Back at the office and fresh into 2010 with more aspirations than ever- enumerable ideas on how to achieve them, and a generous set of obstacles between me and my "point of arrival". I don't know about you, but its easy to get overwhelmed this time of year until I remind myself that life is like a "decision tree"- each choice I make leads to my next set of choices (and so on). As it is in life, so it is in sales. My approach matters.
Allow me to digress briefly- tongue in cheek: One of the most thought provoking annual realities a sales professional faces is the triumph of setting the revenue goal for the coming year. Sometimes it seems as if the number is mystical in origin. It comes from a group of independent decision makers, trickles down to you, and is raised to an exponent equivalent to your number of years of experience (or something like that!). Regardless of how it's formulated, once you receive it, you instantly begin to scientifically prove how your upcoming activities will reconcile to that result. You do that through a flurry of reports. These Word tables and Excel spreadsheets articulate what you did last year, what you should have done (and if you didn't - why?), and what you will do differently this year (or more of), in order to exceed this years' expectations! Wow! Depending upon the complexity of the industry you serve, and how economic factors impact the length of the sales cycle- you also need to be prepared to factor in the weight of the significance management places on specific products or services they need you to book this year. Those, by the way, are subject to change by the quarter.
If that maze is remotely familiar to you, I dare say if you don't love what you do, and have assurance that you are going to get up everyday to serve at your highest level of capability- regardless of the goal- you might find yourself lost in the detail. The truth is- goals are extremely important to the vitality of an organization, and are just one way we determine how well our good intentions translate into results. I like what Zig Ziglar's Faith Daily says- "A goal is a dream with a deadline." Croft M. Pentz. If we believe that we are only promised "this day", then we want to work as if that is the case. That passion begins in our heart, and extends to our concentric circle of family, friends and communities.
As I gird up the energy to accomplish all that has been laid before me for 2010, I am reminded that my ability to do so will be directly related to my willingness to keep my priorities in check. And so I close this week with: Matt. 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Won't you join me?
