By Jody Euloth T his is the time of year that people spend a lot of time reflecting. Looking back over the past year acknowledging accomplishments, analyzing unforeseen obstacles and reviewing the list of goals they had set out to achieve. It’s also that time to reset your mind with positive intentions and plan new goals for the upcoming year. This planning spans all areas of life, and is particularly important for any sales professional or entrepreneur who have set targets they need or want to achieve to be successful in business. You can’t set new goals and plan your sales approach without first forecasting your sales. Forecasting is the backbone to your business plan. It is a crucial part of the financial planning of the business, which uses past and current sales statistics to intelligently predict future performance. With a clear and accurate sales forecast in hand, you are able to make a plan for success. These goals will keep you on course, and serve as a reminder to continue doing what is necessary for successful achievement, regardless of whether or not you like the necessary activities. Three keys strategies to setting sales goals are: BE SPECIFIC – It isn’t useful to just say you want more sales. You must know your numbers of what you sold last year and write down the clear number you’d like to increase those sales by. Whether it’s an increase in revenue dollars or new clients, your goals should be specific and measurable. SET REALISTIC AND ACHIEVABLE GOALS– There is nothing more discouraging to sales professionals than having targets that are unattainable. It is deflating and seriously affects performance. To optimize sales performance, it is necessary to feel success even in the small wins. This motivation and sense of achievement goes a long way with the sales psyche. Examine what your sales were last year, forecast what they can be this year and plan steps that are achievable on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. SET DEADLINES – Plan your annual sales targets and then work backwards. Without the proper planning, you will most certainly feel the crunch in the fourth quarter. Know what you want to achieve for the year, then map out your balanced quarterly plan. Within the quarterly plan, work out activities that must be done both daily and weekly to keep yourself on track. This planning in the beginning will avoid any unnec- essary stress later in the year. Regular reminders of your goals and tracking of your progress are necessary activities. You will be able to recognize if you are falling behind in the first quarter, giving you sufficient time to reset your plan to ensure you will meet your goals by year end. We can never stress it enough: know your numbers, know your numbers, know your number and be specific, realistic and dynamic. Wishing you all the best over the holiday season and to great sales success for 2018. For more, sales tips and strategies, sign up for ‘The Dynamic Soul of Selling’ Newsletter at www.meshme- dianetwork.ca/dynamic-soul- of-selling/ for a free 15-minute sales consultation to determine if you would benefit from ‘The Dynamic Soul of Selling 90-minute Strategy Session’ email jody@meshmedianetwork.com . Once you have a clear understanding of your forecast, the sales success plan starts with clear goal setting.
15
DECEMBER 2017 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker