SMART Goals in Direct Sales
One of the most important things you can do for your direct sales
business is set Goals. Without goals you don't have a clear, concise
path on what you want to achieve in your business. Goals are crucial
for a successful business and you should always be setting new
bigger goals as you reach smaller ones.
Got Goals?
To establish a
clear, central purpose or goal in life is the starting point of all
success.
Goals, I know
that word can be very scary, but it doesn’t have to be, especially if
you know what to do. What is a goal? A goal is something specific,
something you want or need to accomplish in a specific period of time.
To establish a clear, central purpose or goal in life is the starting
point of all success.
There was a
study several years ago at a business school and the results of the
graduates who had been out of school for at least ten years
illustrates the power of goals. Upon graduation the graduates were
surveyed and the following was found:
83% did not have goals
4% had vague goals
3% had clearly articulated written goals
When their
levels of accomplishments were compared ten years later, those with
some sense of their goal earned three times more than those with no
goals. The 3% with clearly articulated written goals earned ten times
more than those without goals.
You have goals;
you may just not realize it now. I want to help you realize, develop
and achieve your goals. Your goals are your promises to YOU!
Goal setting is just like creating a blueprint. Lets get started
creating your blueprint!
Everyone needs
to learn how to set effective, realistic and SMART goals. Start the
process by first creating a list of dreams. Make sure you list places
you would like to visit, things you would like to experiences, items
you would like to have, skills you would like to acquire and the
amount of money you would like to make. Maybe you want to travel to
Hawaii or Europe or you want a new house or car. You decide what you
want and write it down on paper. You will need this list to develop
SMART Goals.
There is no
limit to the number of goals that you set. You need to make sure your
list includes goals that you are committed to attaining. There are a
few steps to take to set effective goals and we will cover those here:
S=Specific
Your goals must
be clearly defined and written.
M=Measurable
The goal must be
able to be measured over time. You must be able to clearly define what
success on a goal will look like.
A=Actionable
There must be
specific action steps you can take toward realization of the goal.
R=Realistic
Your goal must
be one that is realistically based on your current level of skills,
environment, and the time allotted.
T=Time Based
Your goal needs
to have a deadline that you are committed to.
Look over each
goal you have on your list and ask yourself, “is this a SMART goal?
Why or why not? Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself about
each goal you want to set:
-
Do I need help
with my goal?
-
What may hinder
the process of my goals?
-
Do I need more
education to achieve more?
This is another
major step in goal setting because you may see and feel
necessary changes in your plan.
After you have
written your “SMART Goals” you need to prioritize your long-term and
short-term goals. This is a very important step in the goal-setting
process because it enables you to step back and examine which goals
are most important to you. This does not mean that you should ignore
the goals farther down on your list, but it does help you to identify
where and how to focus your efforts now.
Your goals will
change over time, you will achieve some goals, and others may lose
their importance as circumstances in your life change. As this happens
you need to re-examine and re-prioritize your goals.
Once you have
defined your SMART Goals you will need to define an action plan.
An Action Plan
is an essential element of setting goals. The details that you specify
in your Action Plan enable you to see what you need to do and avoid,
in achieving your goals. As you develop your Action Plan, be sure to
keep the following in mind:
-
Write SMART Goals
-
Develop your
goals with a positive attitude
-
Expand your
knowledge
-
Shape your Action
Plan and commit to it
-
Invest in
developing effective skills and habits
-
Gain results by
building relationships
Here is a great
way to write your goals. Be sure to use an outline for each goal you
want to set. These steps will help you to define your wants.
Step 1. List one
of the goals you would like to achieve be specific.
Step 2. List 3
to 5 reasons to achieve this goal. In other words, why is it important
that YOU achieve this goal.
Step 3. List the
steps you need to take to achieve this goal. Break the process down
into reasonable steps toward achieving your goal.
Let me show you
a sample goal so you can see what is involved in each of the above
steps.
Step 1. The
Goal: You want a new red convertible 2005 Corvette with black leather
seats, automatic, with a 5 disc CD player.
-
You would like to
have this new car by December 31, 2005.
-
The cost will be
approximately $55,000.
(You can go into
more or less detail about the car and all the extras you would like to
have, it’s up to you.)
Step 2. What’s
in it for me (YOU)
1. I will
get the satisfactions of driving the car of my dreams.
2. I will
feel important.
3. I will
be the first in my family to ever own such a car.
4. I will
have achieved one of my goals.
Step 3.
Steps to achieve your goal. You will need to increase yearly sales by
$55,000 and introduce 204 people to the business opportunity.
1. I need to
increase monthly sales approximately $4,500 and increase my new
business partners by 17.
2. I need to
increase weekly sales approximately $1,125 and bring in 4/5 new
business partners.
3. I need to
increase daily sales approximately $150 and bring in no less than 1
new business partner per day.
You may want to
go into greater detail than I did with this example. I just wanted to
share with you how this works. Your goals may not include a car, it
could be going back to school to get a degree, buying a new home or
re-decorating your current home. Whatever your goals, these steps
will help you to define them.
It is also
important to share your newly defined goals with your family, friends
and business associates.
A few reasons
why people fail at achieving their goals are:
1. People take
action without any real plan.
2. People give
themselves an unrealistic timeframe for achieving a goal
3. Their
reason for the goal is unclear, they have not properly defined the
goal
4. Lack of
focus. Success demands focus.
5. Trying to
do it alone, nobody goes through life alone and you should not try to
achieve
your goals alone. Ask for help.
6. FEAR OF
FAILURE!!!! This is the biggie out of all the above. Fear resides
where knowledge does not exist; the more knowledge you have about
anything the less intimidated you will feel. Replace your fear with
knowledge.
You now have
some of the tools to achieve your goals. MAKE THIS YOUR BEST YEAR
EVER!
Barb Sibbing
is an entrepreneur, business owner, life coach, team leader and
mother. She’s a veteran Home Based Business Owner and has trained and
coached representatives both inside and outside of her sales
organization. One of her primary goals is to “Empower Others To
Achieve Success.” She can be reached through her web site at
www.onlinesoycandlebusiness.com