Another year is upon us and if you are like most people you have hit
floor running without planning a clear objective for upcoming year. However, top performing sales people make time to establish clear targets. Setting goals is not a complicated process nor does it take a lot of time. Use techniques listed below to help you achieve your targets.- Ensure each of your goals follows SMART concept: Specific, Motivational, Action-oriented, Relevant to your situation, Time-bound. For example, “I will increase my sales by 15% compared to last year.” Be as specific about your goal as possible. “I will start my own catering business” is a lot stronger than “I want to go into business for myself.” Challenging goals are motivating. Set goals that will push beyond what you usually think you can accomplish. Remember to set a deadline. A goal without a deadline is simply a dream. Attach a realistic yet challenging deadline for accomplishment and post this where you can review it regularly.
- Phrase your goal in present tense and assume success. Don't say, “I want to.” Say, “I will.” This subtle technique tells your subconscious that you have already achieved your goal which means it will go work at helping goal become a reality. It will attract people, places, and situations you need to achieve that goal.
- Put them in writing. This simple act helps you clarify your goals and will allow you to visualize them more effectively. I recommend that you record each goal on a separate index card and review them twice a day – once in morning (when you first wake up) and again before you go to bed. This process reinforces your goals, acts as a reminder and drives your goals deep into your subconscious. In fact, this is one of most powerful strategies you can use to achieve your targets.
- List benefits you intend to receive by achieving each goal. This will keep you focused and strong particularly when you face inevitable roadblocks and barriers. Years ago, when I chose to quit smoking, I listed 75 benefits and when I felt urge for a cigarette I would review this list to help me get past that craving. The more benefits you can list for your goals, more motivating those goals will become.
- As you review your goals each morning and evening, picture yourself achieving each of them. The more you can “see” success in your mind's eye, more likely you can translate this into reality. Create a perfect picture in your mind and replay it frequently. Developing a picture board can help with this. This is a very effective tool that allows you to see visual impact of achieving your goals. When my wife and I bought our first house we clipped photographs and pictures of what we wanted our house to have and pasted them on to a large sheet of poster board. We hung this near front door of our apartment so we could see it every time we left or entered apartment. We also created a thermometer of “down-payment savings” to help us track our progress. We had a clear deadline and were able to surpass this deadline by almost 30 days. I now keep track of my annual revenues, speaking engagements and book sales in same manner. I post these sheets on my office wall where I can see them everyday and they allow me to track my progress with a quick glance.
