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Education

Reset, revive your For example, in football, if a quarterback throws a certain
pass to a receiver in practice, it should work in a game. If it
2017 sales goals doesn't, the pass play is wrong or they have not practiced
it enough. It's simple, but it works.

If your goal is to close 30 percent more deals in 2016, break
it into daily, weekly and monthly sub-goals to determine
how many cold calls you should make per month, week
and day, based on your cold call conversion rate, to reach
your goal. For example, if you are selling the American
Express One Point program, measure your results for
each day, week and month to determine your success, and
adjust your frequency or actions accordingly.
3. Create a schedule and prioritize often

Once you break your sales goal into daily, weekly and
monthly sub-goals, make a schedule. Again, using football
as an example, a team or individual is focused just on next
week's game. Sales is the same: focus on the week at hand
and the goal for that week. Having a schedule in place to
work on goals will help you measure your success and
By Mike Ackerman make necessary adjustments. This schedule should take
DigiPay Solutions Inc. precedent over non-priorities.
4. Create mini-rewards for sub-goals
ost merchant level salespeople (MLSs)
believe in setting sales goals, but many go no Sooner or later, you'll find an excuse to renege on your
further than setting a number and moving commitment to improve. You may decide you deserve a
M on. They think about winning but overlook break after everything you've accomplished and promise
the smaller workouts and competitions that will get them yourself you'll pick up right where you left off after a pause.
across the finish line. With 2017 in full swing, it's time to However, such breaks can interrupt the chain of success
reassess sales resolutions we made in 2016. and throw salespeople off course. After a short hiatus, the
next phase of reaching a goal can feel like starting over.
Are you a "set and forgetter"? If so, it's not too late. With
the right sales plan, effort and commitment, lofty goals are Create mini rewards for mini stages. A short-term bonus
achievable. Creating a bulletproof sales plan begins with is an excellent way to reinforce short-term goals. It could
setting a goal and breaking it into manageable parts. be a dinner, iPad or a weekend trip. If you fail to achieve
results, do not accept your short-term bonus. Tack the
The following steps will help you reset and get on the fast shortfall to the next "mini goal" to keep pace with your
track toward your 2017 milestones: larger annual goal.
1. Visualize your original objective and restart 5. Acknowledge small victories

The first step in setting an achievable sales goal is to review A well-defined path with associated rewards will help
your original goal in detail and see exactly what you want you accomplish your goal, much like it would help an
to accomplish. As we near the end of the first quarter, NFL football player. NFL teams keep players engaged by
where do you see yourself nine months from now? Your rewarding them for a great play or for accomplishing a
goal might be to increase your residual by 30 percent over difficult task along the path to the Super Bowl.
2016. Are you on track, or have you fallen behind? How
can you improve your performance? Remember, recognize your great plays, and reward
yourself along the way to your Super Bowl. When you
2. Break your annual sales goal into smaller goals hit a "mini goal," you will become more energized and

Break long-term goals into a series of smaller, actionable set your course with the focus and energy needed for the
sub-goals. These sub-goals will get you focused on near- long game ahead. A first-quarter reset, combined with an
term milestones that get you closer to your main goal honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, can
and help you track progress. Here's a simple formula I've set you up for a big win in 2017.
used that always works: A x F = R. Action times frequency
equals results. Mike Ackerman is President of DigiPay Solutions Inc., which specializes
in high-risk, high-volume, card-not-present and business-to-business
merchant services. Contact him at mike@digipaysolutions.com.
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