timely tips to achieve your goals - sales pro insider · goals and your initial plan to achieve...

Nancy Bleeke, Sales Pro Insider, Inc.

Subscribe to Timely Tips at www.salesproinsider.com Follow Nancy on Twitter and the SalesProInsider blog or connect on LinkedIN

TIMELY TIPS TO

ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

by Nancy Bleeke, the SalesProInsider

SalesProInsider, Inc. PO Box 142 Muskego, WI 53150 USA Email: 414.235.3064

[email protected]

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Copyright 2012© Nancy Bleeke. All rights reserved. You are free to reproduce any item(s) in this eBook as long as you include the following paragraph:

“Reprinted with permission from the “Timely Tips to Achieve Your Goals” by the SalesProInsider. Claim your free copy at http://www.salesproinsider.com. Nancy Bleeke can be contacted at 414.235.3064 or [email protected] “

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Sales Pro Insider TIMELY TIPS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

Nancy Bleeke, Sales Pro Insider, Inc. Subscribe to Timely Tips at www.salesproinsider.com

Follow Nancy on Twitter and the SalesProInsider blog or connect on LinkedIN

Page 1

Sales expert

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nancy Bleeke

Effective and efficient conversations lead companies to higher sales, great profitability, stronger customer retention, and employee engagement. Companies increase sales 5 to 25 percent in sixty days using Nancy’s

helps companies and individuals increase sales 5 to 25 percent in 60 days or less by using her experience building sales performance. Nancy’s mission is to help people make their conversations count in sales, customer service, and leadership.

training courses, consulting and assessments for sales, customer service, and coaching.

Nancy’s sales career started as a “tween” in the Midwest. Competing in school sales contests with her four brothers (selling donuts!) and running a profitable newspaper route piqued her interest in business ---there weren’t many newspaper girls back then. She learned early on that giving customers what they need, listening and differentiating yourself leads to higher levels of success!

Today, as President of the SalesProInsider, Inc., a firm she founded in 1998, she combines her career experience in sales, human resources, and managing her sales team to help companies “make every conversation count to build performance, profits, and people.” She has put that expertise to practice by developing and delivering effective training and tools for clients

Successes include her team’s work with Kalmbach Publishing, leading to 137 percent of goal production for ad sales in the recession of late 2008. 99.6 percent of participants in her training courses report a positive ROI on their investment in the sales training.

such as Motorola, MassMutual, Rexnord, Celestica, Northwestern Mutual, BC Ziegler, and RW Baird.

Her book, Conversations That Sell, will be published by AMACOM April 2013. Nancy’s blog, SalesProInsider, and her Timely Tips ezine are two resources she uses to provide sales tips and tools.

Nancy lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Jon, where they enjoy a great life after raising their young adults.








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Page 2

TIMELY TIPS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

(Ctrl + Click on a title to move directly to that page.)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Timely Tips to Achieve Your Goals .............................................. 3

Ready ..................................................................................... 5

Aim ......................................................................................... 8

Action .................................................................................. 10

Succeed ................................................................................ 12

Celebrate .............................................................................. 15

Goal Achievement Quick Tips ................................................... 17

Print the Quick Tips page as an ‘aid.’

Goal Planner .......................................................................... 20








Page 3

I’m ready and excited for the adventure – are you? What’s that you say? You don’t know what to pack or what the weather is like? You don’t know where we’re going or what we’re doing? Hmmm. Well, I guess that does add some confusion to what you should be doing right now and how excited you should be.

Strangely enough, this is similar to the approach I see sales pros, teams, and managers take EVERY day. They are busy and scurrying around packing and unpacking ‘stuff.’ They work long, hard hours. They are going somewhere. But do they know where? And is it where they want to be?

Sound familiar? Arriving at the end of each day, week, or quarter at a place you hadn’t intended? Wishing you had arrived somewhere else? That’s what happens without a clear, focused destination; we waste a lot of fuel without ever getting where we wanted.

If you want more control of your time, your energy, and your activity, the Ready, Aim, Action, Succeed step-by-step plan outlined in this eBook will help you.

In 60 minutes or less, you can significantly alter your course on a time period of your choice. You can focus on the next 30 days, 6 months or year. It’s up to you! This powerful eBook is designed to be a roadmap to get you there. I can’t promise you won’t encounter detours or speed bumps along the way. What I can promise is the opportunity for you to get where you want to be more easily and efficiently.

Up for an adventure? We’re going to take a trip! So pack your suitcase and pick up your ticket so we can depart.








Page 4

Now are you ready to start the trip? This roadmap has four stops for you – Ready, Aim, Action, Succeed. Each stop moves you toward the final destination – achieving your goals.

