As a sales coach, of course I talk to people about setting goals. It’s something I talk to my clients about year-round, but as we are entering a new year, it’s an even bigger part of all my discussions right now.
If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know this is a big focus of my blog. I’ve written about how smart goals are actually dumb goals. I addressed the importance of a power circle of influence.
But at the end of the day, most goals (new year’s ones or otherwise) will go unaccomplished because the goal they are starting with is flawed. These are two common mistakes people make when trying to achieve their sales goals.
Consider what to eliminate from your life
When I’m coaching new clients, they make the mistake of only setting goals of addition. I’m going to add $50,000 in disposable income. I’m going to add $50,000 to my savings.
There is nothing inherently wrong with adding to your life. But in any goal you undertake, you have to let go of the things that don’t serve you.
So when setting your goals, consider what unhelpful things you may be doing that you can subtract from your life. Consider the way you spend your time every day. What (or who) can you eliminate from your life that puts a drain on your resources in some way?
- Are there toxic people in your life who don’t want what’s best for you?
- Are there toxic habits that don’t contribute to a healthy mindset?
- Do you scroll mindlessly through social media rather than take time to truly recharge in a way that benefits your overall wellness?
- Are there things you do that hurt rather than help your productivity at work (such as mindlessly scrolling social media)?
To achieve your sales goals, ask yourself what you might need to give up this week, this month and this year.
Tell someone your goal
The biggest mistake you can make is to keep your goal to yourself. The most important step in building the power circle of influence is to choose someone who supports you and who will hold you accountable to your goal.
So find that person and tell them your goal. Tell them what you want to subtract, and what you expect to gain from that subtraction. Tell them what you’re going to say no to. Tell them who you are eliminating from your life.
These principles work for any kind of goal, not just sales goals. If you’d like to lose weight, don’t just say you want to lose 30 pounds. What can you eliminate from your life that is likely contributing to those excess pounds? If you want to be more productive, what pointless tasks can you eliminate from your day? If you want to save more money, what wasteful spending can you eliminate from your life?
So as you set your sales goals this year, do something differently. Identify what you’re going to eliminate and tell someone about it. If you want me to be a person in your power circle of influence, don’t hesitate to reach out to me today.
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