Going For the Gold In 2016
Furniture World News Desk on
12/29/2015
Yes, that’s right. It is time once again for you store owners and sales managers to set your sales goals for the New Year. Setting sales goals for your sales professionals should be a motivational moment for your team. Sometimes, this task can actually de-motivate your staff if not handled properly. Here is an idea for setting sales goals that is certain to motivate and excite your sales staff to achieve their individual goal! This will take a little more effort on your part but it will be worthwhile in the long run.
Let’s use the assumption that in order for your store to keep growing and adding personnel you need to exceed this year’s total sales by 20%. So the first step in this process is to sit down with each member of your sales team and review what a 20% increase in their sales looks like. Now here’s the twist; instead of telling them what 20% more in sales amounts to, talk to them in terms of the increase in their income! Instead of saying, “Well Jeff, I need you to increase your sales by $20,000 this coming year.” You say, “Jeff, with the $20,000 increase in your sales this year you will earn an additional $6,000 in income!” You are telling them about their raise for this coming year(and what furniture salesperson isn’t in this business for the income)! How exciting, right?
Now let’s take this to the next level. Getting your sales member “Jeff” to be truly motivated to reach his goal for the New Year requires him to visualize this achievement. Ask “Jeff” to think about what he will do with the extra income he will earn this coming year (a family vacation, another car for the family, a big screen TV, etc.). Tell him to find a picture that describes what he will do with this extra income and bring it in to work. Cut the picture up into 12 pieces and put them into his “goal” drawer. Have him hang a blank piece of cardboard on his cubicle wall entitled “My Gold for 2016”. Each month that he reaches his goal he pastes a part of the picture onto the cardboard. Now, each member of your sales team has a visual incentive to reach their goal for the New Year.
Certainly this will take more of your time then just announcing that sales need to increase by 20% across the board. By helping your sales team members set their sales goals this way you are taking the focus off increasing their sales to increasing their income. You are also helping them to own this goal by asking them to visualize what they will do with the extra income. Then you are adding the power of self-motivation by having them bring a picture to work that represents what they will do with the extra income. Now the conversation at the water-cooler goes from, “The boss is asking for too much” to “How many pieces of your puzzle do you have on your “Gold” board?”
Try this goal setting idea for your New Year and watch the excitement grow!
Jeff M. York has been in the furniture industry for over 17 years at the retail level and as a consultant. Currently Mr. York spends his time consulting with furniture retailers and writing about the industry. His expertise in the industry covers management, sales, customer relations, merchandising, marketing and designing High Impact Furniture Events. Visit his website at www.diyfurnpromo.com.