Good morning!
Let’s say you started off this year with two goals: lose weight and gain sales. Which one is more sustainable?
Today being 21 January, we are beginning the third week of the new year. How’re those New Year’s resolutions coming? Are you still on track? Would it surprise you to know that the vast majority of people who wanted to lose weight have seen only minor success if anything?
Did you make a sales resolution? A sales resolution is different from a sales goal or a sales quota. It’s a promise you make to yourself regarding sales activity, not results. For example, you might pledge to make five sales calls a day or 25 per week. Personally, I’m a big fan of activity-based sales resolutions. A couple of quick facts for you…
The average American gains 11 pounds over the holidays.
The average sales rep loses 10 to 15% of his/her business each year.
Another way of stating that second last factoid is to point out that while 80% of the people who lose weight gain it back, 85 to 90% of a salesperson’s increased sales stick around.
Both of these activities, weight loss, and sales gain, are difficult. Both require a plan and a lot of discipline. Weight loss means saying “no” a lot. Sales gain means hearing “no” a lot. But once a goal is reached, it’s the sales results that are longer-lasting.
All of this is to say if you have fallen off the wagon and you find yourself once again overwhelmed, now is the time to reengage. Think back over these last three weeks. What could you have done differently that would result in a different outcome? Then, make a new commitment and focus only on this week. In fact, so the goal for today only if you like and try to be successful one day in a row.
Oh, and put down the doughnut.
