Q4 Wrap Up

Q4 wrap up – so how did the year go?

It’s November! CEO’s, Presidents, Managers – including sales managers, are all gearing up for 2016. Business plans, sales projections, employee reviews and goal setting….the list goes on. It can get overwhelming with the paperwork, the myriad of meetings and the pressure to “get it right”. Sound familiar?

Here at Sandler Training/PEAK we love a good game plan – so setting goals is right up our alley, but we encourage our clients to look back before they leap forward.

Since sales goals are always a hot topic – let’s focus on that. Here’s what I mean:

1. Encourage your sales team to write up their own evaluation – over the next 2-3 weeks.
   • How do THEY think they performed?
   • Will they hit their 2015 sales goal?
   • If they aren’t on target to hit their goal – what were their obstacles?
   • If they are on target to meet their goal – how hard was it for them to do so?
   • Did they get the support from the team they felt they needed?
   • What do THEY think their sales goal for 2016 should be?
   • What is their strategy to meet that goal?
   • Lastly, have them review their pipeline and tell you what they feel will close in Q1 – are they off to a good start?
2. Next – you, the sales manager or owner, should complete the above questions on each sales team member. Set up a meeting, allow at least an hour to compare notes and mutually come up with a plan for 2016.

Note: Before your team meetings, make sure you have determined what your company’s sales goals are for 2016 to ensure you are aligning the sales team goals with business goals.

By allowing your sales team to be a part of the goal setting process you are giving them some skin in the game – validating their input and you will be getting valuable feedback from them as well.

Looking back will also allow you to identify and repair any road blocks that got in the way this year, so you don’t miss any opportunities in 2016.

Setting realistic goals for your sales team isn’t easy – you want them to succeed, but you also want to push them enough so your company can see positive growth!

If your sales team struggled a bit in 2015 – perhaps it’s time for a little management and goal setting meeting with Team Sandler. We are only a phone call away!

Ed Schultek

Founder and Managing Partner

Sandler - Peak Sales Performance

Ed.schultek@sandler.com

Learn more about Ed at http://www.linkedin.com/in/edschultek

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