How Smart Managers Can Set and Meet Sales Goals
Working to set and meet sales goals can be tricky and even intimidating, especially for managers. In business, managers are often the ones who are responsible for hitting client and profit quotas. Not only are they mapping out sales strategies, but they’re also managing and motivating an entire team to keep everyone on track to ensure progress. It’s a lot to take on and can create tremendous pressure!
Luckily, tackling those sales goals doesn’t have to be difficult. This article will teach you a few important steps to set sales goals. Plus, there are a few tips you can implement to help you achieve those goals easily. This way, you stand a better chance of hitting quarterly quotas.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s important to set sales goals before diving in head first to know what you’re working toward.
- As a manager, you want to have an actionable plan to help your team meet sales goals in the most efficient way possible.
- Don’t forget to check in with your team and keep them motivated so they continue to make progress toward your biggest goals.
How to Set Sales Goals for Your Team to Work Toward
Outlining clear sales goals is an important first step for any manager. After all, you won’t know what you’re working toward if you don’t set a goal beforehand. And if you don’t have a goal in mind, you won’t be able to effectively measure your progress to see if your team is moving forward positively.
Most managers set sales goals at the beginning of the year. However, you can always adjust your goals at any time during the year since circumstances can sometimes change. The key is to ensure you set sales goals that are realistic and achievable. A great goal is one your team can get behind but will still challenge and encourage them to work hard.
Here’s some advice to keep in mind whenever you’re setting sales goals:
- Establish Your Target Revenue: When it comes to sales, it’s all about your target revenue. So, what kind of net profit are you hoping to achieve? This is preferable to focusing on the number of units sold because it encourages your team to close bigger deals and sell higher-priced products or services. This way, you’ll reach revenue goals faster than by selling a bunch of low-ticket offers.
- Make Sure It’s a Realistic Goal: It’s always great to dream big, but setting a goal that’s too “out there” can feel a little daunting for your team. Make sure that whatever revenue goal you choose is something they can achieve based on past successes and profit margins.
- Set a Specific Timeframe: Finally, there needs to be a deadline. An appropriate deadline gives everyone ample time to hit the target revenue while also applying a bit of pressure to get the job done. Once time is up, the team can meet to reflect on the progress made before moving forward.
5 Tips to Meet Sales Goals With Ease
Setting sales goals is one thing, but meeting them is something else entirely. To ensure your team can effortlessly meet sales goals each quarter, here’s some advice you’ll want to keep in mind:
1. Produce a Clear Action Plan
To get from where you are now to where you want to be, you need to have a plan to make it happen. Determine what kind of strategies your team will implement to meet sales goals easily. This can include content marketing, including tactics like blogging, email marketing, and social media marketing. Seventy-two percent of marketers say content marketing boosts engagement and leads, which is crucial for driving sales.
To determine which tactics are most effective, look at what has worked in the past. Consider what’s appealing to your target customer. You can invest time, money, and energy into the tasks that will drive the company forward.
2. Build a Great Sales Team
You’re only as strong as the team you have working alongside you! You want to have highly motivated people who care about the company, are confident in their abilities, are good listeners, can take direction well, and can collaborate with others on the team. Team members who are eager to learn are great because they’re willing to better themselves and improve their sales-closing skills.
3. Have Regular Check-Ins to Keep Everyone on Track
Sometimes it is tempting to leave everyone to their own devices, entrusting them to get the job done on their own. However, this isn’t the best way for your team to operate! It’s better when everyone feels like they’re part of a team they can connect with and learn from. To foster that kind of environment, bring everyone together for occasional check-ins. Everyone can talk about what’s working and what’s not, vent their frustrations, or just come together to collaborate.
4. Find Ways to Boost Motivation
Besides having check-ins, it’s also smart to provide a little extra motivation for your team to help light a fire under them. When there’s something in it for them, besides the satisfaction of a job well done, they’ll want to meet sales goals and see the company thrive. Just figure out what drives them.
You can implement many sales incentive ideas, but it might help to discuss with your team what they’d find most appealing. For example, you could offer tangible prizes like gift cards or tech gadgets. Or you might reward them with tickets to an event or theme park. The options are endless and can even change with every new goal you set.
5. Evaluate Progress and Adjust Your Strategy Accordingly
To determine whether you were able to meet sales goals or not, you’ll want to check in once your deadline is up. Calculate total revenue to see if your team hit its target. If you were successful, take some time to celebrate and express gratitude for all of your team’s hard work. Then, discuss what worked well to help you make that goal a reality. This way, you can repeat that success.
If you didn’t reach your goals, don’t panic. Turn it into a learning opportunity. Think about what went wrong so you can find ways to make improvements moving forward. This way, you’ll stand a better chance of hitting your target revenue next time. You never want to be afraid to adjust your sales strategy because it will only help your team improve.
Ready to Meet Sales Goals This Year?
The team here at BOOM Communications Group is ready to help your company’s revenue explode. We provide business growth, sales, and strategy. Our services are a must if you need help re-tool your sales process and want to boost profitability.
Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for your company.