Talking about targets
Mid-year conferences is when I get so busy invited to many company’s sales rallies either to encourage their people to keep on with their momentum of good performance and not to slacken or to fire up their energy and drive to achieve more.
Last quarter of the year is when business companies invite me to encourage and push their sales people to put in that fire and drive as they approach the last stretch of the year and when targets are in sight and they are on their way either to reach it or surpass it.
By the way, how are you doing as far as your targets are concerned? Will you be hitting it, will you be surpassing it or do you have this downcast feeling like you are so far from it and you might not even get close to it? Let’s take a look at targets and try to understand it. In my talks, I would ask my audience to define what a target is. Here are their responses. Target is: • A goal • An objective • Quota • A mark etc. The audience always laughs when I said, “Those answers are brilliant. You all look like walking thesaurus.” When we look at the word “Target” and try to define it philosophically, I would define a target as “Someone’s expectation placed upon you.”
Your company in your annual “strategic plan” has determined and broken down business objectives into qualitative or quantitative goals and have placed these expectations upon you. So targets are usually determined and placed as expectations upon you. My question has always been, “What are the expectations I have placed upon myself?”
The amazing thing I have observed is this. Once business leaders announce in their general meetings or town hall meets that targets have been surpassed and incentives are now being prepared there are endless shouts reflecting ecstatic joys and a heightened energy as people congratulate each other and it is a very joyous scene.
But once the same leaders in the same organization announces the target for the new year, the same celebratory crowd breaks out in groans and moans and start complaining about how ridiculous the targets are and how difficult the year will be. And they are at this point talking about set targets where they have not even touched on “stretch targets” yet.
I started my corporate career from one of the lowest rung in the corporate food chain and worked my way up. I was very young and idealistic. Maybe competitive is another word to describe my work ethics and spirit.
When I worked in sales, I would eagerly await the announcement of targets for the New Year. This marks the start of a race for me and the mere thought of competing in it builds my inner excitement. And when the target is announced and while the other seasoned sales people begin groaning and moaning about how ridiculously high the targets are I would look at it and think differently. “My how ridiculously low the numbers are…in fact it is an insult to my capability…” Maybe I was too young and idealistic. And then I will quietly announce to myself, “I will double the targets.” Crazy was I not?
At the end of the year and now looking back, I have never reached my own self-proclaimed doubled targets because it was indeed too high. But I have always ended up being the highest performing sales person in the entire organization. While others are busy expending time and energy dwelling on the negatives and complaining why it cannot be done; and may I add that most of them will be right; I began rolling up my sleeves and prepared to do what must be done and get the ball rolling.
Samuel Clemens or better known as Mark Twain was right when he said: “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” This is why I love to be with sales people; reminds me of my time and moments when I was in sales.
Today, I am no longer young but I am still idealistic. That drive within me still compels me to set high expectations for myself than what others expect from me. And this includes service for my clients and friends and love for my family.
What expectations do you have for yourself? And I hope that the next time your leaders announce your targets; you will begin to think and act differently – because they are just too low for you!