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Is this finally going to be the year?

Will 2014 be the year that you finally step up, stand out, and live up to what you know you can do, to what you’ve been telling yourself for years that you’ll show the world one day? Do you remember when you used to think about how old you’d be and what you’d be doing in the year 2000? That was 14 years ago. Enough of “next year,” it’s time to make this year “next year” and in order to do that, you’ll have to hit the beginning of 2014 like a freight train. Here’s how.

Ideas for Exploding Out of the Gate in 2014

Tip 1: Use end-of-month, end-of-year sales tactics now.

Are there certain things you do to get business when you need it? If so, use those now. You can offer special discounts, have sales, you can also call your best customers and ask them to invest now. Whatever it is that you do to scare up business when you need it, now is the time to use those techniques. The overall idea here is to develop a sense of urgency to get as much business in as fast as possible so that you can build some powerful momentum and get way out ahead. Another key here is once you’re way out ahead of the pack and feeling great, don’t fall into your comfort zone and take your foot off the accelerator. If you do, you’ll lose momentum, slip back, and next thing you know you’ll be back to 90 percent of quota at the end of March. Don’t back off, keep going. Pedal to the metal.

Tip 2: Double your activity.

If you usually make 50 prospecting calls in a day, make 100, if you usually make five presentations, make 10. If you double your prospecting calls and presentations, you should double your sales. Is that potentially going to take more time and resources? Yes, but do it anyway. Follow tip 4 below and manage your time better, get those non-productive activities off your plate or table other things for off-hours or even the weekends. Look, what activities pay you the most? You need to find creative ways to find more time to spend on those.

Tip 3: Go to extremes.

Doubling your activity and using end-of-year and other tactics may sound extreme, but what I’m talking about here is really pushing yourself. I’m talking about a marathon prospecting day in which you make four to five times the number of calls you’d usually make, or a day in which you make four or five times as many presentation calls. These may be days when you dedicate the whole day to one sales activity and you start your day earlier and end it later. Another form of extreme activity is to make a BIG call every day. This refers to finally making that call that you’ve been thinking about forever and you just can’t get yourself to make it. Another form of this idea is to call at least one elephant, or person that intimidates you, every day.

Tip 4: Get better at selling and time management.

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Obviously the better you are at selling, the better qualified your prospects will be and the better and more effective you’ll be at all aspects of the sales process. This also means that less time will be required to make the same amount of sales. That said, you still need to get better at focusing on your key activities which are: prospecting, presenting, closing, and client relationship building. Read, take courses, and study sales and time management. Also, find people who are great at time management and sales, these may not be the same people by the way, and find out what they do. Do the same things the same way, get the same results.

Tip 5: Up the ante.

What can you do to really put some pressure on yourself to make it happen? On the other side of the coin, what can you do to make the reward so great that you simply have to get the year off to a great start? Think carrot and stick here. Can you post-date a check for $1,000 or $10,000 or more, and if you don’t do what you say you’re going to do, someone gets to cash it, or it otherwise disappears forever? Can you make your dream vacation to Hawaii a reality if you make it happen? Maybe you can do both. The point is, if there is enough on the line, if you have a strong enough reason(s) to make it happen, you’ll make it happen. It simply comes down to knowing what your hot buttons are and then pushing enough of them so that you’re crazed with enthusiasm and drive to make it happen.

Remember, that you can do, be, and have anything you want, but it’s going to take hard work and sacrifice. The only questions are: Are you willing to put in the time, effort, energy and money that’s necessary? Are you willing to give up the excuses and other crutches and pay the price to get it done?