Productivity Tips Newsletter
For Results, Goals & Success

This issue deals with expectations and the effects they have on your results - either positive or negative.

Situation:
It was the beginning of 2002 and Billy Bob and Mary Sue were instructed to provide Jim Bob with their sales goals for the year. Both sales people provided the required information. During the year one salesperson exceeded expectations while the other languished in the pit of mediocrity.

Problem:
During the year 2002, Billy Bob continued to whine about various situations, circumstances and events such as the following:

1. Price was not competitive enough
2. Competition keeps messing things up
3. Economy is terrible
4. Factory can not ship on time
5. Factory can not ship economically
6. Customer service is terrible

On the other hand, Mary Sue seemed to expect that if she would just follow the yearly plan laid out in the beginning of the year, something good would happen. She thought that if she could just continue to disqualify clients or prospects that had no real need, no urgency or no money, she would eventually discover the true prospects. At the end of 2002, Billy Bob was well short of his sales goals. Mary Sue had meet or exceeded all of her targets.

Solution:
The key to successful selling is to do what you expect then inspect to ensure it was done. Sales people must learn they get what they expect and inspect not what they want. Noted author, Dr Wayne Dryer, has a book titled "You will see it when you believe it." Sales and life experiences are just like the name of the book - self-fulfilling prophecy. Do not allow situations, circumstances or events to set your expectations for you. These six simple steps will allow you to meet or exceed your expectations;

1. Determine then write down clearly with specifics and timelines what you expect and why it is important.
2. Calculate the amount of prospecting activity that it will take to achieve that goal.
3. Create a detail weekly plan to accomplish the activity, measure, and track and inspect each activity for relevance and payback.
4. Commit to constantly improve your skills and strengths and do whatever it takes within ethical and legal boundaries even if it is uncomfortable, it takes too long, or its too hard.
5. Analyze the results you tracked, highlight your weak behaviors and pledged to do something each week to improve those weaker behaviors
6. This never ends continue to reassess and challenge your self to raise expectations on a continual basis, never accept mediocrity or blame situations circumstances or events for your failures.