GOAL SETTING FOR 2015

Do you feel frustrated to set goals just to see them not actualize? Are you feeling stuck because you are seeking results but do not seem to be getting them? Have you ever felt as if you lacked the right tools to put together an obtainable set of goals? Have you ever been stuck when writing your dream list just to convince yourself that the list should be reasonable because there really is no such thing as a dream list? Today, I want to help you by giving you an SSmart Goal Setting Worksheet for you to utilize. Now this sheet is only for those individuals who are Network Marketers who are serious about getting results.

When setting goals many people view it as just simply writing a list of items on a sheet of paper that one could only dream about. And if this has been you in the past, one reality that you may not like is your goals may be the very thing holding you back. I know you are thinking how that is possible. Well, if you think about it most goal setting does not really amount to anything at all. In fact, it can be merely a waste of time. Don’t get me wrong here, I do believe in setting goals and I love doing so, and if I am honest with you it is because of my ability to set goals that I have and will continue to succeed.

So, why the contradiction?

Goal setting many times goes something like this: jot down what you want, put a date on it, and wait. And that works only as well as expected. If this process was actually affective then every network marketer would be multi-millionaires. This is why I do not really believe in setting goals what I believe in are having daily action plans which I refer to as SSMART Goal setting.

What makes an SSmart goal different? SSMART stands for simplistic, specific, measurable, actionable, reasonable, and timely. It all comes down to how you complete your worksheet and structure your goals. Here are the five steps that I have used to writing goals—that get results…

Goal Setting Worksheet Tip 1

The first action that needs to be performed just as in traditional goal setting you have to write down on paper the goal that you want to achieve, but when you write it down you want the goal to be simple and specific in order for it be palatable and obtainable.

For example, a typical goal for network marketers may read something like this…

“Earn $5,000 per month in residual income within the six months.”

This is a good step in your quest for network marketing success—but remember…

…It’s just the first step in SSmart goal setting. Notice that not only were you specific with the amount and time it was simple. Setting goals like I want to be a millionaire is not specific enough because you could earn one million or 5 million. There is no time frame so you are more likely not going to achieve because there is no real expectation to work toward. So be specific and simple. These goals are always adjustable because once you have obtained your goal you will simply start all over and make new ones.

Goal Setting Worksheet Tip 2

The second step in setting SSmart goals is to play the numbers. What I mean by that is when a goal is too large it can be difficult to wrap your mind around how it will get accomplished. So, start with your original goal and break it down into actionable chunks that you can wrap your mind around, understand and implement.

For example ask yourself these questions…

• How much commissionable volume would it take to earn $5,000 in one month?

• If your average customer orders $150 per month worth of product or service, how many customers would you need to earn $5,000 per month?

Let’s assume you earn a 20% commission on personal sales. Given that number, you would need to sell $25,000 worth of product or service per month to meet your goal. In terms of customers, you would need 25,000 divided by 150 which equates to 166 customers.

That may sound like a lot of customers—and it is—but don’t forget that in network marketing you have a team working together and that we’re setting goals here. What good is dreaming if you do not dream big? So we need to dream big, and we need to keep in mind that thanks to the concept of multi-level marketing, we will not be working alone.

But the process is not complete; there are other steps that need to be taken in order to improve your odds of success…

Goal Setting Worksheet Tip 3

Remember your original goal which gave you a six month timeline. Within that six month time period you needed to acquire 166 new customers which would calculate to acquiring an average of 27 new customers per month—or if you break it down further is just around one new customer per day. One customer a day is not overwhelming and is broken down to its lowest amount.

One new customer a day going into your organization should give you a simple, specific, actionable, reasonable and timely idea of what it takes to make $5,000 per month in your business. So, it’s time to develop a strategy.

It’s at this point where you need to make a decision and apply the IBER strategy which stands for intentions, behaviors, evaluations and results.

So what are your intentions or what would be the ideal situation? Ask yourself the following to ascertain:

• Do you focus on building sales volume by personally acquiring new customers?

• Or, do you focus on recruiting new team members to help you achieve success?

Without a doubt, a combination of the above options is important for long-term sustainable success in network marketing, but initially it may be best to focus on one core strategy, be comfortable with that and then add others as building blocks.

One thing I have noticed is that it appears to be easier for network marketers to acquire a new customer than a business builder because it seems less stressful and they are far more productive in doing so.

So, what behaviors or actions will you take to make this happen?

Let’s continue with our scenario and presume you select the “build a customer base” strategy. Of course you know exactly what you have to do. You need to find one new customer per day…

Goal Setting Worksheet Tip 4

You may want to ask yourself what does it take to acquire a new customer in my niche or industry.

In my business, one of the most popular forms of marketing is to simply share free samples of the product with customer prospects. Based on our company wide statistics, you have to give away six free samples to get one new customer.

We are to evaluate at this point. Do our actions to give out six free samples line up with our desired result to get one new customer per day? Yes it does!

Now we have something to work with. Whatever marketing strategy you use, you need to know the numbers…

• How many free samples does it take to get one customer?

• How many cold calls does it take to get an invitation to demonstrate your product?

• How many free make-overs does it take to get one new cosmetic customer?

What are your numbers? Successful business owners know their numbers.

You need to know this—otherwise; your goal setting is just a pipedream.

If you use my numbers, you would need to hand out six free samples per day, to find one new customer…

…And suddenly, the results or goal if you will that seemed incomprehensible of making $5,000 per month from 166 regular customers or one new customer a day is beginning to appear doable.

And that’s the beauty of SSmart goal setting.

The big picture or final result can be a little overwhelming so I do not want you to focus on that. What I would like for you to remember to do is break your goal into tiny steps or activities—that you can do right away meaning today.

Did you notice that in order for me to reach the illustrated goal, the entire process was condensed to one key has been reduced to one key action—give a free sample to somebody, today.

Goal Setting Worksheet Tip 5

Last, when setting SSmart goals make sure you do not change your goal. You cannot possibly meet your goal when by a quarter of the way in you change it. Instead of abandoning the idea and the goal, always think in terms of maybe altering action steps, strategies, methods, or even yourself, to adjust and attack the problem differently.

But never, ever, no never compromise. Set a realistic—yet challenging—goal, and then commit yourself to making it happen using SSmart goal setting. For more network marketing success ideas, click here to receive a SSMART goal setting chart.

Best Wishes,

C. William Harper