Although we haven’t talked much about setting goals in this class, I have noticed that within a lot of my business class, setting and achieving goals have been a common topic that can set you up for success. For sales, setting strategic goals is very important for measuring your success. More specifically, learning to use “SMART” goals for the long and short term while you’re selling will allow you to analyze your performance and adjust accordingly.
“SMART” goals stand for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. Specific goals are a desired outcome that is clearly understood. An example could be a sales number you want to achieve by the end of the year. You should make it clear what you are achieving and how it will be accomplished. Measurable goals are all based on numbers. This will help you track your progress throughout the time period chosen. You should define what specific data you are tracking and make sure you’re collecting the right numbers. Achievable goals means that they need to be realistic, so you maintain the motivation and enthusiasm to achieve them. If you’re goal seems too big, maybe break it down into smaller parts to make it more doable. Relevance means that your goal should be aligned with the mission of the company. Make sure you understand what the company’s goal is, and make sure yours is on the same track. Lastly, time bound goals should have a deadline. A goal without a deadline is irrelevant. You may not get all the work you needed done, but by having a manageable timeline, it means you can the success of failure of your goal.
A few things you can do to help you achieve a “SMART” sales goal is to write it down, share them with relevant people who you can be held accountable to, regularly evaluate your progress, and celebrate your wins.
It is important to note, that these goals are not laws. You can and should be modifying them to suit your needs if need be.
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I have also learned a lot about setting goals and objectives for your company and yourself in my business classes, and have learned the real importance of having an purpose for whatever you are doing. The SMART structure is great in categorizing and determining whether what you are setting off to do is “smart” or not!
I have also talked a lot about SMART goals in my classes and it is something I find really interesting, I like how you put it. I really liked how you emphasized the importance of alignment with the company’s mission. I think this can be forgotten a lot, but it is so crucial to the company and the companies foundation. I think the strategy of breaking larde goqls into smaller ones is really smart.