Whew, the first six months of 2015 have flown by. Do you feel the same way?

It seems it was just yesterday we were creating our 2015 goals and refining our action plan for achieving them.

After all, achieving the goal is the key, isn’t it? I don’t know many sales professionals or leaders who are measured—and rewarded—by setting the goal, do you? Nope, it’s the achievement, not the effort, by which we are measured.

That’s why the time for a mid-year sales check-up is now. The check-up is not to punish, blame, or excuse; but to renew, revise, or replace.

We call this a 4-R goal review and the process, discipline to complete, and transparency of the review  are what lead to 2015 goal achievement.

For each goal (personal, team, company, sales, project):

1. Review. Be transparent and look at the actions, the metrics, and the behaviors. Don’t use excuses, guilt, blame, or justification. Review and identify: is it on track, or not on track?

          Then for each goal: Renew, Revise, or Replace.

2. Renew. If the goal is still relevant and the plan is viable, renew your commitment, time-frame, and activities toward the goal. Re-new the specific rewards that will be received when the goal is achieved.
3. Revise. If the goal is no longer relevant or the plan needs to be adjusted, Revise. Ensure the goal is realistic today; it doesn’t matter what the intention was when it was originally identified.
4. Replace. Remove and replace a goal if it is no longer viable. Replace it with a goal that is meaningful, timely, and specific.

Then what? Share the Check-Up with your stakeholders to:

• Celebrate goals achieved and progress toward the rest.
• Ask for the support or resources you need to achieve the updated goals.
• Set the expectations and trickle-down goals.
• Schedule a monthly 4-R Goal Review.
• Make the goals transparent. It’s easy to lose track of commitments and specific actions and even easier to fill our days with other things. Determine how to keep the main goals visible.
• Take action! Identify the actions, block time for key priorities, delegate if possible. Don’t get caught up in all the reactive and seemingly important things that pop up daily and divert attention from the goals. Block time for what is important and stick to it!

There you have it, a simple-to-follow and effective approach to your mid-year sales check-up. Schedule the time to complete yours right now.

p.s. This is a very effective approach to use with everyone on your team. Imagine the progress that can be made if everyone recalibrates every 30 days! It all starts with you.