Quota, I didn’t know even what it meant when I started my first job in outside sales. My boss explained it was the required amount of sales each rep was to make each month.
He said it with such ease,”Your quota is $20,000 per month.”
I started to sweat and feel a little queasy; $20,000 was more than the total value of the mobile home we lived in and the car I drove. (This was 1994)
I didn’t ask what happens when I hit the quota. This was before I had heard the power of positive thinking. Instead, I asked what happens if I don’t get enough to hit quota. My boss was very point-blank, but pleasant. He said with the biggest grin and emphasis, “Then you won’t have a job.”
He then said (he had heard the power of positive thinking), “But when you hit quota, you earn a bonus.”
That talk set the pace for my first sales position and every other job and business I’ve had since.
Because I found out quota was a gift 🎁 for me. Some may look at it as pressure and just something that benefits an organization’s leadership. But for me, it made the expectations clear. Early on, I wondered if I could do it? I had no control over who was going to say yes. But I did! I learned who was likely to say yes and why based on their needs. I learned how to build relationships, the clues to look for, and the questions to ask. I knew the number of contacts and activities required every month to be consistent.
I learned how to move on from no instead of making excuses and find a yes somewhere else. I knew that if I kept enough in my sales funnel, I could be consistent. Because I had a number to hit, I didn’t stop short just because I couldn’t take one more no.
The expectation and accountability tied to quota helped me become successful in sales. Sometimes I see entrepreneurs with so much potential. I recognize if they had a quota (must hit goal) to help them, it would be a gift for them and their families.
A target and accountability were a blessing. I think it’s one of the most significant benefits of my new Sales Community. In a Community, just like in that first sales position, there’s some experience available for questions. There’s accountability to keep us going when it might seem we can’t take one more no.
