Making your sales goals in a good year is one thing, but attaining them in a difficult year is an entirely different challenge. Putting aside the common clich? that when times are tough, great salespeople are made, the reality is that making your goals puts more money in your pocket. Therefore, I keep reminding salespeople to think of how many times in the past they’ve watched a customer materialize out of nowhere only to become a major player in helping reach their year-end objectives. If you’ve been in sales for any length of time, you’ve had this happen. I am not advocating that you kick back and relax while you wait for the big customer to appear. I understand that it takes work to make your goal, but, at the same time, don’t lose sight that occasionally nice breaks do occur. The good news is that you can be successful if you’re willing to take the time to work through the following steps, despite the current state of the economy.

The first step to help you make your sales goals in a tough economy is to break down your goal into weekly objectives. Keep in mind, however, that these should not be based on closing “x” number of sales, but instead on accomplishing “x” number of activities that you’ve found are critical to your success. When your goals are strictly measured in terms of sales dollars or units, you can easily become dejected by numbers you’re not happy with. Activities to monitor may include making prospecting phone calls, conducting customer presentations, or having follow-up meetings. This breakdown strategy is similar to the way coaches successfully motivate their teams. By dissecting the game into a series of activities that the coach knows the team can accomplish, they will be in a better position to win the game.

Article written by Mark Hunter

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It is a well-known fact that when the state of economy is good, one has a satisfying and well paying steady job, one feels good and tends to be happier and more relaxed.

On the other hand, when the state of the economy looks bleak and unpromising, and one is jobless and lacks money, there is a tendency to think and feel negative about everything. There is no happiness and no inner peace.

Examine people’s attitude toward anything, and you will discover that is very much affected by circumstances and situations. It is so easy to accept negative thoughts in harsh circumstances and see everything crumbling down.

If your life now is not what you want it to be, and you constantly think how bad the situation is, you keep hammering these thoughts into your subconscious mind. This makes you believe that there is no way out. Your inability to stop thinking and focusing on your current situation makes it look worse than it really is, stifles creativity and initiative, draws negative thinking and self pity, and increases the chances of making reality much worse.

Being negative, crying over what you have lost and expecting lack and difficulties will not make things better.

The secret of change and improvement is a change of attitude!

Your positive attitude can change your financial condition, in spite of national or global economic conditions.

Acquiring a positive attitude is most important, even if it might not be so easy when your job is at risk, or when don’t have a job. You have to act as the gatekeeper of your mind and refuse entrance to thoughts about self-pity, failure and lack, and let in only thoughts about success and growth.

You might say that it is like cheating yourself, but it looks this way only in the beginning. Before long, your subconscious mind will accept the new reality you are creating in your mind, and will work overtime to make it be true, if only you let it, and don’t revert to negative and pessimistic thinking.

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