Why Most Sales Goals Fail by February
Socrates once said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” From a sales perspective, the same idea applies. An unexamined sales plan is probably not worth having.
Every year starts with good intentions. New goals. New plans. Strong motivation. Yet, just like New Year’s resolutions, most sales goals are abandoned by February. There are many reasons for that. Sometimes the goal was too big. Sometimes it was set in the moment and not something we were truly committed to. Sometimes life simply got in the way.
Goals and plans are important. They give us something to work toward. But they are the destination, not the driver.
As James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says, “Our outcomes in life are usually a lagging indicator of our habits.”
If you look back at last year’s sales plan, assuming you can find it, what habits were missing? What actions did you not take consistently that kept you from reaching the goal you thought you wanted to achieve?
The What, The How, and The Why
Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle offers a helpful way to think about sales planning: the what, the how, and the why.
The what is your goal. What do you want to accomplish this year? That could mean bringing on 50 new accounts, generating a million dollars in new business, or deepening relationships with 15 key clients. Whatever the goal, it needs to be specific and measurable.
The how is where most sales plans succeed or fail. The how comes back to habits. If you are going to hit your goal, what actions must you take consistently? Which habits do you need to continue, and which ones need to stop?
As you build your plan, be very clear. By this date, I will have completed these specific actions. Then ask yourself an honest question: “I missed my goal because…” Identify two or three things you did not do that may have kept you from reaching your target. Maybe prospecting was inconsistent. Maybe weekly outreaches fell short. Maybe introductions were not being requested.
The why is what keeps the plan alive when things get difficult. Why does this goal matter to you? When pressure increases or distractions appear, your why is what keeps you committed to the habits required to execute the plan.
Without a clear why, habits are easy to abandon. Prospecting slips. Follow-ups get delayed. Relationship-building takes a back seat. When the goal is connected to something meaningful, growth, opportunity, financial security, or service to clients, execution becomes more consistent.
Protect the Habits That Drive Results
What are you going to do to make sure those missed actions do not happen again? What systems or routines will protect the habits required to hit your goal?
Sales success is rarely about setting better goals. It is about creating habits that support the plan and removing the obstacles that get in the way. Chasing bad prospects, skipping prospecting, or avoiding introductions all derail execution.
The formula is simple:
Set clear, measurable goals.
Identify the habits required to achieve them.
Name the behaviors that previously got in the way.
Create a plan that protects your execution.
A Tool to Help You Get Started
To help you put this into action, we offer a free Personal and Business Work Plan you can download and use to examine your goals, habits, and execution for the year ahead. It is designed to help you move beyond intentions and focus on the daily actions that drive real sales results.
Here’s to a successful year ahead!
Author:
Jack Kasel
Sales Development Expert, Anthony Cole Training Group
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