Focus On Activities Rather Than Outcomes

     Think setting appointments or closing sales should be your goal? Well, think again. Focusing on the outcome in goal setting is dangerous, says the not-for-profit Sales Career Training Institute in Jersey City, New Jersey.

     Remember, you as the distributor are only part of the equation. There are many factors outside of your control such as the overall economy, the state of your industry and even the mood of your prospect on the day you give your presentation.

     What the Institute found is that the most successful salespeople focus on their activities rather than the outcomes they hope to achieve.

     For example, instead of focusing on the number of appointments set, focus on the number of calls made to set appointments. Say, "I'm going to make 20 calls today, no matter what."

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TOP SHELF TIP NO. 90

"Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers."

Voltaire, French philosopher and writer, 1694-1778

     The Institute found that the distinction makes a world of difference and can strongly affect the distributor's attitude, which in turn, factors heavily in whether he or she stays motivated enough to reach success in sales.

     You can control the number of calls you make, but you can't control how the person on the other end of the line will react to your pitch.

     The suggestion isn't to blindly get on the phone and start pitching. You should definitely spend a significant amount of time honing and testing your sales script. However, once you have a good script down and have done prospecting research, focus on prospecting calls.

     Dedicate yourself to making a certain number of phone calls or physical visits to clients per day.  No matter what happens, make sure you do them.

     So, start your day with prospecting and keep filling every spare moment with prospecting and you will stay on track.

     Remember, when you think of setting goals, think in terms of your activities, not your outcomes.