Winning In Sales: How to Build a Competitive Advantage for 2025
Years ago, as I packed my bags for an all-expenses-paid trip to Costa Rica—my reward for earning a spot in my company’s President’s Club for the fourth year in a row—I paused to reflect on how I’d gotten there.
My success in dental capital equipment sales wasn’t luck. It resulted from a process I followed every year: reflecting on my wins and losses, setting clear and ambitious goals, creating a vision board, and working on my plan with focus and discipline. That same formula helped my team when I transitioned into leadership. By guiding them through these steps, we became the nation's #1 sales team.
This approach is simple but powerful and can help you, too. Whether you’re aiming for the President’s Club, breaking into new markets, or crushing your sales quota, mastering goal-setting and reflection can provide a competitive advantage. Let’s explore how to use this proven strategy to make 2025 your best year yet.
Reflecting on the Past to Build the Future
Understanding the past is valuable before you can plan for the future. Self-reflection is the foundation for gaining clarity, growth, and setting purposeful goals. Reflecting on the past helps you identify patterns, recognize opportunities, and avoid repeating mistakes. Here are eight powerful questions to guide your reflection:
1. What went well last year?
Identify your key wins and successes. What actions, strategies, or opportunities contributed to those results? Recognizing what worked allows you to replicate and build on your success.
2. Where did I fall short?
Be honest about the areas where you didn’t meet your expectations. Understanding what held you back—whether a lack of focus, resources, business planning, or preparation—provides valuable lessons for moving forward.
3. What were my biggest challenges this year, and how did I overcome them?
Reflect on how you navigated obstacles to uncover your strengths and areas for improvement. This insight can prepare you for handling similar challenges in the future.
4. What activities and habits had the most significant impact on my success?
Pinpoint the daily routines, work habits, or strategies that helped you excel. This could include consistent follow-ups, proactive planning, or ongoing professional development.
5. Which habits or routines do I need to adjust or eliminate?
Sometimes, it’s not about adding new habits but refining or letting go of ones that aren’t serving you. Identify time-wasters or unproductive behaviors that hindered your performance.
6. What opportunities did I miss, and what kept me from pursuing them?
Look at the chances you didn’t take or the leads you didn’t follow up on. Was it fear, lack of time, or insufficient preparation? Use these insights to approach opportunities with confidence next year.
7. Who positively influenced my growth, and how can I strengthen those relationships?
Think about mentors, colleagues, or clients who supported your success. Plan how you can continue to build and nurture these valuable connections.
8. What am I most proud of, and why?
Celebrate the achievements that mattered most to you. Understanding why they were meaningful helps you align future goals with your values and passions.
Taking the time to answer these questions thoughtfully will help you see your current situation and your future goals more clearly. It’s the first step toward a focused and fulfilling new year.
For example, I noticed that asking more questions during sales meetings allowed me to uncover deeper insights into my customers' pain points, challenges, and opportunities. This understanding helped me deliver tailored solutions that met their needs, resulting in stronger relationships and larger deals. This insight shaped my goals for the following year, ensuring I prioritized listening and asking the right questions to create more value for my clients.
Take a moment to evaluate your year. This honest reflection will give you a competitive advantage in setting meaningful and achievable goals that drive personal and professional growth.
Once you’ve reflected, it’s time to set goals. But not just any goals- Specific Goals
Setting Goals That Propel You Forward
Imagine standing at an awards gala, walking across the stage as your name is called to accept the prestigious Presidents Club award. This moment recognizes your hard work and reflects the growth, courage, and focus it took to get there.
Earning Presidents Club status isn’t just about numbers for sales professionals—it’s about setting ambitious goals and working strategically to achieve them. The COBO framework—Courageous Goals, Objectives, Benchmarks, and Opportunities—can help you create a clear roadmap for success, pushing you to exceed expectations while opening the door to exciting possibilities.
Here’s how to use the COBO framework to aim high and deliver results in sales.
Courageous Goals: Stretch Yourself
A Courageous Goal pushes you beyond your comfort zone, requiring focus, discipline, and personal growth. It inspires you to be your best self.
Example Courageous Goal:
"Achieve Presidents Club status by growing my territory’s revenue by 20% in 2025."
This goal is ambitious but achievable with the right plan in place. It’s not about playing it safe—it’s about aiming for a goal that motivates you to rise to the challenge.
Tip: Reflect on what excites and challenges you most. The best Courageous Goals are both thrilling and a little intimidating.
Objectives: Steps to Reach Your Goal
Breaking a big goal into actionable steps ensures you always know what to do next. Think of these as your Objectives—the specific actions you’ll take to achieve your goal.
Example Objectives for Achieving Presidents Club:
Expand Your Prospect List: Research and identify 40 high-potential accounts in Q1.
Increase Client Meetings: Schedule at least 10 face-to-face meetings with decision-makers monthly.
Enhance Product Knowledge: Complete a new product training course by February 15 to confidently address customer questions.
