Charting Realistic Goals to Attain Sales Success

Few of the salespeople on your team aim for mediocrity. Most dream of reaching the top of their field. But top performers do much more than dream. They develop a series of realistic goals that propel them from where they are now to where they want to be. Next, they continue raising the bar, setting increasingly ambitious goals until they achieve their ultimate vision of success. In every case, this process begins with a realistic self-assessment.

However, self-assessment can be a tricky business. My friend and fellow mountain climber John Waechter and I discovered this during the early stages of planning our campaign to climb the Seven Summits – the highest peaks on each of the seven continents – when our guide turned to us and said, “You don’t even know if you can physically go that high.” What did that mean? Of course we could go high! We worked out every day. We had climbed smaller mountains. We would work really, really hard!

Some people, our guide explained, could not physically tolerate the low oxygen and harsh conditions found at the very highest mountain peaks. No matter how hard they worked, they would never survive such a climb. Fortunately, we were among the lucky ones. Our bodies could tolerate extreme altitudes.
In business too, some sales professionals convince themselves that their dreams are beyond their capabilities; that they simply can’t “go high” in their sales careers. But in this case, there’s no question of biology. The truth is, anyone can become a top performer.

Successful salespeople achieve their vision by pursuing a series of realistic goals in exactly the same way we climb mountains: one step after the next. But the number of steps we take depends on where we start our journey.

Consider three very different individuals: Bill, Ann, and Cathy.  

All three are fully capable of becoming number one in time.  But to get there, they need realistic plans that reflect their experience, past performance, and stage of professional development. Their plans must address the unique sequence of goals each of them must fulfill to become number one. Effective plans are realistic and achievable.

The Enthusiastic Neophyte: Bill is new to sales. And while he may impress others by trumpeting his lofty ambitions, Bill should set his sights on acquiring the sales skills and tools he needs to prospect and close business. His first summit goal should be to emerge as the best trainee in the group. This will position him up for the next summit and the one after, which will ultimately lead him to his #1 spot.

Average Performer: Ann could become #1. But this would more likely be the result of a lucky break rather than planning. She might call on a prospect with a deal ready to close and a set of requirements perfectly matching her products and pricing. We all love unexpected wins like these. But we certainly shouldn’t plan on them!

Ann should increase her level of activity and break into the top 10-25 percent group. This goal is realistic, since Ann has several years of experience and clearly understands her markets, products, and services. She just isn’t doing enough. She needs a plan with a sequence of realistic and quantifiable mini-goals. For example, she should commit to making 5-10 additional prospecting calls every day.

Peak Performer: Cathy is among the top performers at her company. She knows how to prospect, qualify, close business, and maintain customer relationships. Yet the top spot has eluded her so far. What’s holding her back?

Cathy’s problem is one of vision. She’s always marveled at the recognition and rewards afforded top performers. She simply can’t picture herself among them. So she has never invested the necessary time and effort to become #1.

Every climber will tell you that the last thousand feet to the summit are the toughest. Cathy must leave her comfort zone and envision herself on top. That will give her the motivation she needs to finish her climb.

Bill, Ann, and Cathy have very different plans. All of them are realistic and achievable. But none of them can be accomplished without time and effort. Every sales person experiences setbacks along the way. You may start to believe that your goals are beyond your reach. But if you push on, you’ll discover that this simply isn’t so.

Susan Ershler is co-author of “Conquering the Seven Summits of Sales: From Everest to Every Business” (Harper Business), which illustrates the principles that lead to high achievement with anecdotes drawn from her sales and mountain climbing careers. This article is excerpted from the book. Today, Susan is a renowned keynote speaker, inspiring business professionals to push past perceived boundaries to achieve their most ambitious dreams and helping Fortune 500 companies transform their sales organizations into dynamic forces for revenue growth. For more information, visit SusanErshler.com.