we don’t want others to know we’ve failed if we don’t achieve our goals. That’s part of the psychology that drives us to action – if you take the final step.

One final thought. Repeat this process with your weekly, monthly or quarterly action plans you’ve developed to achieve your goals. You have those action plans - right? Leveraging the principles of commitment and consistency for these interim processes will make it more likely you achieve your longer term goals.

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes, but no plans.”

--- Peter Drucker ---

Happy New Year!

Rob Reed is president of Terrakon, a sales and marketing consulting firm based in St. Louis. Terrakon specializes in helping clients incorporate trust building sales and marketing strategies and processes to attract and win more customers.