| |
| |
|
Go Back | About | Contact | Web Design News | |
|
|
|
Planning to Realize Your Goals
Recently, I wrote about about creating specific, compelling goals that pull you towards what you want in your business, career and life. It is important to have a goal written down, and it is equally as important to the write down the reasons why you want that specific goal. The drive to accomplish your goal is in the reasons why you want it. With a specific goal in mind you have your target, and by being conscious of your reasons, you will maintain the drive to accomplish it. The final thing you need is a plan. Some people are natural planners. They are able to look out over time into the future and visualize the actions and events that need to happen in order to get what they want. For some of us though, this doesn't come as easily. We like to fly by the seat of our pants, or "wing it" as they say. Generally, people who like to wing it are not as comfortable dealing in the realm of details and specifics. They are classic "big picture" people. They like concepts and ideas, and are good at creating vision and setting strategy, which makes for a good leadership. While big picture thinking will direct us toward our target, the achievement of a goal actually happens in the details. This is where the rubber meets the road. Think about that tire for a moment. The goal of a tire is the purpose for which it will be used. Does the tire handle best on snow and ice, or would it be better used as a formula one racing slick? Stating that you are going to create the best snow and ice tire is not enough to make it happen. The design of a tire starts as a big picture strategy decision, and ends with the specific details of the precise rubber compounds to mix and the depth and design of the tread mold. To be good in sales, you have to have both big picture and detail management skills. You must create a vision, set the strategy, and lead people to the goal. You must also create a specific and realistic plan for yourself and others so that all involved know what it takes to accomplish the objective. A good account plan will have both a goal and a specific plan. Sales account plans are often something salespeople just create because their management asks them for it. The process of planning though, actually begins to create the desired result in advance. By being more specific in your account and territory planning, you will find that you are better able to spot the resources you need and potential problems and pitfalls far in advance. This will result in more wins and in cutting your losses sooner on weak opportunities. Also, you will have a bargaining chip with your management, in that you can show what you need in terms of time, money and resources to accomplish the sales objectives that are asked of you. In making your sales and business plans, you start with the goal and the reasons. Then you create a plan. You take it down to a level of detail so that anyone could follow your instructions. This way, you are assured of getting the results you want because you planned them out in advance. When people fail to reach their goals, it is usually due to one or two reasons: 1) They forgot why they were doing it and lost their drive, 2) They didn't know precisely how to reach their goal. Without a specific plan, you can get easily derailed along the way because you didn't know how much time, money, skill, or other resources it would take to get what you want. Plan out your sales activities. Plan out your quarter. Plan out your week - yes your week - in advance. Plan out your day. Plan out your sales calls. Plan out the questions you are going to ask, just as you would plan out an important presentation. Remember to have a goal and the reasons in mind for each plan. Build plans - you will be more successful. Finally, don't be concerned as to whether planning will make you an "anally retentive" individual. Successful people set goals and plan for what they want - they don't concern themselves with such labels. © 1999-2004 Shamus Brown, All Rights Reserved. Shamus Brown is a Professional Sales Coach and former high-tech sales pro who began his career selling for IBM. Shamus has written more than 50 articles on selling and is the creator of the popular Persuasive Selling Skills CD Audio Program. You can read more of Shamus Brown's sales tips at http://Sales-Tips.industrialEGO.com/ and you can learn more about his persuasive sales skills training at http://www.Persuasive-Sales-Skills.com/
MORE RESOURCES:
Sales - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Peddlers, Hucksters, & Empty Suits Ever feel like you were "just a salesperson"? I think anyone who has been in sales for awhile has thought or felt this at sometime in their career. In some fields, sales is such a dirty word that they've created euphemisms to try and reclaim some dignity. Want More Sales? Write A Barry Bonds Sales Letter I'm not a baseball fan. Never have been. How to Write Effective Selling Proposals Depending upon how much you enjoy writing, writing sales proposals can be a joy, purgatory, or something in between. However, if you sell a complex product or one that involves the delivery of professional services, learning how to write effective selling proposals can be critical to your success. Lessons Learned At Gunpoint "If you do anything foolish or try to get out of the car we will shoot you" were the terse words which hung in the air like a bad smell.The small car