An overview of the four stops of this goal-attaining trip:

Ready – the beginning thoughts and initial plan of determining your destination or goal

Aim – defining the specific ‘address’ or goal of your destination with specific time and measurement

Action – putting together the turn-by-turn route

Succeed – identifying who is with you on this trip or who cares about you reaching your destination safely, timely, and successfully (your stakeholders)

There is a Goal Planner ‘map’ for you at the end of this eBook. If you need a shortcut because you either don’t like or have time for the details and tips, turn to the Goal Planner at the end of the eBook now – fill in the blanks, and you may be good to go. This Tips page gives a quick summary of all the tips and is an effective job aid for you.

Now for the directions for each stop.

THE AERIAL VIEW








Page 5

Ready Strengthening your goal focus leads to higher results, no matter your career. And generally, one of the most difficult aspects of goal setting is getting started. Many people find it challenging to identify what they want to do, to achieve, to be, to obtain, to learn, etc. They don’t have the exact address of their destination yet!

Not to be deterred by this obstacle, I’ve found a way to make the beginning of this journey easier. When you follow and respond to the activities as outlined on the following pages, in less than 60 minutes or less, you will have at least three to five goals and your initial plan to achieve them!

To begin, use the short list of Thought Starter questions on the next page to help find what is important to you. It will then be easier to set your goals.

Ready? Fill in a one to three word response on the following page to all questions that are important to you.

Twenty years from now you will be more

disappointed by the things that you didn't do than

by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade

winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

~Mark Twain








Page 6

Where do you want to travel in the next 2 years? __________________________

What financial milestone do you want to reach?

Pay off a certain debt? _____________________________________________

Make a certain purchase? ___________________________________________

Save a certain amount of money each month? __________________________

Earn a certain amount? ____________________________________________

What person/group would you like a better relationship with? _________________

What do you want to learn for … work? _________ fun? ___________ spiritual growth? _________________

What do you want to do with your vacation time? __________________________

What book would you like to read? ______________________________________

What would you like more time for? _____________________________________

What award or recognition would you like to earn? _________________________

What activity would you like to have more time for individually? _______________

With someone else? _______________________________________________

What changes would you like to make in your health? _______________________

How much do you want to weigh in 6 months? _____________________________

What do you need or want to accomplish in your house? _____________________

Organizing a room? _______________ Decorating? _____________________

Repairing something? _____________________________________________

What do you want to accomplish at work? ________________________________

What project needs to be completed? _________________________________

How much do you need to sell to reach goal? ___________________________

How many new customers do you want to reach? ________________________

THOUGHT STARTERS








Page 7

Did any of these resonate with you and jumpstart your thinking about WHAT you want? I hope so.

Now review the questions with a response and select four that you want to clarify further. Place an ‘X’ in front of them. These are the destinations to focus on.

The next step is to begin forming your Goal Statement. Use the space below to transfer the one to three word responses for your four destinations and write them as a specific outcome you desire or need, with a timeframe for ‘arrival.’

Of course you can add different goals or destinations not included in the list of Thought Starters.

An example: The question was, “How much do you need to sell to reach goal?” My response: $750,000. Written as a specific outcome with a timeframe: I sell $750,000 by June 30, 20xx.

Write your starter goal statement below in the present tense: “I have,” “I am,” etc.

#1 _________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

#2 _________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

#3 _________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

#4 _________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Good job! Now that you have identified your destinations, you are ready to develop your target into more effective goal statements and aim in the right direction.








Page 8

Aim The Aim stop on this roadmap is to clearly define your destination with a goal statement. You need to know the exact address or you may never get there.

A goal is simply a statement of the address you seek. It doesn’t have to be the penthouse on Park Avenue; it just needs to define where YOU want to be, or what you want to achieve, complete or gain.

The Goal Statement should include What and When.

What is the Result/Outcome with measurement stated. Closed sales, contracts signed, appointments set, etc. Be specific – Dollars, number of accounts, prospects at certain points in your pipeline, appointments, a certain weight, a specific destination, etc.

When is the Time/Date to achieve the result or outcome. If you can assign dates right now, Great! If not, fill them in later.

Next are a few examples of goal statements that include What and When specifics. Notice the goal does not need to be just one sentence!

On 12/31/xx I have 12 contracts signed for delivered product in January 20xx.

On 6/30/xx my six-month sales goal of $900,000 is reached with ease.

On 12/31/xx my annual income is $250,000.

Before writing the goal statement on the Goal Planner (page 21), we have a Roadside Checkpoint. It’s a three-point checkup to avoid the common pitfalls that can keep you off the road at this point.

