1 TIP for When You’re Just Short of the Goal
June is the month everyone typically starts glaring at spreadsheets and beginning meetings with comments such as…
Q2 is coming to a close. We’re almost halfway through the year.
We need to ensure we’re on track with our plan. [aka: We are so not on track with our plan.]
The slow rise of panic can set in if the numbers aren’t what we forecasted.
And if numbers are indeed less than expected, then the conversation often turns negative.
Someone starts the blame game and soon everyone starts looking backwards as to why the numbers aren’t there.
Weather? It was horrible this year. It was the weather.
Changing legislation? A nightmare! It was the legislation changes.
George? Where’s George? George isn’t here? Excellent. Let’s blame George.
Sigh.
When you’re super close and need to nudge your sales numbers UP or push yourself or your team closer to completing any goal, instead of starting a backward-focused, fault-finding meeting, rally together around problem-solving questions that incite action.
Examples might include:
- How might we define an ideal client relationship? How might a few of our current prospects or existing customers become even more ideal?
- How might we increase sales with some of our high-potential prospects?
- How might we incentivize or create a new offer?
- What’s worked the best in the last 6 months, and how might we replicate these wins going forward?
- What are our top 3 priorities? How might we better strategize, rally around and execute on just these priorities?
- What might an all-hands-on-deck type pursuit look like with respect to X goal?
- What might we each tweak or do more of to ensure we cross the next mini-milestone?
Leading a meeting with “sales are down” is de-motivating.
Leading a meeting with, “Hey, we’re so close, we can do this!” is a much better meeting for you, for your peeps and for getting you all across that finish line.
Hugs,
AmyK
