The Requirements for Achieving Sales Excellence

  • January 3, 2025
  • Posted by: Dave Kurlan
  • Category: Understanding the Sales Force
Sales Goals Grids

Happy New Year everyone!

For most people, the New Year is a forward-looking time time for goal setting, planning, and resolutions.  Nothing wrong with that.  But as someone who likes breaking rules and pushing the envelope, I’m starting the New Year by looking back to January of 2024.

Last January, my first article included the introduction of my new Sales Grid.  Check it out if you’re not familiar with it because it is a blueprint for quota-busting sales success.  Then watch this short video.  I know it looks like an image but click the blue play button over the shaded cell in the middle of the grid and a video will, in fact, play.

The grid was readily available to anyone who wanted to use it.  If you’re one of the many who ignored it, you should ask yourself why.  Was it:
  • Nice to have, but not must have?
  • Too much work?
  • An uncomfortable truth?
  • Too complicated?
  • That you simply didn’t care?
  • Something you disagreed with?
When I discuss the grid with clients, they recognize that everything required for success in sales, shown in a single graphic, helped them to finally they realize how much goes into professional sales success.  It’s a lot.  But is it any more overwhelming than what is required to become a successful:
  • Doctor
  • Attorney
  • Scientist
  • Engineer
  • Accountant

The difference is that those who enter one of the fields above are required to do the hard work, are tested on their knowledge and capabilities, and must consistently apply that knowledge or their outcome will be unacceptable in fields where failure is not an option.  Most salespeople simply aren’t willing to do the work and there isn’t anyone requiring them to do the work.

The grid and/or it’s lack of adoption is a metaphor for what’s wrong with most salespeople.  They lack the expectations, motivation, commitment, and discipline, to become as successful as they could.
I feel bad for them.
The fact is that a majority of salespeople won’t:
  • Invest money to improve
  • Invest the time to improve
  • Change
  • Listen to experts
  • Do what it takes

So what can you do in 2025?  What will you do in 2025? What are you waiting for?  Don’t just get ready for improvement, start improving today!  Stay tuned for my next article and video on getting ready.