Except when they’re not. In sales it can be really easy to over-goal set. Goal setting is critically important for sales success. Whether you are a salesperson, small business owner, or sales manager, you have to have something to aim at. The trick is setting appropriate goals. A lot of people shoot for the moon.
They either think they are supposed to aim high, or they have an unrealistic expectation of their target market and sales cycle. Either way, the results are usually disappointing. Let’s play it out.
If you have a big sales goal, it effects how you approach your sales process. It can be easy to become pushy, persuasive, obnoxious. After all, you’ve got a number to hit. Your energy is probably focused on making as many sales as quickly as possible. The problem? You end up in sales mode. Sales mode won’t get you what you want. It’s off-putting. No one likes a salesperson. So, instead of moving toward your goal, you may find yourself moving away from it.
And then, when you don’t hit that goal, you become unhappy, disillusioned, and might feel like you failed. That’s certainly not going to energize you! It’s tough to be enthusiastic about selling when you feel so down.
If you’re a sales manager, you’ll be setting your people up for failure if you over-goal set. Nothing takes the wind out of someone’s sails faster than feeling like they have an impossible task in front of them.
Lastly, if your sales goal is super big, is it realistic to think your company could meet the requirements of all of those new customers? If over-goal setting worked and you got all that business, would you be able to deliver?
So, let’s not over-goal set! Instead, think about what makes sense; what’s doable. How do prospects make decisions? What’s your sales cycle? How many new clients do you actually need? How many could you realistically bring on at one time? Realistic goal setting will lead to realistic business growth.
Need some help with this? Schedule a call with me at seizethisday.co. And remember to seize THIS day.