was being driven at over 120 KPH down the dark roads and highways. The Doors Of Opportunity Alexander Graham Bell once said, "When one door closes another opens; but we often look so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that is opened for us." If you're in sales you gotta remember this one. Two Mistakes That Will Cost You Money You've met a new prospect, accurately assessed their needs and determined that you can provide the product and service she is looking for. You've presented your information in an engaging manner and the prospective customer appears interested. Business is Great; I'm Just Not Selling Anything! Awhile back you had a great idea. An idea that you thought could make you a decent income, with very little effort. "The Power Of Consumer Opinion, & How To Profit From It!" Selling is just a whole lot easier when you know what people really want.But unless you're psychic, or know how to do the Vulcan mind meld, "getting into their brains" is HUGE!I can't tell you how many times I've racked my brain trying to make sense of consumer opinion, & up until this point, I have to confess. The Trusted Advisor Relationship: What Is It, and What Should It Be? For the past months, maybe a year, I've been hearing sales groups talk about the need to become Trusted Advisors (I'll call them TAs). I suspect that the problems cropping up in the sales arena these days - the increased length of the sales cycle, the increased levels of competition - are leading sales management to base their initiatives on being of true service to prospects, as a way to seem different from the competition. Pinging for Success: Creating Search Patterns One of my first internship jobs as a college student was working for a defense company who, at the time, developed a highly sophisticated torpedo for hunting down submarines and destroying them. The operation of the torpedo was pretty fascinating. The Truth Behind Linear Selling: Why It Can Make Prospects Run The Other Way Sean works for a major telecom company.During one of our coaching sessions, he told me, "I've been diligent about following the sales process that my company believes is requiredto make a sale -- but, for some strange reason, my prospects don't want to fit into that process. The Biggest Mistake In Selling! Some trainers and sales managers teach that there are prospects that just need a little more time in the decision-making process. They explain that a decision-maker's stall is not always a put off and they just need to think a bit more about their decision, or that they have to sell the idea to someone else. Selling with Purpose Selling With Purpose What is it about selling that makes you afraid? Do you get nervous at the hint of having to sell? Is it the fear of rejection that scares you? Is it the fear of not being able to communicate effectively? Define Your Fear. What is it about selling that makes you afraid? Next question, how did you develop this fear? What is it based on? a) Many people fear sales because they're afraid of being rejected as I mention. Keep the Referrals Coming A key method of our survival in the business and retail world is referrals. Referrals are always nice, because they come from someone on the outside of your company who has enough trust and faith in you to refer someone in your direction. An Ideal Selling Situation The largest sale that I ever closed was negotiated over hot dogs and a soft drink at a refreshment stand, just off the exhibit floor, at a Superintendent of School Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I met an educator who was interested in the summer study abroad programs that I was selling at the show. Expert Qualities in Sales If you went to see your doctor, and he mentioned a particular over the counter drug to you, or a particular type of food that was healthy, chances are, you would listen to this advice, than go out and buy the product.Why is it that when a doctor recommends a product, people buy it without any hesitation, without talking it over with their spouse, and without asking any questions. Planning to Realize Your Goals Recently, I wrote about about creating specific, compelling goals that pull you towards what you want in your business, career and life. It is important to have a goal written down, and it is equally as important to the write down the reasons why you want that specific goal. Throw Out Your Selling Language - Unlock Your Natural Voice I was sitting at my desk last week when my phone rang. I picked it up and said, "This is Ari with Unlock The Game. Everyones Favorite Topic - 3 Tips for How To I believe that everyone understands that no matter what business you are in- Real Estate, Financial Services, Teaching, Auto Sales any other profession, we are all in the PEOPLE BUSINESS. It's been said that fully 85% of your success in life is directly related to your ability to effectively work with people. Sell With KISS, As In Keep It Simple, Stupid One of the most useful and fundamental communications lessons that has been repeated to me over the years, ever since my earliest days of formal business training, is the fabled, famous, and fabulous "KISS" formula.In my college marketing class we were told "Keep It Simple, Stupid!" When I entered my three-month sales-training orientation at New York Telephone way back in 1968, it was a more refined "Keep It Short and Simple.
|
ChicagoAnimation's Acquisitions: Market Polls - 1pennyStock.com
Sponsors: Paving | VTL's | Religious Statues