Leverage Cross-Selling Opportunities: Identify three complementary products to pitch to existing clients by March 31.
By breaking your Courageous Goal into specific steps, you make it manageable and actionable.
Benchmarks: Track Your Progress
Tracking progress with Benchmarks helps you maintain momentum and stay accountable. They create a sense of urgency while allowing you to celebrate milestones along the way.
Example Benchmarks for Sales Success:
Monthly Checkpoints: Review progress toward quarterly revenue goals at the end of each month.
Pipeline Metrics: Ensure your pipeline always includes 3x your quarterly quota by consistently adding qualified leads.
Training Completion: Complete two professional development courses by June 30.
Mentorship Check-Ins: Meet with a sales mentor on the first Monday of every month to refine your approach.
Benchmarks are your secret weapon for staying focused and measuring what matters most.
Opportunities: Envision the Possibilities
When you set and achieve Courageous Goals, doors open to new Opportunities. Success breeds confidence, and your progress transforms how you see yourself and what you believe is possible.
Example Opportunities from Pursuing Presidents Club:
Professional Growth: Develop expertise in consultative selling, making you a client's go-to resource.
Financial Rewards: Earn a top-tier bonus, enabling you to pay off debt or plan a dream vacation.
Recognition and Networking: Build a reputation as a top performer, leading to career advancement opportunities.
Inspiring Others: Your journey to Presidents Club could motivate your peers to set their own Courageous Goals.
Visualizing these opportunities motivates you and reminds you why your hard work matters.
Why Goal Setting Works
The COBO framework combines ambition with structure. By setting Courageous Goals, you inspire yourself to aim high. Objectives provide clarity, Benchmarks keep you accountable, and Opportunities fuel your motivation.
Remember, earning Presidents Club status isn’t just about meeting quotas—it’s about growing into the best version of yourself. When you stretch for big goals, the journey transforms you, creating new possibilities you never imagined.
Turning Goals into a Vision
After setting your goals, make them tangible by creating a vision board. A vision board transforms abstract goals into tangible ambitions. Include images of your dream vacation, your goals, reminders of your “why,” and inspiring quotes. Neuroscience reveals that visualizing success activates the same neural pathways as achieving it, reinforcing your commitment.
Reflecting on your past performance, setting clear and courageous goals, and visualizing your success will give you a competitive advantage in your sales career. This process isn’t just about hitting numbers—it’s about evolving into the best version of yourself and unlocking new opportunities.
As you prepare for 2025, ask yourself: What would my life look like if I achieved everything I set out to do this year? Then, take the first step by committing to your goals.
Success awaits those who are bold enough to reach for it. Will you be one of them?
Learn more about Danielle's Career Coaching services: Click Here
Meet 🌟 Danielle Cobo, CVP
Danielle doesn't just talk about medical and aesthetic sales; that's how she made a living. As a Fortune 500 Senior Medical Sales Manager, Danielle led a historically poor-performing team to #1 despite downsizing, restructuring, and acquisitions. Her commendable leadership earned her the prestigious title of Region Manager of the Year. Her resiliency motivated her to earn four consecutive national Sales Excellence Awards for top performance in a male-dominated industry.
With over 15 years of corporate experience in the medical tech and bio-pharmaceutical industry, she knows how to build high-performing teams that increase sales, productivity, and employee retention. Her expertise includes sales, leadership, and career planning. Through keynote speeches, sales boot camps, and one-on-one coaching, she has taught thousands of people how to achieve their career goals with unstoppable grit.
Danielle is the best-selling author of Unstoppable Grit: Break Through the 7 Roadblocks Standing Between You and Achieving Your Goals and hosts the globally top-rated podcast, Unstoppable Grit Podcast with Danielle Cobo.
Danielle has a Bachelor’s in Communication with a minor in Psychology from the California State University of Fullerton. She is certified in the Precise Selling Model, DiSC Behavior Model, and Inclusive and Ethical Leadership from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business.
She has completed training in Situational Leadership, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Crucial Conversations, PowerPerformance Coaching, Boston Breakthrough Leadership, Insight Colors, Outward Mindset, Time Management for Effective Leaders, Emerging Leadership Development Program, and Challenger Sales Model.
Danielle is a member of the National Speaker Association, a former Training Advisor for the Military Spouse Economic Empowerment Zone Committee, and a Career Transition Advisor for the Dallas Professional Women.
When her husband, a Blackhawk pilot in the Army, was deployed in Iraq for a year, Danielle learned to balance a demanding job while keeping up with her dynamic duo of 1.5-year-old twin boys, who possess more energy than a squirrel after a triple espresso.
Today, she channels her expertise into her passionate mission: igniting transformation in others and helping them develop the grit and resilience to succeed professionally and personally.
From a 7-year-old entrepreneur to a two-time 3-day 60-mile walker—Danielle Cobo defines relentless ambition.
Learn more about Danielle's speaking, training, and career coaching services: Click Here
