3 Common Obstacles Blocking Your Sales Goals

You set a goal to lose weight. You get through your first day at the gym and that night, BAM! Your spouse comes home from the office with left over double fudge chocolate cake.

You finally decide to start that business you have been dreaming about for years and as soon as you start, your car breaks down.

Running a marathon has been on your bucket list for quite some time and right as you begin to train, you sprain your ankle.

Am I negative? No. It’s just the way things go sometimes.

You see, any time you shoot for more than the status quo, you raise your “test potential.” And these tests typically come in the form obstacles – obstacles that threaten to throw you off course. The question is… will you pass the test?

Unfortunately, many times we fail. In other words, we let the obstacles win.

I believe a big part of success is found in knowing what NOT to do. So here are three common traits of salespeople who don’t pass the test – and fail at achieving their sales goals. (And trust me, I’ve done all three of these!)

1. You Don’t Create a Contingency Plan

When the unexpected happens, many salespeople fail to achieve their sales goals due to a lack of contingency plans.

If you study successful organizations, specifically military organizations, you will find they always create contingency plans. In other words, they plan for the “What ifs”.

You need to do the same with your sales goals.

2. You Remain Inflexible

There’s an old quote that says, “Set your goals in stone and your plans in the sand.”

The basic idea is to set firm sales goals, but to remain flexible in how you will achieve them.

In other words, if you want to fail, remain inflexible.

If you truly desire success, many different routes will work for you. So if the first path gets blocked, don’t quit. Instead, get resourceful!

3. You Keep Your Sales Goals Private

There exists some controversy over this one. Some people believe we need to keep our sales goals private, while others say tell the world!

I’m in the middle on this one. My personal experience tells me that when I keep my sales goals private it becomes easier for me to give up.

That being said, I don’t think you should necessarily post your goals on Facebook.

Avoid the dream killers. Instead, tell those who will support you and hold you accountable at the same time.

In the words of Rocky Balboa, “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. It’s how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.”


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About the Author: Ryan Taft

As the former National Sales Training Manager for a Top 5 homebuilder and a licensed Realtor® in Arizona, Ryan Taft is consumed with a passion for helping others achieve breakthrough results in sales, business and life.