How to achieve sales targets for beginners
This approach will walk you through each step of how to clearly, quantitatively, and practically identify the stages of tasks to meet sales targets.
Everyone has a target in mind when engaging in any activity or action.
It doesn’t matter if it is made in the context of commerce, employment, education, organization, the economy, sports, or even the political system.
Despite the fact that the target is a crucial phase or component of a strategic move to accomplish a goal, whether business-related, organizational, personal, or anything else,
However, it might be difficult for some people to decide what to do to attain their targets.
They have no clue where to start while conducting various analyses that involve a lot of data, statistics, and theory.
To make it simple, you actually have to know the structure of the task and create a work plan for it.
This helps you be efficient and effective in achieving your target.
Typically, targets are established with specificity and measurement in mind for a certain time frame. Set targets as part of your planning to reach your objectives.
Self-challenge
For years, I worked and participated in the sales and marketing team. How to reach the target is one of the primary challenges. To meet the objective, setting targets has always been an essential part of my planning.
Years later, I use these concepts as guidelines to accomplish the task, achieve targets, and even exceed them.
The concept is that I set achievable goals and objectives for each task and create a timeline for myself to follow.
“Targets frequently encourage me to think outside the box, persevere, and generate fresh ideas that help me become a more knowledgeable and experienced person.”
Target is a challenge that offers me an opportunity to grow. It can be disguised as an issue that needs to be resolved.
Completing the task gives me a sense of accomplishment, builds my confidence, and motivates me to achieve higher goals.
Do you understand how a target might serve as a springboard for your own advantages?
“Completing the task successfully can also boost your reputation, increase your career prospects, and provide additional financial rewards — especially if you exceed them. This is one way to demonstrate your aptitude for the job.”
This approach will walk you through each step of how to clearly, quantitatively, and practically identify the stages of tasks to meet sales targets.
This method may be applicable to achieving personal targets in areas such as finances, self-development, organization, etcetera.
The stages listed below should be followed by everyone working in sales, particularly newcomers.
1. Write your targets
2. Make a work schedule
3. Action
4. Review and re-plan
1. Write your targets
First, write your targets simply and in a way that is easy to understand.
Targets should be measurable, and realistic, and include time constraints, such as days, weeks, or months, as benchmarks.
For instance;
Sales target: 100 units/month
Period of: January, February, and March
The average rate per unit is USD 100.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -
Body weight target: 50 kg
Period of: January, February, and March
Weight: 2 kg/month
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Savings: USD 3,000
Period of: January, February, and March
Amount: USD 1,000/month
Targets are an effective way to hold yourself accountable and stay motivated to achieve them.
Don’t stray from your targets! When a driver lights his target well but misses it by swerving halfway, this is a common occurrence. They hit the wrong target.
Without a clearly written goal, it is too easy to give in to distractions and procrastination.
2. Make a work schedule
“No one is perfect, but if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
Do you recognize this phrase?
Therefore, make a plan and give your work schedule some thought as you create the next steps.
Based on the set targets, create a structured work schedule as your guideline.
Write down all the possible things you can do to accomplish the targets set.
Do not procrastinate and spend your time making a perfect but complicated work plan with various data and analyses on paper.
Instead, keep it simple and create a flexible work schedule that can easily be adapted to changes as needed.
Planning is crucial, but spending too much time on it to produce a perfect work plan is useless.
Constraints on a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual basis can be used to create the work schedule. A one-year work plan can be broken up into six-month, quarterly, or even monthly segments.
daily work plan
For daily work plans, you can arrange them in more detail as follows:
Day: the specific day of your activities.
Date: the specific date of your activities.
Time: The specific time of your activity must be completed.
Activities: Activities you will engage in during the allotted time
Contact: Who you’ll be meeting with
Remarks: Make a list of everything you intend to do in relation to activities.
Follow up: notes on things to do after your meeting
Example:
Day: Monday, January 9th
08:00 — reading and responding to emails
09:30 — Meeting with Mr. Tom, product manager of Asia Ltd. company
remarks: do product presentations
10:30 — Meeting with Ms. Caroline, sales executive of the distributor company
Remarks: Follow up on the next transactions
11:30 — Meeting with Mrs. Alicia from a new retail company
remark: do product presentations
12:30 — Lunchtime
13:45 — Meeting with Mr. Tim, purchasing manager of the retail shop
remarks: handling complaint
Follow up: give an alternative offer
15:15 — back to the office, and make appointments for the next meeting
16:00 home
3. Action
Act immediately once you have made the work plan, even if your work plan looks simple.
Don’t wait until your work plan is finished for the next few months and looks perfect on paper.
You can complete it later, but first things first, you must know which one is the priority that needs action. Taking immediate action yields results more quickly than following a perfect work plan.
Additionally, taking action frequently enables you to gain new knowledge and skills.
4. Review and re-plan
After you set targets, develop work plans, and act, you will get results from your efforts. Review your work plan based on your achievements. Then re-plan your work schedule by making an adjustment for a better outcome later.
Consider all the possible causes and deficiencies that contributed to the poor performance.
To analyze and re-plan your work, use the 4W1H method of asking your questions and try to be creative in finding the answers or solutions.
Apply these words: “What, Who, Where, When, and How.”
a. What
Use “what” to create questions related to products, services, prices, decisions, or whatever to know the possible causes. For examples;
What reasons caused them not to be interested in our product?
What makes our rates higher than our competitors’?
What caused us to be slow in responding to our customers?
What caused them to cancel the meeting or agreement?
What makes them prefer to choose our competitor?
b. Who
Use “Who” to find information sources, contacts, decision-makers, relationships, and lists of potential clients, customers, or even competitors that we may have overlooked or weren’t on the list of people we should consider in making a decision.
Create a contact person database according to your needs.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Who should I contact for new prospective clients?
Who is the decision-maker?
Who is selling more or less?
Who are our competitors?
Who can I work with?
Who can help me arrange the meeting with them?
Who should I keep and who should I release?
c. Where
Use “where” to specify your location, address, or scope of work.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Where is the potential market for my product?
Where should I meet my clients?
Where is the best place to do the presentation?
Where is their office?
Where can I meet them without a prior appointment?
d. When
Use “when” to find the specific times for meetings with clients, product launches, business trips, trade shows, contracting, etcetera. It is about how you manage your time to be effective, and you also have time to rest.
You will become more productive as you adjust to this time management system.
If necessary, set your time in minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years.
It’s crucial not to be too rigid, though.
You must occasionally be adaptable and creative in order to solve certain problems.
Keep in mind that every work plan is created as a guide to help you reach your goal.
If you come across a shortcut in the middle of the road, take it. Considering that it might be a bonus and the quickest way for you to reach the target,
e. How
Use “how” to clearly define the ways or actions to be carried out in your work plan.
For example;
How do I introduce myself?
How do I make a good product presentation?
How do I make them buy my product?
How do I convince them that I am the right person for that job?
By knowing the above method, you are supposed to be able to:
- know how to set your target
- to know how to create your work plan step by step.
- time management
- has the ability to analyze your work.
- able to review and re-plan your work schedule
What do you think?
Do you have experiences and ideas to share?
Let us know your opinion in the comments.
I hope this article will inspire you!
