Two secrets to getting what you want

Some years ago, I started AdQuick, a printing and advertising company in Franklin, TN. In the production area was a white board where I had listed each month’s sales goals. As the month progressed, I marked where we were in relation to the goal.

A funny thing happened each month – we hit or exceeded each sales goal. There wasn’t a single month when this did not happen. Reflecting upon this and other similar situations that involved goal setting, each time I set a goal, the goal was achieved. Dissecting these occurrences, I found a couple of things:

1. At their foundation was a plan.
2. When focusing on a goal, actions, thoughts, and behavior align to make for better decisions and greater creativity that move you toward your goal.

For the first discovery, people who achieve what they want usually have a plan. As a sales professional, over the years I have worked with really good, really bad, and mediocre reps. Aside from the expected personality traits of a good sales rep, such as charisma, diligence, and having a real interest and understanding of what they were selling, the really good sales rep also did a lot of planning. Each day, at the start, they knew exactly what they hoped to accomplish and structured their time so they would accomplish their goals. Thus, superstar sales reps are never surprised by their success.

Conversely, mediocre and not so good reps usually do not invest much time in planning. Time is their enemy and they float through the day reacting instead of acting. For me, there is not a day I do not conclude with a to-do list for the following day. This helps me prioritize and focus my efforts so I can keep moving forward. And I am not exempt from crisis. But once the crisis has passed, I return to my plan. Think of it as taking a car trip from New York to California. Half-way to your destination, along your charted path, your car breaks down in Nebraska. You wouldn’t put down roots in Nebraska, would you?

The second discovery is a little bit more mystical in how it happens but is, nonetheless, very real. It works much as a laser does, in that a single-minded focus on achieving a goal channels your energy so that you plan more effectively, come up with brilliant solutions, or has you say just the right thing at just the right time, among a bunch of other amazing things. It is also infectious and rallies others in your life or organization that, in turns, has them coming up with just the right solution to help in attaining the goal. Great salespeople and sales teams know these two secrets and you can put this same magic to work for you in crafting the exact career you want.