Managing Your New Year's Sales Resolutions

BY Tim Londergan
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Well, it’s far enough into the year to recognize whether you are honoring your new year’s sales resolutions or not. Perhaps you can say you are on track and excited about the changes you are implementing — congratulations! More likely though, you are rationalizing that those plans were too aggressive, or you just really don’t care enough to push further. Either way, 2022 will unfold and reveal that your sales goals will be met with success or failure.

Learn to analyze your new year’s sales resolutions

For argument’s sake, let’s assume your commitment to time management is starting to slip away. For example, prioritizing has gotten muddled because urgent client needs got in the way and the boss intervened on behalf of a befuddled co-​worker. Suddenly, time available for goal setting and auditing workflow has vanished. That time is now dedicated to putting out fires and placating disgruntled patrons. How did it all fall apart so fast? The answer can be the solution to the success of your future new year’s sales resolutions.

Sheer willpower is not enough

We’ve all been in the throes of the mind-​over-​matter, push-​through mentality at some point. It may have served us well in fleeting physical trials of stamina or even pain. However, the better, longer-​term solution is to assess what is getting in the way so it can be addressed. This is the advice of clinical psychologist, Dr. Shireen Rizvi of Rutgers University. In an article by Dr. Jenny Taitz, appearing in The Wall Street Journal, Dr. Rizvi suggests retracing the chain of events that led to the slip-​up with a forgiving nature. In fact, she details five steps that help identify the vulnerabilities leading to the breakdown. Interestingly, this “chain analysis” can help anyone to manage their emotions and reduce impulsivity. Perhaps your impulses led you to surrender your new year’s sales resolutions?

Don’t give up too quickly

Trained athletes and coaches hold firmly to the “I can start over” attitude. Remarkably, this assertiveness will help us sustain daily activities, as well as new year’s sales resolutions, if you accept it. Author, Sharon Salzberg warns of the disempowerment of giving up or blaming others. For instance, after a small setback, it is tempting to forfeit all future attempts and surrender completely. Alternatively, she recommends staying focused on the goal and where you are relative to it; don’t revert to old habits. If you’ve made an error in your new year’s sales resolutions, you can start again, now!

Easy to say; tough to do

According to Statistic Brain Research Institute, 45% of Americans usually make new year's resolutions. Of those, only 8% are successful. This reference comes from “5 Steps to Setting and Keeping New Year’s Resolutions” by coach Bob Seebohar. The coach insists that this lack of follow-​through has everything to do with the subject’s stage of readiness. For example, he highlights Sarah, a bicyclist whose resolution is to ride four times per week for three months in the new year. Consequently, Sarah’s intentions did not match her ability simply because she was not ready. Likewise, her lifestyle and her support network came into question as well as the fact that setting resolutions is more complex than many believe.

Divide and conquer

Whatever your new year’s sales resolutions happen to be, you must set small progress markers to aid your journey. Partitions of time, revenue, knowledge, influence, or other measurements can inform your progress. Be patient with yourself and celebrate the smallest of victories. Remember, this is not a race; it is a process. Importantly, your professional and personal goals belong to you. Whatever questions you have, you are the answer. To the problems that arise, you are the solution. I wish you tremendous success and the best of luck in 2022!

Photo by Kenta Kikuchi on Unsplash


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