Did you know that the average sales success rate is around 3%? No wonder so many business owners and leaders are struggling to meet sales goals! But before you start firing and putting your company through a major renovation, know that achieving sales goals begins with a clear and concise plan and a high-performing sales team.  

How can you achieve both for optimal results? Keep reading to find out! 

How to Achieve Sales Goals  

"The average person with clear goals can outperform the most gifted person with no definite chief aim." — John Soforic, Owner and Author 

If one person can do that, imagine what your team can do when they have a clear plan to guide them! Here are some steps you can take to optimize your goals and create more focus for your team. 

Define your goals 

Start by defining what you want to achieve in terms of sales numbers. These should be SMART goals, meaning that you're setting Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound targets. This model helps because it ensures you're as detailed as possible. 

Here's the difference in action.  

Suppose you want to increase Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) to improve the loyalty and spending of your existing customers. The most basic goal here would be to 'increase CLV.' An example of a SMART goal would be: Increase CLV to $100,000 in the next two quarters by identifying upselling and cross-selling opportunities. 

Break down your goal into smaller parts 

Breaking down your goal into smaller, more manageable parts will make it easier to track your progress and keep you motivated. The previously mentioned SMART goal is very large-scale. Breaking it into more attainable chunks in shorter periods can help your team achieve goals at a smaller scale each week or month.  

Create an action plan 

Develop an action plan outlining your steps to achievement. Writing it down and creating an action plan brings that goal to life, allowing you to look at potential challenges and struggles team members may run into ahead of time. This way, you can benchmark where your team is currently, where you want them to be in the future, and what it will take to get them to that point.  

This can include: 

• Specific activities 
• Deadlines 
• Accountability measures 

Monitor your progress & gather feedback 

Regularly track your progress and adjust your plan as necessary. Not everything always goes according to plan, but tracking and monitoring your results can help you act fast and make essential changes to your strategy.  

Feedback is also important when monitoring progress and considering areas of improvement, and who better to get it from than the people most affected by your decisions? Seek feedback from your team, customers, and colleagues to help you identify areas for improvement and refine your sales strategies. In fact, more than 75% of employees find feedback necessary because it improves performance results. 

Stay motivated 

Keeping a positive attitude and staying motivated are key. Celebrate your successes along the way, and don't get discouraged by setbacks. Your attitude, and as an extension, your team's attitude, will determine your success. Lead by example, keeping up your optimism and encouragement. Your team will feel it and use your energy to motivate their continued growth.  

Do Training and Coaching Help Businesses Achieve Sales Goals?  

You have your goals, but what's next? A high-performing sales team! Employee sales training helps achieve sales goals in the following ways:  

• Improves Product Knowledge: sales training provides employees with in-depth knowledge about the products and services offered by the company. This helps employees communicate effectively with customers and answer their questions accurately.  
• Enhances Communication Skills: sales training also improves the communication skills of employees. This is crucial in making a good first impression with customers and closing sales deals.  
• Builds Confidence: employee sales training helps employees become more confident in their abilities to sell. This can lead to increased sales and higher achievement of sales goals.  
• Improves Closing Skills: sales training can teach employees how to close deals effectively and overcome objections. This can result in a higher conversion rate and increased sales.  
• Provides Sales Techniques: sales training can also provide employees with proven sales techniques and strategies to help them close more sales and achieve their sales goals.  

For the best results, you'll need industry-leading sales training. Fortunately, Navaquest has the industry's best coaches and sales training experts ready to import their decades of wisdom to your team. Contact us to learn more about our highly-tailored and effective sales training approach that will help you achieve your goals.