With the Winter Olympic Games having recently come to an end, it brings to mind how much these athletes have truly achieved. How do you think they got to the Olympics? The gold medal figure skater and all of her competitors surely couldn’t perform even the simplest jump the first time they got on the ice, just as those skiers couldn’t attempt more than a bunny slope the first time they put on skis. Each one of them completed a series of small achievements that eventually led them to the Olympics. As a salesperson, you should be setting benchmarks for yourself as well, small achievements that lead to great results. Here are our top three picks that will help you achieve your business goals.

1. Find mentors to emulate. Who do you aspire to be like? Potential mentors could be people in your upline, or even in a completely different industry whose road to success is worthy of imitation. Identify your mentors’ work ethic, habits, education, or whatever it is that deems them worthy of your aspirations. If possible, talk with them about how you can achieve your goals by following in their footsteps. For example, if you are looking to transition from working your business “on the side” to making it your full-time job with a full-time income, an appropriate mentor would be someone who has done exactly that. Use the resources available to you in order to achieve your goals.
2. Make adjustments to your business and its direction as quickly as possible based on facts and results. When things aren’t going well or as you had planned, take a step back and analyze why this may be happening. As soon as you realize that you need to make a change, consult with mentors and use the information you have to adjust. For example, if you find that you are not booking enough future hostesses at each party, identify what it is about your presentation that may be lacking. Test out a new approach, review the results, and adjust if necessary. There is no sense in repeating an action that fails to deliver your desired outcome.
3. Build a strong foundation for your business by avoiding shortcuts. Your business must be built on ethical business practices, knowledge of your product and company, a desire to improve via professional development, and a commitment to representing your company and serving customers to the best of your ability. If you take shortcuts in any way, your business will suffer. When your upline conducts regional workshops once a month, asking a colleague for a brief summary instead of attending yourself is a shortcut. Make it a priority to attend, listen to what is being taught, incorporate relevant matters into your business, and always strive for improvement. You cannot expect success without hard work. The positive side is that by putting in the work and avoiding such shortcuts, you are more likely to rise above the fray and meet your goals more quickly.

With each benchmark that you meet, you are one step closer to realizing your dreams. Furthermore, such benchmarks help you stay focused, which is critical when your goals are long-term. What do you think about our benchmarks? What would you add to our list? Please share your ideas below!