Like clockwork, every year, I have this gnawing at my subconscious that I should develop some sort of personal and professional direction for the year. I fret and stew over what these elusive goals should be many times giving up on this endeavor all together in frustration. I’m terrible at setting goals! How about you?

So how do you change this painful process and mindset of setting some targets and objectives? Some goals? Do you need to?

Why Targets and Objectives? Here’s 4 Valid Reasons:

• My company demands that I should. As I have been in the technical sales world most of my career I’m always asked by the company I work for to offer some goals not only for myself to them but to have my sales teams do so as well. Part of keeping my job.
• All self help books say I should. I have never read one that hasn’t and I have read my fair share over the years. Must be something to it?
• My religious leaders say I should. They ask that I have goals of reading and studying enlightening books and performing tasks of caring, etc.
• Deep down within myself I know I should. Common sense tells me that an attempted goal is better than no goals at all.

Does Goal setting Work? Yes If You Believe and Only If You Believe.

To be honest, my years with focused targets and objectives always seem to be the more productive ones. Especially if I reviewed and adjusted them periodically throughout the year. The hardest part was simply establishing goals that were attainable and important to me. I needed to believe in them!

“How many times have you gone through the process of goal setting with goals that were either forced down your throat or you did not believe they would help? I have many times.”

The key to my successful years of goal setting was that those years I took control of my goals and made a plan to execute that I believed in. Not a plan that I was forced to sign up with that represented someone else’s goals. I also had goals that were not simply business and sales related. I found that it made my goals easier to follow if they included my personal life, health and education as well.

There is help!

In an effort to help myself and the teams I was managing I developed a template to plan for success. A plan that did NOT tell them WHAT I WANTED but a plan helping them develop goals that made sense to them personally. I broke it into 4 groups: Activity, Targets, Self Improvement, and Commitment.

• Activity is the how. The goal planner has to understand how and what activity is needed to attain their goals. No smoke and mirrors but real activity.
• Targets are the who. It’s one thing to make up activity but to focus on the who your going to act out the activity is just as important.
• Self Improvement is bigger than you think. Health, education, personal growth, family, etc. are so important to hitting all your goals.
• Commitment is to tell others about your goals. If you keep them to yourself you will fail. I promise.

The good news is that this actually worked for me and has for years. To set goals for myself I use this template as a way to do so and I recommend you do as well.

Setting targets and objectives with the Sales Success Playbook – 4 Plays Success Program. Download.

You can download it here: Sales Success Playbook – 4 Plays Success Program

“If you’ve always wanted to set goals but haven’t or have procrastinated, Chris Lott makes it easy with his template to keep you focused! I’ve had sales reps use Chris’s playbook many times, those who do, succeed. If you’re looking for the sales magic bullet, goal setting with intention, this is likely the closest thing you’ll find!” – Cassandra

For those like me that have had issues with setting targets and objectives change things this year. Take a moment of your time and make business and personal goals that you can believe in. Then implement and review regularly. Let’s make this new year the best ever! Let’s set some goals!

Chris Lott

Chris has over 15 year’s Sales Management experience including Business Ownership, Product Management and Web Design/Marketing. He’s a national sales team strategist and trainer. Chris is the designer of the popular totallysales™ sales playbook with thousands of copies downloaded. He’s a nationally syndicated author with his articles on SalesBlog! rated as a “top must-read” on consultative selling.