2/17/2025-Q1 goals: where you be at?

Determining how you will measure goals is crucial to setting goals. It’s easy for revenue-based goal setting, but serious thought is needed when the goals aren’t easily quantifiable.

You’re roughly 45 days into Q1, and that means it’s a great time to review your Q1 goals and revise your action list for the next 45 days.

The goals referred to here are your skill development and account goals, not your Q1 quota.

So…how are your negotiating skills improving this quarter? …qualifying skills? …listening?

And what about re-signing the ACME account for another year? …how’s that going this quarter?

Goals are the gasoline that fuels your quota engine.

Today, work on your Q1 goals.

Done.

(What…? …you’re looking for more? What more is there to say? DOers set goals and hit goals. Those who roam around aimlessly inside their in-boxes are the other sellers.)

Goals mean nothing without a measurement protocol. The OKR system is good and simple (Objectives and Key Results), but MySalesDay recommends the SMART system because it has more teeth and is simple.

S = Specific. "Break the Acme Inc. account for $100k in Q3" is very specific. "Break the Acme Inc. account" is not.

Measurement. What specifically are the criteria that will measure success for your goals? When it’s an account-based goal, the measurement is easy: break Acme Inc. for $100k. The measurement criteria are there, and the answer will be binary: yes, no. You’ll break it, or not. But what about a skills goal like growing your objection-handling skills? You’ll have to think of ways that can be measured.

A is for Achievable. You want to stretch, but you don’t want to tear ligaments doing it. This one involves some subjectivity, but the issue is creating easy goals.

Relevant comes next, aligning with what the company wants or not. Maybe Acme Inc. is not the type of account the company cares about and, therefore, doesn’t want you to focus on it.

T is for Time-bound. This is set automatically because you’re developing quarterly goals. Your time period is 90 days. Again, simple, right?

Take a break and watch some futbol players make some unbelievable goals in this 2-minute clip.

Then…get back to your strategic and hyper-focus work scoring your goals.