Belize In Yourself (and Hit Your Annual Sales Goals)!

2012 is coming to a close and many of you are either celebrating the success of your year or possibly wondering if you gave your year all that you could.

If you want to hit your annual sales goals, then goal setting can’t be an once a year process. It just can’t. If you want to achieve your goals then you have to track your activities throughout the year, compare your progress to your goals, and reset your expectations as you hit (or miss) specific milestones throughout the year.

Goal setting is one of my favorite activities. I’m a total geek when it comes to goal setting. My office walls are covered in annual, quarterly and monthly goal sheets, as well as annual and quarterly affirmations. But the only way I know if I’m on pace to hit my goals is because I track everything.

You need both types of goals

There are two levels of proper goal setting: Results Goals and Activity Goals. Results goals are typically income or production goals, activity goals are created by breaking each results goal down to the (monthly, weekly, and even daily) activities required to achieve them. For example: if you want to close $1.5M in new business each month (result goal), then calculate how many calls/appointments/quotes or consultations it takes to get there (activity goals). The last piece of this puzzle is to track your activities. That way, at the end of every month and quarter you will know if you’re on track for the year or if your goals need to be reset. There is one thing that I’ve learned about every person who tracks their activities: they close more business. Do you want to know why? Because activity breeds activity!

So, do you write down your goals on an annual basis? Sadly, most do not. If you do write them down, do you share your goals with someone? The percentage of salespeople who do is very small – and there is one reason for that: Fear. Yes, fear! Did you know that you are 70% more likely to hit your goals if you write them down and share them with someone? That’s another reason why it’s so important to have a personal sales coach – its a coach’s job to work with you to set your goals, monitor your activities, and make the adjustments needed throughout the year to ensure your success (for more information on getting your own personal sales coach, click here).

Oh, have you wondered where I came up with the “Belize in Yourself” title? Because that’s where our incentive trip is this year. I made a sign last January that said: Belize in Yourself! and I put it on my wall next to my desk where I could see it every day. I knew I was the only one who could get me there. So am I celebrating my success for the year? Yes! I not only talk the talk, but I walk the walk – and this April, I’ll be walking right down to the beach to celebrate in Belize!

So don’t forget to celebrate your successes when you hit your goals – and don’t be afraid to tell the world!

Until next time – go sell some stuff!