What gets managed gets measured, and what gets measured gets done.
This is the philosophy around most sales performance management programs. An effective sales team knows the critical behaviors that move the sales needle, and they manage those activities religiously.
I’ve been playing with this concept, and extending it into personal performance. What are the key behaviors or activities that drive your performance and help you fulfill your purpose?
Personal Priorities
The purpose of a sales team is straightforward: drive revenue growth by acquiring new customers, and creating new opportunities within existing customers.
People on the other hand are messy. We have a lot of competing priorities and needs to live a happy and fulfilling life. To make sense of it all, look at the big picture. Your priorities can be grouped into 4 big buckets:
- Work
- Personal/Health
- Family
- Community
What do you want to achieve in each of the 4 buckets over the next 6 months? Choose 1 or 2 primary results you want to achieve in each area.
Link behaviors to results
The best sales teams link behaviors to results. That simple connection between an activity and a result enables high performing sales teams to outperform their peers.
In our lives we have a similar opportunity to link behaviors to results. For example, if you want to lose weight you can track your daily caloric intake and see the results on the scale. If you want to generate more PR opportunities for your business you can track pitches to stories.
What are the primary results you want to achieve for each of your Personal Priorities? Focus on behaviors that have a clear connection to your desired results.
Pay attention when the going gets tough
It’s easy to look at the metrics when everything is going well, but it’s a whole other thing when you’re totally off your game.
No one likes to track their activities when they know they aren’t performing well. For example, lots of people abandon their diets after a vacation or a holiday. They stop tracking their food intake and exercise for a few days, and then struggle to get back on track and manage their behaviors.
Effective sales teams track their numbers consistently. Even in a tough economy when their performance is lagging, they still track their behaviors. Sales performance is driven first and foremost by the behaviors. You can’t achieve your desired results if you’re not doing the work consistently.
Pay the closest attention to your performance metrics when you’re facing a rough patch. The metrics will help you get back on track again.
Pick 4 to 7Â Personal Priorities
Not all activities are equal. The best sales teams pick their priorities, and only focus on 4 to 7 metrics to manage their performance.
What are your Personal Priorities? Pick 4 to 7 behaviors that are closely linked to your desired results. These are the activities that will have the most impact on your life. Focus on them, and make them a part of your daily routine.
Think like a sales person, and drive for your goals.
