
“If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” — Zig Ziglar
We’ve all heard about the importance of setting goals and writing them down as daily reminders to stay the course and to try and reach them.
Over the last few years, I have tried to simplify my business by listing three things I would like to accomplish daily to sell sheds in a big way consistently.
Harvard conducted a study in 1979 on goal setting. What they discovered is astonishing.
The study found that 84 percent of the class had set no goals; 13 percent had set written goals but lacked concrete plans.
A remarkable 3 percent had both written goals and concrete plans.
A decade later, the results were as follows. The 13 percent with written goals but no plans were earning twice as much as the 84 percent with no goals.
The real eye-opener was the 3 percent with both written goals and plans—who were making an incredible 10 times as much as the rest of the class!
When I read that study, I began to lay out a few goals that I use to stay focused and motivated on growing my shed sales business daily. I also have long-term goals written down that I will share in a future article.
The following are my daily goals that I strive to achieve and exceed every day. I encourage you to write down a few daily goals that relate to your business as well.
Here are my daily non-negotiables:
Outwork everyone. Every day I go to work like I am broke, and it’s me against the world.
I’ve had this outlook for almost 29 years I’ve been selling sheds. I know that this mentality seems a little too crazy for most, but I want to lead the industry and set a good example.
I focus daily on the money-making activities that drive sales such as tracking and calling my leads, asking for referrals, mailing out thank-you cards and promotional mailers, and keeping fresh content on social media.
In today’s world, it seems like competitors are popping up around every corner. Seeing this motivates me and encourages me to work harder and get better.
Be the nicest person your customers have ever met. This can be easy to do, and easy not to do. If you want to separate yourself from others, this will play a major role in your success.
I greet the customer with a handshake and introduce myself. I display confidence and give my customer a genuine compliment (I compliment their vehicle for example, or compliment how well-behaved their kids are).
I also try to build rapport by asking questions about their family, occupations, and hobbies. As soon as I find a connection, I dig deeper into what motivates them and tell relatable stories.
Before you know it, we are just having a friendly conversation about our lives, and I go ahead and ask for the sale. I mean, why wouldn’t they want to buy from such a nice guy that they can relate to?
Sometimes I need a check-up from the neck up when a customer stops in at the end of the day. I must train myself to treat them nice, too, even though I want to go home and decompress and spend time with my family.
Don’t ever make your customers feel like they are being rushed or unimportant. Remember, your customers are buying you, and they want to do business with nice people.
Be one of those nice people and watch your business boom.
Be better than you were yesterday. This sounds easy, but it’s a real challenge for me.
For example, if I sell 10 sheds on Monday, how do I top that on Tuesday? The point is not that I must sell 11 sheds on Tuesday. The point is that I need to strive to do so.
Having this mindset will literally help to keep raising the bar and stay focused on growth.
Folks, nobody is going to come to your shed lot and save you. Nobody is going to pop in and remind you to get excited and take ownership of your success. The goal here is to keep your business/sales moving forward.
I have heard it said, “Inch by inch is a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard.” Your shed business is a marathon, not a sprint. You don’t have to make everything happen at once.
I encourage you to set a few simple goals to accomplish daily, slow down, and focus on them.Our best days are just ahead!