SMART Goals in Direct Sales

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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