12/16/2024-Finalize your Q1 skill goals

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 it’s time to preview your Q1 ’24 goals and ensure they’re ready to go.

Remember, there are two goal 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.

The above are examples of goals exclusive of your other goal…your quota. The above are examples of goals you need to set so you will hit your quota.

Today, write down your Q1 accounts, skills, and initiatives goals.

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!

The futbol goal featured in this quick YT short is CRAZY.

After viewing, 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?