Success in anything is or should be personal. When it’s personal, there is accountability. Winning is on the line; most of us like to win. As we close the 1st quarter, it’s time to look at the goals we had set at the beginning of the year and measure how we did.
Did you set goals in January? Have you taken the time to see how you compare to last year? I will share something very personal in this week’s newsletter to help you and to help me. Business and personal stuff affect one another. So, what I will tell you is difficult to admit. I have the uncanny ability to set goals and win in business, but I struggle with my well-being.
If you know me personally or look at our website, you know I’m not skinny. You can bet I set weight–change goals in January. I did not win during the first quarter. The thing I did do was to get to the gym consistently. However, the food piece is hard for me. I have a million excuses, the top one being that I live on the road. I thought about those excuses and how they are similar to those we use in business. We start adjusting for failure when the numbers don’t add up instead of planning for success to reach our targets. Stuff comes up every day that detracts and distracts us from meeting our goals. I know that when I pass Popeye’s Chicken place in the Atlanta airport or the DFW D terminal, it is VERY difficult to resist that wonderful spicy chicken and the red beans and rice. Without a firm committed plan – I am subject to ingesting a bazillion calories! It’s the same with sales. If your goal is to make 6 calls every hour and someone distracts you with a 30-minute conversation, then it is very difficult for you to stay on track without the plan. I think we make a deal – you stay on track because you’ll sell more with more contacts, and I’ll resist red beans and rice at all costs!
Here’s what I’m going to do. I commit to you to help you commit to your sales goals. Our blog is a place to have good conversations with others in the industry. It is a great place to state your sales goals publicly.
I’m terrified to put this out here. However, I’ve had this weight battle most of my adult life. I don’t need it. It’s not healthy. If I have to ride in coach (which doesn’t happen often), I’m miserable because I’m just too big. So, if I publically state my goals and commitments to my journey I can be successful. If I can inspire you to state your goals publicly, you can have a second quarter you only dreamed of.
What should that commitment look like? I have a measurable number to reach for me and the personal journey. I think that makes sense for you, too. Look at birthday sales, group sales, and total sales. Pay attention to where you were last year and what can get you to a healthy level this year, and set that goal. My target for the next 12 weeks is to lose at least 24 lbs.
Regarding goal setting, I don’t think the big target is the best way to get optimum results. A lot of stuff must happen daily to hit that target. If we look at your birthday, group, and total sales and break out what has to happen to get you to your goals, then you must look at the day-to-day activity you need to commit to succeed.
TOOLS FOR SUCCESS
We have a cool new set of posters that you can use to target group sales. These posters sell like a baseball game and focus on daily contact with schools, churches, and companies. If you would like the file with these posters, state your goals on the blog, and we’ll send them to you for FREE. If you are already a member of Xpress Training, then the posters are in the tools section already. (I still would like to see your goals).
For me, the day–to–day effort that makes me most successful in my journey is that I begin my day in the gym. I plan my food for the day – so I’m not tempted by Popeye’s. I clear out any chips or cookies and stay far away from the places with them. At the beginning of the day and the week, I decide what my choices and goals are. I use tools. I log my food into a Weight Watchers journal online. This is not different from you logging your calls and the results daily. You can look back and understand your success or failure better when you write it down.
I have a trainer that I report to and who kicks my living “big” butt when I’m at home. Do you have a manager or a coach that is working with you? Find one. We can do that for you if you don’t have a sales coach.
Finally, be truthful. Don’t make excuses. Commit instead. If you have 10 parties a week and want to do 12 for the next 12 weeks, write it down. Please post it here. Get the tools you need to be successful.
If you’ve made it to the end of this week’s long article, thank you for giving me a forum. There is terror in making this personal commitment so public, but I haven’t found a way to succeed. Post your commitments. We’ll check on one another; and I’ll keep you posted on my journey. We are 12 days in, and I’m 4 pounds down. You build your sales, and I’ll build my health. We can do it – one party and one pound at a time!
Happy selling!
Good luck with training your staff during this new year of 2010. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at beth@trainertainment.net.
Beth contributes an article monthly for Replay Magazine titled The Party Professor. If you want access to the archive of “The Party Professor” articles (and much more), sign up for Xpress TrainingTM TODAY!
