Success in the New Year: How to Make and Keep Sales-Related New Year's Resolutions

It's that time of year again when everyone is pondering their New Year's resolutions. Whether you're the type of person to let your resolutions slide after the first week or two of the New Year or the kind who embraces them wholeheartedly, accountability is the key to converting a resolution into an accomplishment. People set and achieve goals in different ways and, as a result, varying types of accountability come into play. One or more of the following might work for you, helping you to achieve a banner sales year. Being Accountable to Yourself The ability to remain accountable to yourself without anyone else pushing you is the hallmark of a truly dedicated and driven salesperson. Yet drive and dedication alone are not sufficient to keep the goals you set as the calendar turns to a new year. Learning opportunities and experience contribute toward an increased ability to staying motivated and maintaining accountability. Look over the sales goals you set for yourself during the past year. Make special note of the goals you've achieved, as well as the goals you fell short of meeting. What contributed toward your success? What factors contributed toward failure? By taking the time to determine what you've done right and wrong in the past year you can create a set of checks and balances to help you stay on the path to success. Be accountable to yourself by checking your process, and redirecting yourself when you see ineffective habits creeping back in. Partner Up for Accountability Chances are that if you're setting goals for the New Year, someone else on your team or in your office is doing the same. Partner up with someone so you can help one another remain accountable to the resolutions you've created. Sometimes the two-heads-are-better-than-one approach can help you realize how you're getting in the way of your own accomplishments. Likewise, having the opportunity to work with an accountability partner will open your eyes to what he or she does in order to meet goals. When choosing a partner to work with, be sure to select someone who shares your drive and determination. This method of accountability should be mutually beneficial. A Little Competition Never Hurt Whether you're an overachiever or you simply know that a little competition is the nudge you need, this type of accountability can help you meet and exceed your goals for the New Year. One of the benefits of engaging in a little friendly competition within your sales team is that it may force you to step outside your comfort zone. Although this can test your self-confidence, getting a little uncomfortable and dealing with the accompanying conflict can help you go above and beyond the expectations you have set for yourself. Start off slowly and build confidence for everyone by keeping the competitions small and simple...first close of the year, first person to sell X of a certain product. Have the sales team contribute ideas to keep everyone involved and engaged. Be Mentored by Someone Who's Achieved What You Want One of the most effective ways of learning how to set appropriate, achievable goals is to work with someone who's already done it. A business mentor can help you learn more about yourself as a salesperson than you can on your own. Additionally, he or she can empower you to increase your success one goal after another by sharing experience and knowledge accrued over the course of many years. As you endeavor to succeed in the New Year, it can be difficult to maintain an objective view at all times. Your mentor will help you see things objectively so you can build upon effective decisions, course-correct the efforts that have gone haywire and reframe failed attempts so they can become future successes. Choosing to work with a mentor can be one of the most important career decisions you make and should be at the top of your New Year's resolutions list. An Effective Sales Process is Also Important Naturally, an effective sales process is important to achieving the New Year's resolutions you've set. All the accountability in the world won't help if you're not using smart selling processes. Work with your mentor, manager or sales team to fine-tune your technique and learn best practices. As you maintain accountability on one or more levels you will reap the rewards of achieving goals and setting new ones throughout the year.