7 Steps to Setting Sales Goals With Pin-Point Accuracy

The ancient question asked by countless sales managers: "How many units will you sell this month?" Then you are encouraged to answer with a number. And then... you lie ! You are forced to lie because you have been asked to put the cart before the horse so that you can be pummeled by disappointment. Take a moment to examine how you can establish unit goals with pin-point accuracy.

How many units do you want to sell?

• Be honest with yourself.
• Don't set your unit mark just to beat someone else . (We'll talk about establishing purpose next time.)
• This is your decision, because different levels of achievement are harnessed at the sacrifice of other components of your life such as family time, hobbies and other activities that are important to you.

Write your mark in positive language :

• I will sell _____ units this pay-period!

Forecast the activity necessary to achieve your desired outcome:

1. Contact _____ fresh leads.
2. Create _____ new buyers from the fresh leads.
3. Follow up with all buyers.
4. Present your offering to 100% of your prospects. (Achieve an 80% presentation rate)
5. Present purchase/enrollment proposals to 100% of your prospects that have received a feature/benefit presentation of your offering. (Achieve a 50% proposal rate.)
6. Come to terms and close 30% of those that have received a written proposal from you.
7. Now, your realistic Unit Goal is ______. (You may need to reconsider that number you shared with your sales manager!)

Example: I have 15 prospects rolling into this period. I make 10 calls per day (or more, depending on your industry) to create 30 interested individuals, businesses or organizations. (This is a 12% success rate.) Of the now 45 buyers that are in my sights, I successfully present my offering to 36 (80%) of them. 18 of these buyers accept proposals so that they have all the information necessary to make an intelligent decision. 6 buyers (30%) take ownership of my product or service offering and live happily ever after.

What you have now established is a method with which you can measure the results of your efforts. At any given time during your sales period you can make necessary adjustments to either stay or get back on track. Keep in mind that as you hone the skills necessary to move to each subsequent stage your closing ratio will improve thereby allowing you to revisit your Activity Forecast success rate.

Prove me wrong.

Now, get out there and sell something !

Attitude Shift: 4 Steps to a Positive Attitude

Habitually, life is a grind, don't you think? Ask your friends, "Why do you go to work everyday?" Nine out of ten of them will probably say, "Because everyone else does." How about that for inspiration? It's that painful attitude that we find ourselves subjected to every living day. Therefore, you could ask me, "What makes you think that I can break free from the bonds of conformity?" And I would answer, "Because you can. It's a choice; as your attitude is a choice and not a feeling."

So you wake up this morning still thinking about last night's argument you had with your spouse about the pile of debt you have collectively constructed. You swing your feet off the couch only to feel the cold remnants of the dog relieving his bladder in the middle of the night because you were too depressed to let him out. You ooze into the bathroom to rinse off and take the obligatory shower and there stands your counter-part. With the argument still lingering in the air you both choose to avoid the topic by not speaking at all.

How frustrating can this be since your son has the biggest game of the season tonight and your daughter's performance at her dance recital this evening will make or break her scholarship opportunity. You have a mountain of responsibility riding on a positive attitude today, but your ghastly experience of last night still lingers like a leach; slowly draining your life's energy one little suck at a time. How do you let go? How do you strap on a positive attitude?

Here is a short process that you can put to work right now to brighten you life...for at least a moment. You decide whether to change your life forever. It just takes a little courage.

First, connect yourself with the discomfort that wrecked your attitude. Whatever created this mountain of debt must be recognized. You granted the power to create the situation that brought on this discomfort, so be proud! At some point, this situation you created served you well, didn't it? It just took a quick turn for the worse. So forgive yourself. Express your gratitude towards the ability to have created the mountain of debt to begin with. Express your gratitude towards the ability to pay the bills that support your purchases. Forgive yourself! Now, reclaim your power so that it can be used for a greater purpose. Reflecting on the current example: to support your children in a time when they need your positive attitude the most. Serving the greater purpose with a positive attitude is a choice.

Secondly,allow your reclaimed power to rush through you like you have just leaped into a cool, fresh-water spring in the middle of a hot summer day! Feel it. Really feel it. Then remember this feeling and revisit this place over and over and over again. Indulge in the wonderful feelings it conjures. Smother your children with a positive attitude when they need it most. Serving this greater purpose with a positive attitude is a choice. And be happy you made the choice.

Third, now that you have reclaimed your power, choose your attitude. While experiencing your heightened state of happiness, make the choice that will carry with you an uplifting, positive attitude throughout the rest of the day. And when you begin to feel the intrusion of discomfort, immediately revert back to step two and remember that you have reclaimed your power. Remember the rush of energy that consumed you and brought you to this happy, powerful moment. Smother your children with a positive attitude when they need it most. This is your greater purpose.

Lastly, practice, practice, practice. Once you become even moderately efficient at reclaiming your power, your positive attitude will become a clear choice. Doors will open that will lead to places and dreams that you had only imagined for you and those for which you feel deep affection.

Make the choice to spread the virus of "positive attitude" with everyone you encounter and try to encounter as many people as you possibly can everyday. This epidemic you create will spread faster than you can presently imagine. However, with practice, you will soon realize how commonplace choosing a positive attitude can be.