Every year around this time, a salesperson (usually someone who is having an awesome year), laments about starting at zero come the first of the year.
Which is funny to me because one of my favorite things in the whole world is the ability (dare I say, the privilege?), in sales, to reinvent ourselves – all of the time!
In sales, we are lucky (YES, lucky!) that we have continuous opportunities to hit the reset button:
- New DAY – which allows us to set micro goals for activity and results that are manageable, refinable achievable.
- New MONTH – which gives us time to create systems and repeatability with an invigorating refresh at the end.
- New QUARTER – which allows us to analyze the internal and external influences that help and hinder us (and our customers), learn, and then begin again.
- New YEAR – which is a giant gift to ourselves, the ability to start clean with goals, compensation plan, a fresh list of dream clients based on better self-knowledge and advancements in our business, with one more year of maturity and experience under our belt.
Does that sound as refreshing as a cold shower? Try framing it like this instead:
A “sales refresh” – daily, monthly, quarterly, annually – is like a walk on a brisk winter morning. It clears the head and gets the blood moving!
Ah! A refreshing restart. I revel in that experience!
So as we approach New Year’s Eve, let’s celebrate the opportunity to push the big reset button.
Take a few moments to look back and know all the GREAT things you did. (Hey, STOP that! I can hear you starting to list the things you see as failure instead! Cut – It – Out.)
Leaders:
- Name all the salespeople on your team who are better than they were at the beginning of the year.
- List the times you had a part in helping someone do something they thought was “impossible.”
Salespeople:
- Off the top of your head, name all the customers who are better off in THEIR careers because of the work you did together this year.
- List the big and small sales achievements you are proud of.
EVERYONE
- Write down the most important personal goal you achieved for the year. And make a note in a journal, calendar or somewhere you will see it again next year so you can celebrate next year’s progress when the time comes.
And then…toast yourself for all the fantastic things you did this year!
When we reframe our perception about restarts, we can see what a beautiful opportunity we have in our profession.
It’s invigorating, refreshing and stimulating to “start from zero” and know you can get up to speed faster, run a little farther (sales-wise), push past previous set points, and explore new terrain.
It sounds like something worth celebrating, doesn’t it!
Happy New Year!
Lynn
ps. Are you ready to add a new element to your inside sales manager’s tool kit? Let’s talk about how to take your team from great to fantastic in the new year!
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