Setting Sales Goals – How To Do It Right
You may already have noticed that mere goal setting doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll achieve everything you set out to obtain – and the same is true for setting sales goals.
That’s why if you want to close sales more regularly, you’ll need to learn how to go about setting sales goals the right way.
Below are just a few benefits of what can happen when you learn how to go about setting sales goals correctly up front.
Setting Sales Goals – How To Do It Right
Clearer Focus
The first step to setting sales goals the right way, is getting crystal clear on what it is that you want to achieve.
By having your goals clearly documented, it’ll also give you more time and energy to focus on executing what needs to be done, rather than wondering what outcome you need to achieve.
Related article: The 30 60 90 Day Plan – How To Make It Work
Setting Sales Goals Right Gives You A Better Use Of Resources
Once you’ve become crystal clear on setting sales goals, you can now look at what resources you have around you to help you achieve them.
This also gives you the opportunity to put together an operational, marketing, and sales targeting strategy.
This also means you’ll have a better use of your resources and how to allocate them effectively.
You’ll Be Able To Measure Impact
One of the best bi-products of setting sales goals, is having the new ability to measure how you’re keeping track – and then pivot if you’re required to.
When measuring your goals, we recommend using an acronym called SMART.
SMART stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time bound
Setting Sales Goals Using SMART
Commonly attributed to Peter Drucker’s Management by Objectives concept, SMART goals are a great way to measure your impact and what may need to be done to pivot correctly – and are especially crucial when setting sales goals.
When setting sales goals, you need two very key fundamentals.
The first is having logical goals.
Secondly – is tying them to emotion.
Prior to looking at how to tie it to emotion, let’s look at how to measure them logically using the SMART acronym.
Below is a simple breakdown of how use the SMART acronym when setting sales goals.
Specific
So far – you have a clear focus on what you need to achieve, as well as what resources you have to help you achieve them.
The next part of setting sales goals is getting specific.
Some questions to ask are:
- What exactly do you want to accomplish?
- Why is it important that you do?
- Who needs to be involved?
- What resources are available to help you?
Measurable
The next step to setting sales goals, is ensuring that you have a system in place to let you know if you’re on track.
This means your goals need to be measurable.
Questions to ask here are:
- How many do you need to reach your target?
- How much you may require?
- When and how will you know when you’ve achieved it?
Achievable
Achievable can also mean realistic; that it is something within reach that you can in fact achieve.
Stretch goals are great for growth, however if you’re setting sales goals that are clearly unrealistic, then you won’t feel motivated or driven to get there.
Questions may include:
- How can you go about making it happen?
- Based on your income, time, and current situation – how realistic is it that you can make the goal a reality?
Relevant
The next step to setting sales goals is ensuring it’s relevant to your cause.
Questions to ask may include:
- Is it worthwhile?
- Timing wise; should you focus on something else instead?
- Are you the right person to achieve this goal?
- Is it applicable to your current socio-economic climate?
Time Bound
Finally, the last step in SMART as well as setting sales goals is ensuring it is time bound.
As the famous saying goes – a goal without a date is merely a dream.
When setting time bound goals, as yourself these questions:
- When?
- What should success look like in three months?
- What outcome should you have achieved in six months?
- Can you do anything today to help you move toward your end goal?
Logic is Important – But You Also Need Emotion When Setting Sales Goals
Finally, when setting sales goals, it is equally as important to anchor them with emotion.
Many people set sales goals purely with logic, which is important.
However – human beings are emotional creatures.
We do things for emotional reasons, and then justify them with logic.
The reason why so many people set new year’s resolutions and then don’t go through achieving them, is because they set their goals purely with logic.
You need to anchor them with emotion too.
Ask yourself these questions when learning why you want to achieve your goals on an emotional level:
- If I achieve this, what will this mean for me in the short term?
- How will this affect my income – and what will that mean for me?
- If it becomes a reality – what will this do for my family?
- What opportunities will this open for me?
- By making this happen – how will this help me on a positive note?
These emotional questions will help guide the reason – and more importantly, meaning behind why you want to achieve your goals in the first place.
Anchoring your goals is crucial when learning how to set goals the right way and following through to get them done.
Of course, you need to be logical when putting together a sales process on how to get there – but don’t forget that the foundation for achieving anything, is always based on emotional reasons.
Final Thoughts On Setting Sales Goals
If you go about setting sales goals with both logic and emotion, you’ll be well on a path toward personal success.
Many people go about setting sales goals they don’t follow through with, because they lack both important foundations to achieve them – logic, as well as emotional drive.
Ensure to ask questions that align both. This will give you the daily fuel to be consistent on a daily basis and follow through with what you want to achieve.
Want To Close Consistently Without The Guesswork?
If you’re committed to increase your closing rate more consistently, then you should look into our online sales training program, The 5% Sales Blueprint.
Our online program is self-paced and is an affordable investment that’ll teach you exactly what to do to close more sales.
No more guess work – learn the exact process to win sales without being pushy.
Click the link below to learn how.
