Happy New Year everyone! I hope you enjoyed the holiday break. I choose to take time off and prioritize spending time with my family. It was a great opportunity to reset for 2023. Here’s one thing I didn’t do on the holidays that may come as a surprise to some of you – I didn’t (and don’t) set new year’s resolutions. Instead, I think about how I will intentionally execute new business habits, practices, or ideas. Feeling a little turned around by that sentence? Allow me to explain.
Like death and taxes, you can expect gyms across the world to be packed with people chasing their new year resolutions to get fit. Also, like death and taxes, here are some other familiar sentiments that tend to fade in a month or two:
- “I’m on this new diet!”
- “I’m fixing all my bad habits!”
- “New year, new me!”
- “I’m going to work on being the best spouse ever!”
And on and on the diatribe goes. Unfortunately, because these resolutions often lack an execution plan, they are unsustainable. By March 1st, the gym is empty, the diet is long forgotten, and we realize we’re still the same us.
Reality Checks and New Year Resolutions
Why? Well, the harsh truth is that most New Year’s resolutions are not sustainable. Now I’m not judging the need to hit the reset button for the new year. In fact, my wife Shannon and I are coming off our three days cleanse and have re-started our 2023 health plan diets including intermediate fasting, healthy food choices and a daily workout program. (I guess we can’t stop trying either right? Ha!) However, we focus on the intentions of our actions, how it’ll get done and set manageable actions.
In business, it’s even more important to sustainably set intentions for the new year.
We’ve got to dig a little deeper, apply more logic when setting out business strategies. As leaders, we have a lot at stake- hundreds of clients, employees, peers, bosses, and families counting on us to make sure our business plans are a success. We cannot afford them to be resolutions that will fade, instead, we’ve got to set plans that will help us sustain success and win in 2023!
To help you achieve this, I have three sales leaders’ strategies to share that will help you kick-off the new year in the right direction.
Three Sales Leaders’ strategies Better than the Average New Year’s Resolution
1. 2023 Is the Year of the Leader
It’s been turbulent these last few years. We’ve been hit with a pandemic, an uncertain economy, inflation, and a myriad of other factors that impact our lives and businesses. Here’s the thing though, I believe 2023 is going to be the year that success and failure will 100% based on our personal focus, execution, mindset and contribution!
For those leaders that are excited about this year and want a plan to succeed, you should focus on establishing proactive behaviors and disciplines. Even more important, be sure to coach your team, so no one is left behind. When you do this, not only will they have a successful 2023, but they will also have the best year ever! For leaders that think the same strategies they attempted last year or prior to the pandemic will work, I’m sorry to say it but they will have a tough year!
2. Invest in Your Success
Remember earlier when I made the distinction between setting intentions with clear strategies for execution, instead of no substance resolutions? Let me expand on it via an example- the gym, (yes, yes, I’m back again with the gym references).
Those individuals that truly commit to their new year’s resolution often times don’t just get a gym membership or select a diet. They tend to make the extra effort to hire a personal trainer who will hold them accountable. That trainer will also coach them on how to properly implement small steps to lose weight and sustain it by changing their behaviors. For those who prefer to hire a health coach or nutritionist, they will also benefit from the extra support and guidance to adapt better eating habits. In both cases, these persons are more likely to succeed in their intentions.
Here are the two reasons why they’ll succeed:
- They invested financially in their goal. Which means they executed on their intention and are taking sustainable steps to adapt an improved lifestyle. For those who just write it down on a paper and set it aside? Those goals go nowhere but to a dusty bookshelf. For those who show up to the gym without a guide or guidance, chances are they’ll get tired of trying to figure out those machines and just go home.
- They hired a coach to not just teach them, but hold them accountable. As business leaders, especially those who work in sales, you best believe we need to do the same. We also need to take on the constant knowledge we absorb and learn and coach down to our people and hold them accountable. It’s important we do this because we care about their success, our success and because it is the most important part of a leader’s job!
3. Learners are Earners
This year top leaders are going to continue with their personal growth and development. Every day, I talk with leaders that are struggling to lead their teams or in getting their employees to care as much as they do. They’re also struggling to find top tier new talent while attempting to hold on to the one’s they’ve got already.
The thing all of these leaders have in common is they are not learning and growing enough! To beat the inertia, they’ve got to make commitments to themselves and their teams to improve year over year. You’ve got to stay learning my friend! Life is a continuous journey of learning and growing.
Here are some very simple steps you can adapt easily gain new knowledge:
- Commit to reading a new book every month (you can listen to books while showering, while doing laundry, while driving, there are limitless opportunities to read a new book)
- Go to one learning event a quarter
- If possible, hire an Executive Coach (ps I know of a really good one)
- Work with sales experts/sales coaches to conduct team workshops so everyone can benefit from insider knowledge on new trends and strategies in the field
My Final Thoughts on New Year’s Resolutions
The most successful people in the world all have one thing in common, they are lifelong learners.
I write books and give advice everyday as my career, and yet I start each day by reading or listening to a book. I invest this time in myself so I can learn from thousands of other experts that are much smarter than I am (although I’d like to think I’m a genius – I’m smart enough to acknowledge that I’m not). By constantly approaching life like I’m an empty vessel ready to be fill-up with knowledge, I benefit from consistently learning new insights and ideas. I recommend you do the same.
Guys, I’m going international baby! My book, Serve Up, Coach Down, is now available in Chinese. All of this would not be possible without your continued support and positive feedback, thank you!
