Always successful? Time to rethink your goals.
You're a commission based salesman, that's why you're here. As commission based salesmen, we have a LOT of goals. We have targets set for us by the companies we work for. We have expectations placed on us by our sales managers and VPs. We have quotas. We also, if we're actually approaching our career correctly, have personal goals that we set for ourselves. But what does it mean when we are always achieving every single one of the goals we set for ourselves? It means we aren't pushing hard enough. It means we've set the wrong goals.
I have known many salesmen who are excellent at hitting all of the metrics set for them by the company they work for. Their bosses love them because they always deliver, and these salesmen are pretty pleased with themselves as well because not only do they hit the company's targets for them, but they always, and I mean ALWAYS reach their personal sales targets as well. the thing is, just about every sales floor I have encountered has targets aimed at the middle of the pack. Sales, especially phone sales, tends to be a high turnover position. The promise of big commissions attracts many, but few have what it takes to survive, let alone thrive, and every manager I have ever met is in a constant search for sales talent. In order to battle turnover and reduce the costs associated with recruiting and training new salesmen, the expectations that a salesman needs to meet to maintain their position at many companies are often mediocre at best, so being able to just make quota is, in my opinion, no measure of excellence.
Truly successful salesmen, we set our own personal targets and we work hard to reach them. But if you are finding yourself not only always making quota, but also always reaching your personal targets, I would urge you to rethink those personal goals. Hitting the mark every single time might feel great in the moment, but ultimately this means your are stagnant and un challenged. You just aren't growing your skills and your commissions will reflect that. Unless you're aiming for the middle, it is time to rethink those goals and push yourself.
I am not suggesting that you should be killing yourself to reach un obtainable standards of excellence and perfection. I am suggesting that if you reached a personal target consistently for an entire quarter, then pat yourself on the back, feel good about what you just accomplished and then increase your personal target by 5% or 10%. Pushing yourself will keep you focused on improving all aspects of your game and lead to not only bigger paychecks, but also a more fulfilling career. Your goals should not come to you easily, and falling short once in a while is actually very healthy. It keeps you humble and give you on opportunity to learn from your mistakes. As my father used to say to me at the pool hall when I had just lost my tenth game of pool in a row, "hey congratulations! No one ever learned anything from winning a game!" It used to drive me nuts when he'd say that, but it turns out he was right... don't tell him I said that ;)
If you're driven and determined to consistently push yourself, but feel you could benefit from some guidance in setting goals and working out a defined plan of action, consider scheduling your 1:1 coaching today. Now let's set big goals and get to work making those fat stacks.
~Kat Jack
