It is the New Year! Just a few days into 2023, have you completed your S.M.A.R.T Goals yet?
In Sales it is important to have personal goals. Your personal goals are more important than the goals your company gives you because they have deeper personal meaning to you. Use the company as a vehicle to reach your personal goals. It is a Win, Win.
I am sure you are familiar with George T. Doran’s definition of S.M.A.R.T. Goals, but here is a twist on the old tradition:
Special – Make your goals special, compelling, and while you’re at it make them BIG. As we grow to adulthood we often forget how to dream. Plan some free time and just dream about what you want in your life. Take a long drive, or a long walk, or just turn off all the noise and give yourself permission to dream. It all starts there. Don’t put limits on your dreams with time and money and outside relationships, just dream with no qualifications or judgments.
Mandatory – Mom always said, “Don’t burn your bridges.” Well, Mom didn’t know anything about goals. Burn your bridges and don’t give yourself and option to fail. Trap yourself into success with no turning back. Make it happen! When you don’t have any other option success is the only outcome!
Awesome – Imagine how you will feel when you accomplish your goal(s). Use the power of visualization. When you visualize the desired outcome, you are actually placing groves in your brain and your thought patterns. This repetitive action causes your subconscious to drive your behavior. Napoleon Hill wrote about this in his classic, “Think and Grow Rich”. He goes on to write: “Faith is the ‘eternal elixir’ which gives life, power, and action to the impulse of thought!”
Regular – Check and review your goals on a regular basis. Daily is recommended. Find visual representation from a magazine, a picture or somewhere and keep it where you can see it every day! This will stimulate your Reticular Activator. We’ll talk about this in detail in Part IV of this series. In short, by keeping a visual representation of your goal in sight will attract the necessary means to achieve it. Whatever you think about most will manifest itself into reality!
Total – Total commitment is necessary! Commitment is defined by time, money and effort. All three must be present to achieve your dreams and goals. Commitment is doing whatever it takes no matter what as long as it’s moral and ethical. Making the decision to commit is the first step.
The goals you set will come from several areas: spiritual, family, professional, personal, health, financial and quality of life. The balanced person lives a balanced life. You will increase your sales effectiveness by improving your personal desire and commitment.
If you’d like more info, contact me.