| The sun was peaking its head above the horizon | | | | Monday morning. Get yourself a sales journal, sit |
| as I walked my dog along the river. I wondered if | | | | with your morning coffee and evaluate and plan all |
| my dog enjoyed the serenity of the early | | | | by yourself.The Monday morning meeting works |
| morning as much as I did. Abruptly, my peaceful | | | | like this: First, review all entries in your sales |
| thoughts were punted like a football as my dog | | | | journal starting with the previous Monday. In |
| spotted a scampering rabbit. He bolted towards it, | | | | these entries you will find last week's musts. In |
| almost taking my arm clean off as I struggled to | | | | your journal, answer whether or not you |
| hold onto his leash.Just moments after restraining | | | | accomplished your weekly musts. If your must |
| my dog, I noticed a posted sign that read, "All | | | | was to make 100 phone calls, did you? There is |
| dogs must be on leash." It was as if the park | | | | NO gray area here; either you did or didn't. If you |
| rangers knew just how distracted my dog could | | | | didn't, then write that you failed making 100 |
| be. At any second he was ready to ditch me for | | | | phone calls.When you fail, evaluate why you failed, |
| some silly rabbit. The only way to keep him on | | | | and use that to establish a plan for the coming |
| the trail was to shorten his leash.Similarly, | | | | week. If the must was just too many phone calls |
| salespeople and business owners are often | | | | to make, adjust the number. If you simply gave |
| distracted by silly things. At the end of each | | | | up because it was frustrating, good, explore why |
| week, we wonder where the time went, again. | | | | you felt frustrated. Then, come up with a plan to |
| The problem is that we don't have a leash or | | | | overcome the frustration this week.Go through |
| somebody to rein us in when we get off track. | | | | every must that you set for yourself. Celebrate |
| Having an autonomous job or state-of-mind | | | | the ones that you accomplished and harshly coach |
| means we must be responsible for shortening our | | | | yourself on the ones that you didn't. The key to |
| own leash if we want sales success.While we | | | | establishing the coming week's plan is to only set |
| strive towards bigger goals, bigger sales, and | | | | out to do things that you have absolute control |
| bigger paychecks, we fail to realize that these | | | | over. Don't say, "I must close that big sale this |
| outcomes take a series of small steps to achieve. | | | | week," because that may very well be outside |
| It is the smaller steps that must be accomplished | | | | your control.It is far too easy to make excuses |
| TODAY before anything bigger can | | | | or talk yourself out of getting things done. Instead |
| happen.Instead of setting goals that require action | | | | of becoming distracted with little things that don't |
| from things outside our immediate influence, we | | | | support the bigger picture, aim for small steps |
| need to set goals for the actions required to get | | | | that lead you toward those bigger aspirations. You |
| there. In fact, let's stop calling them "goals;" that | | | | don't need a posted sign to remind you of that |
| word has lost its meaning. A goal has become | | | | leash (and if you do, this is it). Shorten the leash |
| something that we work towards, something that | | | | yourself and you'll stay on the path towards sales |
| we would like to achieve but not always do. | | | | success.Tom Richard conducts seminars on sales |
| Instead, let's call them "musts." You must make | | | | and customer service topics nationwide. Tom is |
| 100 phone calls this week, you must exercise | | | | also the author of Smart Salespeople Don't |
| three times this week, and you must finish that | | | | Advertise: 10 Ways to Outsmart Your |
| book you started three months ago. You must | | | | Competition With Guerilla Marketing, and publishes |
| do it this week.To start the week off right, | | | | a free weekly ezine on selling skills titled Sales |
| schedule a one hour meeting with yourself every | | | | Muscle. |