Even when I had no products to sell and no customers, I still set big goals. Goals are fuel for your motivation to achieve. We all should be setting goals for our selling and other areas of our life. If you want to learn the process for setting goals that contribute to your success, let me tell you about the book that I’m going to write.

Most people aim at nothing in life and hit it with amazing accuracy. The reality is that most people don’t set goals. People who set goals tend to be more successful than those who don’t. There was a study of a university graduating class. The researchers concluded after following the graduates for 20 years that only 3% of the graduates set goals. At the end of 20 years, those 3% had accumulated more financially than the other 97% COMBINED! Setting goals is more exciting. Think about the drudgery you feel when you are doing the same things again and again. New challenges are exciting and make you more productive. The research shows that when tasks are too easy or too out of reach our productivity declines. Goals, which are targets set just out of reach, help create our highest productivity.

Go get your pen.
To reach an effective goal, you must write a statement of what you plan and when you plan to accomplish it. Check to see if your goal is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and tangible. Answer the questions: Who and what is involved? (Specific); What is the quantity of what I will I achieve? (Measurable); Am I able physically and mentally to accomplish the goal? (Attainable); Is it reasonable for me to achieve this? (Realistic); and Can I touch the goal? (Happiness is not tangible. The red sports car you will buy that brings you happiness is tangible.) Make sure goals are stated positively. “I will do…” is acceptable. “I don’t want to do worse than last year” is unacceptable. Where do I begin?
Start with short-term goals. These will require skills that you already have. When I set my big goal of writing a book on selling in 5 years, a reasonable short-term goal was to write articles for local publication. Short-term goals make your goal seem more real. A goal you’ve set that is looming 5 years out lacks a sense of urgency. A weekly or monthly goal does create a sense of urgency. When my first articles were published, I also felt a sense of accomplishment that gave me more motivation for my goals. Then set some mid-term goals. These are goals that will allow for a sense of accomplishment no matter what happens. Getting published in a national magazine was a mid-term goal. When I saw my words in glossy print, the gratification was there whether I ever publish a book.

Increase your probability of success.
You need time to reach big goals. You may need to acquire some skills that you lack. You will probably encounter a few obstacles along the way. By setting long-term goals you give yourself some time to overcome the obstacles. To achieve your dreams, make sure you select your goal for the right reason. Be honest with yourself. The only good reason is that you, not anyone else, want the goal. Tell others about your goals. By telling other people who care about your interests, you are now accountable to them. They also might be able to help you achieve your goals. Now you know I’ve set a goal to write a book on selling in 5 years. My deadline is in 3 more years.

One of the great philosophers of the 20th century, Yogi Berra said it best. He said, “If you don’t know where you’re going you’ll end up somewhere else.” So where do you want to go in your life and with your selling?

Maura Schreier-Fleming, president of Best@Selling (www.BestatSelling.com) works with business and sales professionals who want to close business faster. She is the author of Real-World Selling for Out-of-this-World Results. (She did achieve her goal!) Subscribe to her free selling newsletter at www.BestatSelling.com.


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