Peady’s Selling Engagement sponsored by IRD Prospector

Welcome to this week’s post on sales and selling success.

Setting goals and sticking to them increases your productivity and makes it easier to measure your progress and act as a game changer when it comes to your career.

Author and personal development expert Jim Rohn said “If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you”.

A simple and proven format

One of the most effective goal setting formats is the “SMART system”. 

SMART stands for Specific – Measurable – Attainable – Relevant – Time Bound (or timeline)

• Specific: Your goal must be clear and well defined. Don’t be vague. Make it easy to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to end up. Write it down and keep refining it until what you want to do is crystal clear. 
• Measurable: Be specific. How will you and any others you share the goal with know the progress? Include precise numbers, figures and dates to measure your degree of success. You can’t manage what you can’t measure. 
• Attainable: Make sure that it’s possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you’ll demoralise yourself.  Resist the urge to set goals that are too easy. 
• Relevant: Goals should be relevant to the direction you want in your life and/or career. Why is achieving the goal important? What effect will it have on you? Do this and you’ll develop the focus you need to do what you want.
•  Time Bound: Your goals must have a deadline. It’s critical to decide when you will have reached your goal(s). When you are working to a deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will come that much quicker. 

 
Is it important?
 
Once you have completed the first step it’s time to confirm that the goal is important to you. Is it a “goal for the sake of a goal” or is it something that you need or want to do? What will be the benefits of achieving the goal? What reward will you receive by achieving the goal?
 
Once you are convinced they are “true” goals, you need to put together an Action Plan. That’s a list of the activities or steps that you need to complete to achieve them.
 
Write it down
 
When you have satisfied yourself about the goal, write it down in a short and easy to read format. After all you’ll want to read and revisit the document every day! 
 
Print out the goals and place a copy on your bathroom mirror to read as you get ready for work each morning, another copy on your desk. How about using the document as your screen saver? Maybe even an abbreviated copy in the car?
 
Many people share the goal with a trusted friend or partner. They can be helpful in keeping you on track, particularly if you promise to send them weekly updates on your progress.
 
And the research proves it
 
The more often you read and revisit the written goals or share the goals with others, the more likely you’ll actually do something about them. Research conducted by psychology professor Dr. Gail Matthews found that more than 70% of the study participants who sent weekly updates to a friend reported successful goal achievement compared to 35% of those who kept their goals to themselves.
 
So, you’ve got the outline, now what will you do? Your call.
 
Until next week good selling!
 

About the author 

Stephen Pead is a media industry veteran of 30 years with significant experience in direct sales, sales management and general management. He is based in Sydney and specialises in helping SME’s market their businesses more effectively and providing training for salespeople and sales managers.

He can be contacted at [email protected]