1. Make the goal measurable and specific. You won’t know whether you have reached our destination or not if the statement is not specific and measurable.

To illustrate the importance of measurability and specificity, read this example of a common goal I often hear:

Goal: “More time with my family.” Another great outcome desired – but not specific or measurable. Does it mean a certain amount of time each night or weekend? Certain activities completed together? “I eat dinner with my family three times each week” allows you to know whether you have achieved this or not.








Page 9

2. The target must be realistic. What is real and attainable? Are you really going to increase this by 75 percent or decrease that by 150 percent? The Weight Watchers® organization – with a system proven over and over – encourages starting with a 10% goal because they know this is a first realistic goal. Once the 10% goal is achieved, a new goal level is set.

If the first target is too high, the energy, confidence, and motivation to get there will wane. By setting the target realistically and reachable, we gain momentum and the confidence to achieve the outcome.

3. First focus on the outcome or gain. At this point don’t get caught up on HOW you will get to your destination. This can keep you from finding the address in a timely manner.

Let’s use a vacation as an example for how being overly concerned with “how” delays achievement. We love vacations in our family – and planning them is always an interesting process since some family members focus on the “how” of the vacation before we have decided on the what, when, and why.

♦ How will I get time away from work or school? ♦ How will we get there? ♦ How much is this going to cost?

While we are stuck in the HOW, we lose sight of WHERE we are going and WHAT we gain from the destination - and that can be costly. While we were stuck in the talking about the HOWs for a Hawaii trip for days, the frequent flyer seats we planned to use were no longer available.

That is the end of the roadside check before writing your goal statements. Now, it’s time to turn your initial destinations into a full goal statement! Use the Goal Planner at the back of this eBook.

Write your goal statement that build from the four destinations you have written on page 8, and then use the three-point roadside check to ensure they are effective goal statements.

For now, ONLY write the goal statement; we’ll finish the rest of the Goal Planner later.

Return here when your goal statements are written on the Planner.

Setting an exciting goal is like setting a needle in your compass. From then on, the compass knows only one point: Its ideal. And it will faithfully guide you there through the darkest nights and fiercest storms.

~Unknown








Page 10

Do you have at least one goal statement written with the What, Where and Why? If so, congratulations! It’s estimated that only 10% of adults have any goals in writing. Now you’re in the top tier!

Goal statements are great. But achieving your goals needs more planning and ACTION!

Action The next step on the goal attainment route is to plan the specific actions to reach your destination. It’s likely that there is more than one way to get there. You will need to make some choices for the turn-by-turn directions that will work for you.

As an example, using the Goal from Page 8:

On 12/31/xx I have 12 contracts signed for delivered product in January 20xx. My reward is knowing that I will start 20xx with a bang and that I will not work at all on the holidays and use that time to focus on my family.

There may be a dozen actions I could take to get the 12 contacts. I may need each of them or maybe not. I first started with identifying all the actions possible and then narrowed them down to the ones that would work best for me.

The Actions for this example Goal are:

♦ I follow up with Prospects A, B, C, X, Y, Z for the outstanding proposals. ♦ Brainstorm with my manager on options I can offer to stalled sales for Prospects M,

N. Make contact with those prospects. ♦ For every meeting this week, I will spend 30 minutes preparing – researching any

new information and identifying how to use the information in my contact.








Page 11

To add the route for your goals, follow these directions:

♦ Write all the actions you can think of that will move you toward your goal in the left column on the Goal Planner under Actions.

♦ Next, add a specific time/date when you will take that action in the second column. Is it each day? Week? How often? The action date is another checkpoint on the road to success.

♦ Determine who else is involved - whose help is needed for different actions or whose buy-in is needed. Write these names in the 3rd column under “Others”.

Whew! You may have discovered that eight actions are needed or maybe only two. Sometimes these actions are robust and become short term goals themselves with their own outcome and actions.

To make this plan more specific and actionable, now identify at least 2-3 actions you will take THIS week to move toward these goals. This is the 3rd part on the Goal Planner.

Consider the detour/obstacles you might encounter along the way. How might you adjust your actions to overcome or remove them before they pop up?

Finally, your last stop on this journey – the Succeed stop. This is the trip insurance that will ensure that you DO reach your destination.








Page 12

Succeed Your itinerary is now in place and you are excited! Is this a guarantee of reaching the end destination on time, budget, and with your sanity? Realistically? No. Detours (other priorities, market changes, etc.) might pop up changing your direction or destination. That’s why there is trip insurance! In the Ready, Aim, Action, Succeed process there are three checkpoints in the Succeed Stop!

