Question: Any guess as to where the title to this blog originated?
Well, it’s that time of year again when we pull out our 2013 forecasts, and attempt to prognosticate what will happen next year. Will my sales team hit the old numbers? What chance will they have in hitting the new numbers?
Will all my territories grow at the same rate or will each salesperson be different? In order for my total gross margin to grow, do I cut prices to increase unit sales (and increase GP dollars) or do I just raise my prices?
Most everyone has heard of SMART goals, but have you heard of SMARTER goals?
SMART goals are straightforward:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-specific
So what do the E and R represent? Evaluate and Revise …
Evaluate – How often do you pull out your goals during the year to assess your progress? Do you make mid-course adjustments to your goals as appropriate? Do you have a periodical set time frame for your evaluations: monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly … ?
Revise – This step closes the loop. After you have evaluated or re-evaluated your goals during the year, what changes need to be made? As you are projecting into the next year, what metrics need to be increased and which ones decreased? Rather than looking at and contemplating your goals once a year, here is a plan to do a little at a time. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Of course, the addition of Evaluate and Revise require discipline, forethought and objectivity. You or your organization may not be capable of mid-course goal changes. However, you being the consummate professional should at least be aware of what needs to be adapted and adjusted as conditions warrant. Just remember, General Patton anticipated the 1944 German winter offensive (Battle of the Bulge) and had contingency plans in place. He stopped his offensive in France, turned his army 90 degrees to the north and stopped the Germans. Are you evaluating and anticipating your markets, clients and prospects for 2014?
ANSWER: Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland;” and a bonus if you also said George Harrison.
Dave Harman is an associate with Sandler Training. He has over 30 years’ experience in sales and sales management with Fortune 500 companies as well as small, family-owned organizations. He has held positions from sales to senior management with companies such as Conoco/Vista, Amresco and Ohio Awning, and owns his own business. He earned his MBA with a concentration in Marketing from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. You can reach him at [email protected] or (888) 448-2030.
