Why do many leaders set goals too low???

The easy answer is because there’s no sense in setting goals that are impossible to achieve.

If that’s the case, then why don’t leaders set tomorrow’s goals as merely waking up and getting out of bed?

What are your goals and are they truly going to stretching you? 

If a person sets goals which they know can easily be achieved, then that person might need to change the word “goal” to “milestone.”

Goals are designed to stretch you.

Goals are designed to get you to achieve results you did not think were possible.

Look at your goals. Are they more like milestones or are they truly goals that are going to stretch you in ways you did not think possible?

The reason for addressing this topic today is because amongst the thousands of business people we serve at EffectiveCommunication.com.au (EC), we meet many people who having worked with them we ask, “Are their goals really going to push and stretch them?”

Now, we know that setting outlandish goals just for the sake of setting them is a waste of time.  We are also aware that goals seen as unachievable can demotivate more than motivate.

What we are talking about are goals with a mindset that truly redefine who you are and what you want to be in your life and career.

What is your BIG goal + additional goals you need to look at and possibly reset?

Here are the 5 questions you need to ask yourself to help set goals that will push and stretch you to where you need to be and that you are truly capable of::

1. What are the outcomes that will occur from achieving my goals?

2. Who are the people I need to leverage to help me achieve my goals?

3. What are the habits / activities I either need to stop doing, do more of, or start doing to help me achieve my goals?

4. What do I need to change about my mindset?

5. Who can help hold me accountable and provide support, motivation, and coaching along the way? 


Think about your goals and ask yourself the 5 questions above to quickly determine if you need to redefine.


All the best with your leadership!

Having trained thousands of sales people during the past twelve years across Asia Pacific & the Americas, it is clear to us at EffectiveCommunication.com.au (EC) that it is typically simple disciplines that when applied can improve client relationships and ultimately sales results from strength to strength. And the best part is, anyone can do them.

Here are just six (6) disciplines to support your future sales efforts:

1.  Never end today until tomorrow is planned

Don’t allow yourself to start the day still trying to figure out who you need to call and what you need to do.
If you do wait until the morning, you’ll waste valuable time that could have been spent selling. 

The key is before the current day ends, always plan the next day specifically with who you’re going to call and what you are going to do.

2.  Don’t sell to non-motivated buyers

This sounds basic, but far too much time is spent (wasted) dealing with prospects who have little intention to buy.  With each call you make to a prospect, you must find a reason to connect with the person again. If not, move them to your marketing list.

3.  “5 After 5” - Optimizing Mondays & Fridays

Just because it’s Friday afternoon, don’t think there aren’t sales to be made. Same can be said for Mondays.

Regardless of what you might think, there are always opportunities to be selling, and that is why top performers love to do “5 after 5.” 

This means making 5 more sales calls after 5pm.

You never know who might need your call, company, products and services at that time!

4.  Ensure purpose with every call

There is no such thing as a “fact-finding” call or an “introductory” call.  

Every call deserves purpose.

Great salespeople never miss the opportunity to express their purpose with every prospect / client contact, if for no other reason than to gain agreement about a reason to move forward.

5.  Listen more & talk less

Selling faster does not mean talking faster. In fact, it usually means just the opposite. It means talking less to allow the prospect / client to talk more.

There’s no way we will ever know what the prospect / client is looking for unless they’re given the opportunity to talk.

The key is to make sure when you are talking you’re not preaching, but rather asking great questions.

6.  Believing in yourself & what you sell

How can we ever expect a prospect / client to believe what we’re saying if we don’t believe in ourselves?

What this means with regard to selling faster is simple: It means great salespeople don’t experience slumps and periods of low productivity; rather, they’re always focused on making it happen.  They believe in themselves and their products and services including the investment value.

These six (6) disciplines to ‘Sell More in Less Time’ are not rocket science, which is why anyone can apply them.

Now ask yourself, “What’s holding me back from speeding up my sales?”



All the best with your future sales!