Six Achievable Steps to Goal Setting ? Lynda C-L Allen

Sales professionals are all too familiar with goals.? I doubt there?s any other profession which defines success or failure so readily on goals than sales.? Think about it, you hit goal ? you keep job; you don?t hit goal ? you lose job?Pretty simple. ?It?s no wonder the very mention of the word ?goal? stirs up feelings and emotions which put us in an unhappy, stressful place.

You would think that given the very nature of the sales biz, we would be expert goal setters.? Unfortunately, this is not the case; if it were we wouldn?t have coined the phrase ?peaks and valleys? when referring to sales performance.? So, how do you become the most effective, valued and profitable member of your team with the least amount of work?

SET GOALS!!!!!!

Contrary to popular belief, goal setting is not a difficult process.? As a matter of fact, goal setting is as natural to us as breathing; we do it every day, often without even realizing it.? Why don?t we realize it?? Well, I will argue because attaining personal goals is second nature.

Example:? If you want to watch Monday night football, you?ll get home in time to do it.

Unfortunately, when it comes to goal setting in our professional lives, we don?t do it.? How do I know this?? Again, if you define sales performance with ?peaks and valleys? or you don?t have a personal operational method which you follow religiously, you?re not incorporating goal setting.? We all want to be successful but ?wants? are nothing more than ?wishes.?? Goals on the other hand are written plans with visible directions for achievement.

?If I?ve told my team once, I?ve told them a thousand times:? If it?s not in writing, it doesn?t exist.

If you want to achieve more, do more, have more it is necessary to have goals in place?period.? If you don?t, it?s like sitting in a canoe out in the middle of the ocean without any oars.? You don?t live your personal life void of goals so don?t live your professional life this way, it makes no sense.

Over the years I found that the absence of professional goal setting is not due to a lack of desire but instead due to a lack of practical knowledge.?? Goal setting can be as specific as you wish it to be.? It is important to remember that bigger goals require more tasks and more detail.??? It is common to find a series of little goals set within a primary goal, so be prepared to recognize and embrace this.

The only way to eat an elephant is one piece at a time!

Identify and Decide on Goal

• Write it down (If it?s not in writing it doesn?t exist)
• Make it realistic, manageable and attainable (Sorry, you can?t manage winning the lottery so don?t even try it!)
• Set a deadline to your goal (Urgency fuels action)

Align Goal with Your Belief System

• True and honest belief in success (Can you do it?? Do you want to?? It?s up to you)
• Actively visualize fulfillment of goal (To see it is to believe it?See it daily)
• Hold goal in your mind (Keep the goal solid in your mind, bringing it to the forefront at will)
• Attach positive emotion to goal (If you can?t feel it, you can?t achieve it?Feel the love!)

Create a Working Plan to Achieve Goal

• Define all activities and their frequency needed to reach goal (Beware of analysis paralysis ? Don?t over complicate)
• Put the work plan together (Congrats!? You are now the project manager of your own life!)
• Align daily calendar to include goal activity (Again, if it?s not in writing it doesn?t exist?this includes tasks)

Activate Plan with Excitement

• Commit to accomplishing each daily task associated with goal (Work tasks for optimal results)

Work Each Activity with the Emotion Originally Assigned to Goal

• Don?t work with a Zombie mentality.? Zombie?s don?t think, care or feel.? They eat brains and have no future?Need I say more?

Continuously Self Monitor Progress ? Stay on Track

• Strive for improvement:? What are you doing well and what can you improve on
• Seek out assistance/training (He who seeks shall find ? never stop learning)
• Expect Setbacks (all projects have them) Project leaders work through them!
• Be flexible (The only thing consistent in life is change, so be able to tweak processes while keeping your eye on the prize)

Persist Until You Achieve

• Your future is composed of small, progressive steps
• Understand that each activity increases knowledge, talent and strength
• Know that each activity moves you closer to your goal

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