No One Talks About This Key Factor in Sales Goal Achievement

This post originally appeared on Jill Konrath’s website and is republished here with permission.

It’s that time of year again when we all have a fresh start. And, everyone’s talking about goal setting – which is why I thought I’d chip in with a series of videos about what it takes to achieve them.

Right now, you might be thinking about how much money you’d like to earn. Or, you may even be staring at a comp plan that looks incredibly challenging to achieve.

But what no one talks about is one factor that can be a total game changer.

According to Heidi Grant Halvorson, author of Succeed, the best way to achieve your sales goal is to know WHY you’re doing it. And, the more personal the reason is, the higher your chances of success.

I’m a good example of that! I never, ever wanted to be in sales. Instead, when I was a 26-year old school teacher, I came up with an idea for a company. After creating a business plan with some friends, we sought feedback from a government agency that helps start-ups.

Our advisor loved it and said it was a great idea. Totally timely. And then he asked the fateful question: “Now, which one of you three is going to be doing the selling?”

I looked at him with total disgust, then finally blurted out, “I thought you said it was a good idea.”

He answered. “It is. But someone has to sell it.” So, after discussing things with my colleagues, I finally agreed to do it – for one year. That reason. That one reason was 100% responsible for my success. I knew WHY I was doing it.

People succeed when they understand their own “Why’s.” Mike succeeded because he wanted to prove to his boss that he wasn’t a loser. Lori succeeded because she was a single mom and needed to support her son. Tyson succeeded because he knew his products really made a difference for his clients.

Knowing your WHY keeps you going during tough times. Knowing your why is key to achieving your sales goals.

So what’s yours? Think about it. It may take a while, but the payback is huge.

And, keep your eyes open for the next video in this series which focuses on another major – but little known – factor impacting goal achievement.

© 2014 by Jill Konrath. Jill Konrath is the author of AGILE SELLING, Selling to Big Companies and SNAP Selling. As a sales accelerator, she helps salespeople close deals faster. She’s a frequent speaker at sales kick-off meetings and conferences. Her expertise has by featured by ABC News, Fortune, Forbes, The New York Times, Entrepreneur and Inc. magazine. Click here to get her free Prospecting Toolkit.