Every sales professional in the U.S. knows the importance of first quarter results. If you do not hit your numbers in the first quarter, then your probability of hitting your numbers for the year drops dramatically. At that point, you are fighting an uphill battle the rest of the year. Not good if you report up to shareholders or investment companies.
Preparation is key to hitting these numbers. Setting the appropriate sales goals and quotas before the year starts is essential. Educating your staff (all staff…sales and ops) on the corporate strategies and objectives is paramount. Getting the buy in from your team is vastly important. Lastly, appropriately rewarding the performers on your team is a necessity. They are your worker bees.
Skipping any of the above steps may have a negative impact on your results. Now is the time to evaluate and make sure you have the correct goals, compelling messaging and compensation plan to make 2016 a huge success.