1. Tap into the power of Stakeholders 2. Update and confirm your Itinerary 3. Plan your Budget 4. Identify Why or the reward or benefit

The Power of Stakeholders

What is a stakeholder? Someone that cares about or is affected by the outcome. It might be a manager, a spouse, a colleague, or a friend.

You do not necessarily have to ask permission of a stakeholder, the power comes from sharing your plan with another person for mutual benefit.

The many benefits of a Stakeholder include that they can or will:

♦ Clarify the outcome with you to make sure it is specific enough for you to know whether you reach it or not.

♦ Identify other actions that can get you there quicker or easier and eliminate some of the detours.

♦ Celebrate your progress and ultimate success! ♦ Add accountability.

After your stakeholder is ready to stand by your side, it’s all up to you!

Often people tell me they don’t want to burden someone else or ask for their support. By going it alone, you may be denying someone else opportunity as well! There are several benefits For the Stakeholder in supporting, or assisting with your goals.

♦ Clarify the outcome with you to make sure it is specific enough for you to know whether you reach it or not.

♦ Identify other actions that can get you there quicker or easier and eliminate some of the detours.

♦ Celebrate your progress and ultimate success! ♦ Add accountability.








Page 13

Not everyone wants to be a stakeholder. And that is okay. You will succeed more easily when you find the right stakeholder for your goals.

As an example, I don’t typically like to mix personal relationships and business. I spend a lot of energy at work and most often enjoy the ‘break’ and boundary. So when I was working on a huge international project, it was all consuming. I didn’t really want to share the project goals or outcomes outside of work. But after a while I shared the details and struggles with my key stakeholder – my husband.

What happened is that he was able to provide support and understand when I was locked in my office for hours after the kids went to bed. He even proofed a few documents that I was stuck on and his outside perspective made it a better outcome. Of course he also was able to share in the rewards of a successful project.

Write the names of your Stakeholders in the space on the Goal Planner.

Update and Confirm Your Itinerary

Many people think that identifying or setting the goals is the hardest part. This is because they think that once they set a goal, it is set in stone and needs to be done as originally outlined. Not true! Every day brings new considerations that may affect the goal itself or the path to reaching it. That is why an effective goal process includes opportunity to adjust your priorities, plan to achieve goals, and time-frames.

One of my favorite examples on the benefits of a review process is with my own goals. I was working through a review of my goals with a colleague years ago. I was frustrated because I had not made ANY progress on one specific goal I had written for the previous 3 years.

My colleague asked me “If you haven’t done anything about this goal in 3 years, how important is it to you? Does it belong as one of the 6 goals you are focusing on right now?”

My response was slow in coming because I had never considered that question, and then I blurted out, “Well, I guess it mustn’t have been important or I would have done something by now, right?”

He responded, “Then why is it is one of your goals?”

I said, “Because someone told me I needed to learn to golf if I was going to succeed in business. So I made it a goal.” (Yes, becoming a proficient golfer was a goal of mine for a while.)

He laughed and said, “You seem to be doing fine in business without golfing. It’s okay to replace that goal with something more meaningful.”








Page 14

Wow! I had permission to REMOVE and REPLACE a goal! Instead of feeling like a failure each time I realized I hadn’t made any progress, I got to decide that it was a goal that wasn’t that important to me. The relief I felt was HUGE.

It’s years later, I’m still not a good golfer and my business has quadrupled in that time. Thank goodness I had someone who was willing to ask me questions to help me clarify the why and what of my goals.

Regular check-ins allow you to make the necessary adjustments to reach your goals. The 4R process works very well: Review, Renew, Revise or Replace.

Review – Read your goals and the plan to achieve them. Are you on track? Then move to Renew. Not on track? Revise or Replace

Renew- Recommit yourself to the goal and the time-frame. Consciously think through the next action steps and how you will feel when the goal is accomplished.

Revise- If the situation has changed, revise your goal as needed. Maybe the timing is off, or the outcome needs to be edited or the people involved have changed. It’s okay to make those revisions to create a realistic goal relevant to TODAY for you.

Replace- Yes, you can remove and replace a goal. Just because a goal made sense at one time doesn’t mean it still does today. It’s okay to replace a goal with one that is more meaningful and timely.

Checkpoint: Determine how often you will use the 4R process– at least monthly is recommended.

Plan Your ‘Budget’

Many goals are derailed because the resources necessary to achieve them – money, time, people, supplies – were not considered. When resource demands creep up, they often become an impasse and time and energy are wasted as the goal is abandoned.

Knowing the resources needed to reach your goal helps you stay realistic.

