Greetings my friends in sales,

Let’s say that you have found the right company;  the best product or service, eye on the customer, inspiring leadership and opportunity to earn high income.  Where do you start?

First, I salute you. You have earned this opportunity and it’s likely that you have executed on much of what follows in this post!

As the great Zig Ziglar said, “you gotta have goals!”  These goals will be created based on a combination of what your organization expects and what you expect.  They will include a quota assignment, working a territory or customer assignment, and completing some type of on boarding or training program.

Lets discuss each briefly.

Quota – Your quota will be a sales target that in most cases is set each year.  As Alexander the Great said, “Fortune favors the bold.”  How much do you want to earn?  Figure out how this translates to the sales you will need.  Set your income target to an amount that calculates to a percentage greater than your income at 100% of quota.  The number should be a stretch but not unrealistic.  You need to land on a scenario (formula for tasks and metrics leading to sales) that shows this is attainable. You will get better at managing this process as you learn more about your organization and your territory.

Training –  It’s great if your company offers an on boarding or training program. The purpose of training is to help you understand how to identity buying opportunities, manage your company’s available resources, and earn credibility as a value add resource to your buyers.  A high performing sales person understands that training and learning are lifelong commitments and something she always takes ownership of.  Never find yourself in a position where you are holding anyone but yourself accountable for lack of growth. The power in this case is with you!

Territory assignment –  In business to business sales this will usually be a geographic region that you are given responsibility for as a steward of your organization.   This is your business!  It’s now your opportunity and privilege to figure out how you can help the people who will be the cornerstone of your success; your customers!

I am truly grateful to all of my customers.  There are a handful that have probably made the difference in my career.  Thank You.  I will never forget it.

In the next posting I will spend some time discussing how a high performing sales person might create the map defining the path to success!

Your Salesman for Life.

jim.morgan@salesmanforlife.blog