12/15/2023-Q1, ’24 Goal Setting

Setting skill goals will feel clunky because they’re tough to measure. But you’ll never push yourself to grow your selling competencies if you don’t set skill goals.

A few weeks ago, you were encouraged to appraise your Q4 goals, and now you’re invited to review your Q1 ’24 goals and ensure they’re set and ready to go.

Remember, goals come in two flavors:
1. The revenue goal that gets dropped on your head every quarter and year (a.k.a. your quota), and…
2. The goals you set that push you on skills, specific accounts, and special projects or initiatives.

Note: none of your goals mean squat unless you write them down and measure them along the way.

Break the ACME account.

Get an appointment with three C-Suite players of XYZ Corp.

Develop confidence in asking probing questions.

Grow ABC Inc. account by 25% YOY.

Proactively probe for objections on every pitch meeting.

These are examples of goals exclusive of your main goal…your quota. These are the goals that drive you to make your quota!

While reviewing your Q1 ’24 goals today, make sure you have some set for specific accounts, skills, and initiatives. Two each is plenty…but if you’re feeling ambitious, go crazy with one or two more.

Cement them today…write ’em down.

Hitting your quarterly revenue number isn’t easy, but you go hard at it every quarter. Riiiiiight?

Same with goals. Setting various goals every quarter isn’t easy either, but burying your head in the sand won’t make customer objections disappear.

At first, setting skill goals will feel clunky because they’re tough to measure. Goals tied to money are easy. They’re exact. They can be measured.

But setting skill goals is more ambiguous. For example, this goal might be tough to quantify progress against:

"In the following quarter, I want to improve my ability to deal with objections."

It’s a noble and smart goal because sellers must be competent in handling customer objections to thrive. But how would one best measure that goal? This is where specificity and measurement must attach to your goals to give it teeth.

How’s this?
Goal: "In the following quarter, I want to improve my ability to deal with objections."
Measurement:
1. I will proactively ask about obstacles and objections on every interaction with a customer.
2. I will proactively seed objections in every customer conversation to initiate a conversation about such obstacles.
3. I will listen and display empathy when talking about objections (in order to build trust with the buyer).

Start somewhere. Start slowly. But DO set skill goals for yourself and watch yourself grow!

Sports fan or not, you’ll appreciate the craziness of this futbol goal featured in this very quick YT short.

Watch and pick one of the options below that represents the best takeaway from this insanely unique goal:
A. Sometimes, you hit goals in ways you can’t predict.
B. Don’t prematurely celebrate hitting your goals.
C. Weird stuff happens on a futbol pitch…and in life, too. Never give up.

It’s probably "D…All of the above," right?