Two days left in April. Have you made your goals? If not, what are you doing about it?
Most have given up for the month. “Why bother?…we’ll just start fresh next month.” Many have adopted an excuse for performance – some sort of interference like: ”The economy really hit us this month” or “Traffic was really down”.
I’ve certainly done it many times, but then witnessed the impact. If we don’t push to the finish line, we de-value the importance of achieving goals. And we diminish our team’s commitment to them. To put it another way – our goals become a joke. Not a good thing for morale or productivity.
So – c’mon. ROW! Yes – ROW! If you aren’t sure what that means, go to our Quote of the Week: No wind?. And then get rowing.
What can you do with just two days left? You can have a contest or a party. This article is about the first one.
Gather everyone around or send an e-mail or text or voice message right now announcing that the first person to bring in a new sale* today will win a prize. Or do it tomorrow. Or both.
You might remember me talking about the way management handled this at my first sales job (see paragraph #3 of Hoping or Hopping). There is one incident in particular that I remember. Maybe it’s because I won the prize? Anyway – it was on January 13, 1979. Dan, the sales manager, announced that the first person to bring in a new contract would win two tickets to the Duke-Carolina basketball game which was to be played that night. Whoa! This got my attention.
I had a presentation scheduled for that afternoon, but closing the sale that day, much less at all, was a long shot. An added challenge – it was snowing and coming down fast. I was petrified that my prospect would want to close shop early but made the thirty minute drive there anyway, made the presentation and closed the sale.
By then, several more inches of snow had accumulated and the return trip took forty-five minutes. Cars were sliding all over. Several had been abandoned on the side of the road. I was petrified that someone else was going to get back to the office with a signed contract before I did – or that Dan would be gone. I thought about stopping to find a pay phone so I could let him know I was on my way. But thought it best to keep driving through the blinding snow.
Finally there – I walked in, found Dan, handed him the contract and his mouth dropped open. I had never closed a sale that quickly.
Would I have signed this particular prospect if it hadn’t been for the contest?
Maybe.
Would I have done it that day?
No. I would have let her think about it or talk to her partner or check her budget. Or – let her re-schedule because of the snow.
The prize was an external push that I didn’t realize I needed. It made me get out my oars and row instead of relying on the wind or blaming the absence of it. Or in this case, drive through the blinding snow.
What I also didn’t realize until long after I had used the tickets to go watch that exciting Carolina victory, was that I had won a more valuable, even longer lasting prize. And that was a new level of confidence as a sales person. The kind that only comes from rowing when you don’t have the desire or energy or even the know-how to row. But you do it anyway.
That prize was particularly motivating to me but wasn’t to everyone on our team. Others got more excited when the prize was a gift certificate to a restaurant or a sporting goods store. I’ve seen some team members go head to head for a TOP SELLER trophy from the Dollar Store. Or a GOLD STAR AWARD made out of construction paper.
No matter what the prize is….whether it’s for bringing in a sale or bringing in receivables or processing the most orders…some people will be motivated by it. Some won’t. Some will row a little harder. Some won’t. But overall the team will most likely get farther along they they would have otherwise.
And even if they don’t – it will send the message loud and clear that goals are not a joke…
And then…rest up for the weekend and get ready for a strong start with a fresh plan for May. One that will get you to goal by the third week of May. Not sure how to do that? Get help from your coach.
* or the person who:
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brings in the most revenue
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brings in the most receivables
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processes the most orders
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makes the most PR calls
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or whatever activity it is you need to get closer to your goals
* or offer the prize to everyone who:
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brings in $1000 of revenue
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brings in $1000 of receivables
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processes 50 orders
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makes 25 PR calls
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or whatever activity it is you need to get you to goal
Other Resources to Help You Get 2 Goal:
- Quote of the Week: No Wind?
- 10 Tips for Push to Goal
- Brainteaser of the Week #26
- Movie of the Week – Row, row, but watch where you go!
copyright 2010 – Business Class Inc
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