F53-071: Are Your Sales Quotas and Goals Made With Integrity?

Show Summary: Today's show is a quick, ad hoc one. I just had a conversation with people about sales quotas and sales goals. I wanted to dissect this a little bit and talk about them. It really depends on your perspective, what organization you're in and how your company is set up and what you're trying to do but I'll offer some words that may ruffle some people's feathers and that's okay. Does Your Drive Compromise Your Morals? Follow what you want but when someone sets up a sales quota or sales goals, goals are fine. Quotas when they're tied to compensation elicit drive in people that, in my opinion, allows them to compromise what's right for the customer. Let's talk about the sales quota and say you have to sell $100,000 worth of widgets and you have three different types of widgets. But when you talk to a customer, they don't need the widgets. They don't need your widgets. But you're okay selling them with these widgets. The same thing in the service-based business. You really know they don't need your website. You really know they don't need your technical services, your writing services, your auto services, whatever that looks like, and you still sell it to them because you're driving to feed you family. You're driving to make a sales quota. I know why companies put them in place because of this very reason. It drives people and motivates them where I have a big, big, big set of conflicting struggles since these people will compromise their morals to sell someone something that they don't need. The excuses I hear are: "They're big boys and big girls. If they don't really need it, they should say so." That doesn't work for me. If you tell them they don't need it and they still bought it, then that's maybe a different conversation But if they're buying something that you know they don't necessarily need or they don't get the best value out of, or there is a better alternative and you're just selling it because you make a higher margin on that product, that is wrong! I get why companies and organizations do that since that's the only way to drive a lot of people and motivate them. At the end of the day, that's what it's about, especially publicly traded companies. What's the topline? Money coming in. Take a step back...   Sales Goals and Extra Bonus Sales goals - They are 100% valid, accurate, and needed. You have to have goals to know where you're going to. You have to have a target you're shooting for. Are they tied to compensation? Maybe. To me, I like the bonus model where if you get to this, we'll give you an extra bonus. Hopefully, that takes some of the angst and desire to sell someone something they don't necessarily need.   Playing the Long Game At the end of the day, I want to play the long game. I want to build relationships. I want to have the customer or the client know, like, and trust me. If I had signed some of the deals knowing that it wasn't the right deal, the number of clients or websites I've turned down because I didn't think it was the right fit or because I didn't think they needed my services, it's just not right. Is your company in it for the short term or the long term? That's the question. Are you looking just to make a quick sell, to meet some sales quota, to move onto the next thing? Or are you really trying to build a long term relationship with your client? It's real simple. I want a long term relationship. I want to do the best for them. And I believe from the bottom of my heart, that ends up the best for myself, for my organization, and for the customer. The people that have an immediate need of fix make bad decisions.   Books, People, & Resources: I'm researching former professional athletes and how they transition from being an athlete or a new lead athlete into the "real world." I'm interested in hearing about their struggles, their challenges, roadblocks, successes, and everything in between. Sports has always been a big part of my life. I love them. I have a special interest in athletes and specifically the ones that have competed at the highest levels. Do you know anyone like that? If so, I'd love to hear from them or maybe it's even you. Shoot me an email at [email protected].