I can’t tell you how many sales people have the same shitty goal. With out fail, when I ask sales people what their goal  for the year is, almost all say the same thing.

Their goal is almost inevitably “quota.”

It’s amazing I haven’t been fired from a client yet, because every time I hear this, I blow a gasket. Quota as an individual goal is a cop out. It’s living in the cheap seats and I let the sales team know it.

When sales people set their goal to make quota, they are accepting the status quo. They’re allowing the company to dictate what they should do. They are taking very little ownership in their own growth and development and that’s sad.

Quota is just that quota. It’s the floor. Quota is the bare minimum the company expects from you, so why the fuck is it your goal?

Having a goal that is the bare minimum is not a goal, that’s punting.

You are the CEO of your own business. A business of one. Therefore, setting goals should be part of your plan, not something you default to. When we set our own goals, we take ownership. We become the stewards of our own success or failure. Don’t let any organization set your bar for success, set your own.

Only 50% of sales people make quota. There are a lot of reasons for this, but I’m quite certain that one of the reasons is so many sales people set quota as their goal. They live in the cheap seats.

Have some balls, take ownership for your business and set your own goals. Quota is not a goal, it’s the floor and the only thing you get from the floor are the crumbs.