For example if the goal is to Purchase a new vehicle by August 1st. You may find:

♦ Available resources are more than you first thought ♦ Interest rates have been in your favor and you can actually make the purchase

by June 30th or ♦ Your trade-in is worth less than you thought and October 1st is more realistic.

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.

~Zig Ziglar








Page 15

Identifying the resources upfront allows you to ensure you have the right timeframe and plan. If they don’t match up, now is the time to adjust them. Also review the resources each time you follow the 4R process.

Checkpoint: List the necessary resources in the last area of the Goal Planner. Adjust your outcome, stakeholders, timeframe, etc. as needed to work within the available resources.

There you have it! Four stops on the journey to achieve what you want this year. Each stop is important and probably easier than you might think. The key is to get started.

You are READY, have taken AIM, planned for ACTION, prepared to SUCCEED and now it’s time to consider celebration!

Celebrate!

Identify the reason or Why of the reward. Defining the Why illuminates the reward or the benefit of achieving your goals. A specific reward is more motivating and more likely to drive you to take the necessary action.

Often I hear people say their reward is to earn more. But is that the real reward, the real What’s in it for You? What does that extra money do for you? Is it to buy something, pay off debt, or give your family something specific?

Rewards are unique to each person. Identify a specific reward or What’s in it for You for each goal. Whether big or small, make the rewards relevant and something that helps drive you to achieve the goal.

The WHY needs to be important enough for you to want to achieve the goal. Broad rewards are a good start, for example:

♦ Get my boss off my back. ♦ Keep my job. ♦ Feel good. ♦ Have less stress. ♦ Enjoy better health.

The more specific you can make them though, the more motivating they will be.








Page 16

And finally, it’s important to take the time to pause and celebrate. Take time to pay yourself the reward you identified. As an Achiever, I don’t pause enough when I complete a goal. I move right into the next one. Thank goodness my stakeholders stop me and hold me accountable to celebrate.

The celebration needs to be something important or special for you. It’s part of the reward – to share the excitement, the financial or physical reward with someone else, your name in lights, a trophy, time ‘off’, maybe even a pause in your day to reflect on how good it feels, etc.

These rewards could be a local dinner at a special restaurant with your spouse or significant other, a day of biking with the club, a golf event with a friend, a day off from working out, an ice cream treat, quiet time to read a book, a “happy dance” (one of my favorites), or your name on a plaque or trophy.

Want to increase your motivation to complete the necessary actions? Find ways to celebrate your progress, not just the final outcome. Often I see professionals holding out on something good for themselves because they are so focused on what isn’t yet done. Don’t get caught in that trap - find ways to enjoy your journey and acknowledge or mark the milestones along the way.

Final Thoughts I wish you safe travel as you journey to the address or destination of your choice. Along the way I hope you:

♦ Meet interesting characters. ♦ See sights you never knew existed. ♦ Learn something about yourself that you never knew. ♦ Find that the journey really was more enjoyable than the destination after all.

If you find these Timely Tips are helpful – pass them along! Or contact Nancy Bleeke to discuss how she might work with you to Build Performance, Profits, and People. 414.235.3064









Page 17

Goal Achievement Quick Tips A goal is a statement of the desired end result.

The Roadmap to achieve goals:

♦ Ready ♦ Aim ♦ Action ♦ Succeed

Timely Tips:

♦ Set a realistic goal - include the WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and write the goal in the NOW (as if you were already “there”.)

♦ Commit to the goal – verbally and in writing. ♦ Identify your real reward for achieving the

goal. ♦ Share with a stakeholder. Tap into the power of

others. ♦ Take action! Find something every day (or at

least weekly) that moves you forward. ♦ Don’t ignore the roadblocks or detours that

pop up. Acknowledge them and work through them! Or revise your route around them.

♦ Celebrate your progress and final destination. Don’t just wait for the final end result enjoy the progress points along the way.

The 4-R process used at regular intervals will keep you on track:

♦ Review your goal. ♦ Renew your commitment. ♦ Revise the goal if necessary. ♦ Replace goals that are no longer a priority or

important.

Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal.

—Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche





© SalesProInsider, Inc. 2012 Nancy Bleeke 414.235.3064 [email protected]

Date:

My Goal (what and when):Aim

A goal is a statement of the desired end result.

Ready

Action Steps to reach my goal Time/Date Others InvolvedAction

Progress Notes

Weekly actions I will take to stay on target.

CelebrateDate Goal Achieved (write debrief notes on back)

SucceedStakeholders Resources (time, materials, people, money, etc.)

Metrics I will use to track progress and success

Reward/Bene�ts of achieving the goal (why)

timely tips to achieve your goals - sales pro insider · goals and your initial plan to achieve...

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