This dirty word can help you to earn millions in sales for 2023.

Hi everyone, I am Marcia – one of the creators at the Million Dollar Sales Record here. We are your resource for Sales and Marketing insight to help you to earn millions in sales so you can afford to do what you really want to do. Today, I will be using a dirty word and how it is your most powerful tool in transforming your brand or business into a million-dollar business in 2023. That’s right everyone, we are talking about “Accountability” (*Doom Doom Doom*)

Accountability is a word that has been used in sales and business. It often means a sense of being answerable for one’s actions or decisions to those affected by them. Many people avoid it though even though accountability is a crucial factor for success. It is the ability to be responsible for one's actions and to take responsibility for them. Accountability is an important aspect of integrity, honesty, transparency, performance, and self-improvement.

Accountability is an important concept to understand because it can help you achieve your goals, make commitments and overcome limiting beliefs. According to Indeed Editorial Team (2021), “Accountability in sales is a sense of ownership that sales representatives feel for their jobs. It means that sales representatives take responsibility for their tasks and outcomes. They solve problems and take initiative to meet the goals of the team.”

How to improve your performance according to the Indeed Editorial Team (2021) and Iannarino (n.d.):

1. Determine what honesty/accountability means for you (How honest are you truly prepared to be and how much are you comfortable with being uncomfortable to get difficult feedback)
2. Setting clear goals (follow the S.M.A.R.T Acronym. Check out my article on Goal Setting for further details)
3. Using different motivational tactics for yourself or your team
4. Monitor your progress (for example you can review your sales pipeline and database to identify opportunities)
5. Promote autonomy (for example, you can take initiative to read books, do online courses, speak with or observe persons who are successful in your area on Social Media or in person, and learn from the information learned.)
6. Give regular feedback (even if it is to yourself)
7. Provide data on your performance

For salespersons, accountability means being honest or truthful about the product they are selling or the service they are providing. For leaders, accountability means being truthful about their leadership skills and ensuring that they are constantly improving themselves so that they can become better leaders in the future. Writing down your past performance from a point in time and comparing it to another can help. (For example: write down how many cold-calls you made in a notepad with the date beside it and commit to repeating the process every day for at least 31 days at a time [this is my personal favorite]). You can also use how well your team achieved their targets or what you achieved for a period of time to encourage you to probe if you could use some work in a particular area.

Entrepreneurs / Salespersons can hold themselves accountable by writing down their goals, having vision boards, communicating their goals verbally with their teams or loved ones, and having an accountability partner that you can work with and support each other as you both pursue your individual goals. Another way would be to access the feedback from your performance reviews (from your clients, employer, or team members in a 360 review for instance), setbacks or challenges in transactions, successes, or even activities that force you to create business plans or write your goals.

Accountability is a wonderful but often painful thing. If you can be completely honest with yourself by seeking feedback on your performance (if it is even to ask yourself difficult questions) and willing to consistently improve yourself you can gain tremendous value from it. The most important person to hold you accountable is YOU. Make Accountability your weapon in 2023.

References:

Iannarino, A. (n.d.). How to keep yourself accountable without a sales manager. Nutshell.com . Retrieved from: https://www.nutshell.com/blog/keep-accountable-without-sales-manager

Indeed Editorial Team (2021). 8 Ways To Cultivate Accountability in Sales (Plus Tips). Indeed.com . Retrieved from: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/accountability-in-sales#:~:text=Accountability%20in%20sales%20is%20important,do%20their%20jobs%20with%20integrity .

You think it is unrealistic to want to earn millions in sales in 12 months if you are willing to put in the work, right? WRONG! You have the potential to and deserve to earn the kind of money to do the things that excite you through sales. Here are some insights that can help you to overcome that belief. Visit this link to learn more: https://marcia-bent.mykajabi.com/