total jobs On SellingCrossing

221,126

new jobs this week On SellingCrossing

16,587

total jobs on EmploymentCrossing network available to our members

1,476,494

job type count

On SellingCrossing

Stop Planning and Start Executing

1 Views      
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.
What's great about this time of year is that we get a fresh start, a new beginning, so to speak, at reaching our goals. What's not so fun is getting all of those newsletters in January that talk about planning and goal setting. If you are still in the planning mode, I've got bad news. You are already behind the competition. Now is execution time — time to start making those phone calls and getting on your way to breaking sales records.

It seems like so much effort is placed on planning and setting goals. Don't get me wrong, it is great to set goals — just not in the middle of the first quarter. Since you probably have enough advice on setting goals and planning, I am going to share some ideas on taking actions and measurements, because that is the formula for results:

Ideas (your plan or strategy) + Measured Action = Results




Working Your Plan:

Having major goals can seem overwhelming, and the more overwhelmed you are, the less likely it is that those goals will be accomplished. So the first step is to break the goal down into mini-steps. For example, let's say your goal is to obtain 25 new customers this quarter. It would not be productive to just think you are on track and wait to see the results at the end of the quarter, would it? So we will make some assumptions to exemplify how to break down a major goal (25 new customers in the first quarter) and to create measurable action steps that not only show progress, but also let you know exactly where you stand in regards to reaching your goal at the end of every week.

Assumptions:

  1. You need to give two presentations to get one sale.
  2. You need to make 10 phone calls to get one prospect for a presentation
This means you need to give 50 presentations and make 500 phone calls in the first quarter. Seems a little overwhelming, right? Let's break it down. Looking at it with weekly goals, you'd need the following:
  1. About 42 phone calls per week.
  2. Roughly 5 presentations per week.
Now that seems a little more manageable. If we broke it down to daily activities, it would mean roughly 9 phone calls per day and one presentation per day.

The point is that once you know the exact activities you need to complete on a daily basis, as well as measure and track, you will always know if you are on track to reaching your goals. Plus, you can have some fun with the numbers. For example, if you improve your closing ratio or phone skills, you can potentially work less, or you could increase your goals. This is what the saying "working smarter" means.

So instead of spending January in planning mode, look at your goals, and break each one down into measurable action steps. Not only will you stay on track, you will also be working more efficiently.

Here's to you being great in 2008!

About the Author

Henry Pellerin is the president and founder of VantaEDGE™, Inc. and co-author of The Strategic Selling Process. VantaEDGETM, Inc. provides customized sales training, consultation, and facilitation services. Henry personally has over 17 years of experience in sales, sales management, and business development which he shares with clients to help them receive the same results he has attained year after year.

You may want to sign up for the VantaEDGE™ monthly sales tips newsletter VantaEDGE Monthly, where you'll receive valuable selling tips each month along with the special report, Avoid the Top 10 Selling Mistakes That Lose Sales. To do so, visit www.vantaedge.com. Henry can be reached at 864-254-9300 or via email at henry@vantaedge.com.


If this article has helped you in some way, will you say thanks by sharing it through a share, like, a link, or an email to someone you think would appreciate the reference.

Popular tags:

 customers  VantaEDGE Monthly  sale  The Strategic Selling Process  phone calls  VantaEDGE TM , Inc.  reaching  fashions  progress  wait


What I liked about the service is that it had such a comprehensive collection of jobs! I was using a number of sites previously and this took up so much time, but in joining EmploymentCrossing, I was able to stop going from site to site and was able to find everything I needed on EmploymentCrossing.
John Elstner - Baltimore, MD
  • All we do is research jobs.
  • Our team of researchers, programmers, and analysts find you jobs from over 1,000 career pages and other sources
  • Our members get more interviews and jobs than people who use "public job boards"
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it, you will land among the stars.
SellingCrossing - #1 Job Aggregation and Private Job-Opening Research Service — The Most Quality Jobs Anywhere
SellingCrossing is the first job consolidation service in the employment industry to seek to include every job that exists in the world.
Copyright © 2024 SellingCrossing - All rights reserved. 169