Last weekend in October. Two months until the end of the year. Two months until 2018. What did you do this weekend?
- Wonder how you were going to make your October quota in two days?
- Wonder how you were going to bail out 2017 in the next two months?
- Wonder whether you were thinking big enough or safe enough for 2018?
May I share a couple of recent stories?
Most recently, I received this update. Here's what you need to know. They sent this email on August 11.
For our call on Monday, Carole, you had asked me to tell you what some of my goals were.
- I want to buy a condo within the next 36 months - or sooner. The average price for a 2BR is around $700,000 in the area I'm looking at. I want to save at least 10% of my downpayment. I will need to be promoted immediately if not ahead of schedule, and need to save up 70,000 in 3 years. This will mean I'll need to save at least $23,300 each year.
- I want to pay off all of my student loans. Unfortunately had some stuff happen immediately after college and one of them is in collections, and will stay that way until I pay it off in full. That one alone is $16,000. I will need to pay that off within the next year so that I can have great credit for the 2 years leading up to the time I'd be applying for a mortgage so that I can get a decent interest rate
- I want to do all of this and afford a trip here
- I want to afford Red Sox season tickets in the club section
- I want to afford to send $300 a month to my grandma. She's doing okay now, but I want her to be able to go to painting classes and do water aerobics at a nice place.
My plan to get there is to work as hard as I can, be promoted and make money to be able to afford this.Okay, I think that's all I have for now.Looking forward to our call on Monday
We helped them refine the goals and develop the plan, but if you read their update, they're well on their way.
Remember this guy? He was hoping that we coud help him save his job and 4 months later, he got promoted and was on his way to President's Club. Go figure!
On Oct 10th, a new client wannabe sent this email in answer to me asking, "What do you anticipate the next three months will be like? What will we get done? What are the three factors that made you decide to proceed?
I anticipate the next three months will challenge me to reconstruct my approach to sales, help me revisit the basics and to shore up bad habits I've developed. I believe it will also be a chance to regain awareness of myself by way of your and Carole's perspectives, and to harness that to my advantage.If I had to list just three factors making me want to proceed, they're:1. My direct experience speaking with you both, and the discomfort I felt at the way you were able to pick apart me and therein how I sell (and we haven't even really gotten started).2. What I've read of your past in sales and as a lifelong student of sales.3. What I've read and heard while checking references/digging into your and Carole's published content.
Today he sent us his action plan which doesn't include any of the fluffy language from 10/10. These are the goals that he sent us last week. We've refined them, but now he's got a real plan.
Goals
- Earn $200,000 in 2018.
- Spend 25% more time with friends and family.
- Reduce weight to 160 lbs by June 1st, 2018 through a combination of diet & exercise.
How to Achieve Goals
- Sell $2M @ 6% commission rate; $4M at 3% commission rate (through sales team).
- Block off additional 5 hours/week to spend with friends & family (total of 25 hours).
- Exercise 4x/week for at least 1 hour each session.
The new you starts with you deciding that you want to change for the better. Sometimes it's a long list. Sometimes it's just one goal. If it's important, you can get it done.
It starts with you setting up a conversation.