5 Secrets to Crushing Your Quota with Danielle Cobo

Welcome to another episode of “Dream Job with Danielle Cobo”!

Being in sales means that the limit is infinite when it comes to your income. But, there are many factors that can get in the way of you and your sales goals. In today's episode, I break down five of my biggest tips for pushing past those limiting beliefs and crushing your goals. Grab a pen and paper, and tune into today's episode to learn more.

"Failing to plan is planning to fail" - Danielle Cobo

Download your Free Crush Your Quota Workbook  https://www.daniellecobo.com/sales-performance

Let's Connect! 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellecobo/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellecobo/

• DREAM JOB FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2826110370979215/
   

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"Danielle is so Uplifting." <-- If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more women -- just like you -- accelerate their career. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dream-job-with-danielle-cobo/id1571797640

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of special release episodes and, if you’re not following, there’s a chance you may miss out. Follow now!

Helping Others Achieve Goals  and Celebrating Success

Today is one of those days where I just want to dance in the rain. And here in Florida, it rains a lot. And I don't typically go down to the rain. But today's one of those days. This morning, I woke up in my inbox. And I received an email from a client. One of my clients had been searching for a job for the past six months. And she was feeling discouraged. And she was frustrated. And we got on the phone. And I was like, Okay, well, let's, let's talk about your strategy, what's been working, what hasn't been working. And within a month of working together, she sent me an email this morning. And she said, “Hey, Danielle, I just want to let you know that I just accepted a job offer. And for the first time, I'm actually having recruiters reach out to me. And my job offer was more money than I was making before.” So that's how I started my day. And of course, I was so excited to celebrate with my client on her getting this job and getting that feeling of going from looking for the past six months and not getting anything or getting crickets to now stepping into her dream job. She's earning more money. And she got to do it within one month of working with me, which is so exciting. I love to celebrate successes. 

Then, later today, I got a message from another one of my clients. So one of my clients has been in medical esthetics for tons of years. She's got over five years of sales experience. She's a rock star, and just kind of historically been around the like 10- 10 range. And she said, “You know what, Danielle, that's it. I want to max out my comp plan, I want to earn President's trip. This is the time to do it. I'm taking action on it.” And we've been working with each other for the past quarter. And she messaged me today and she says, “Oh my gosh, Danielle, I just hit 120%”. This is the first time she has maxed out her compensation plan. This is the first time she's hit 120%. She is now ranked top in the nation. And it is success stories like these that I love hearing because that's what is fulfilling. That's my why, right? That's what brings me joy – to see the success of other people, to link arms with these women, and have them achieve the goals that they want to achieve. 

So I ask you, how often do you feel stuck in your career, or you get your quota, or you're discouraged, or you're frustrated that you have missed your quota? Previously, you're leaving money on the table. I get it. I hear this all the time from clients. And for my 15 years in medical sales, I hear this from my peers as well. What would your life look like if you were energized, motivated and confident? Here's the thing, you're worth more than you give yourself credit for. So once you could change the way you feel about yourself for good, transforming that self-doubt into a place of confidence and courage. When you know where you're going, it becomes a lot easier to get there. So how would you feel if you didn't only know exactly where you get to go, but also how to get there? Let's be real. It's a minefield, trying to find the most effective steps to take to achieve your goals. And that's how I support my clients with the steps that work and avoid the steps that don't. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Now is your time to pivot to look at what's working to look at what's not working and set stretch goals and achieve them. Your success is directly correlated to how quickly you give up on yourself and how well you adapt to change. What if you had someone who made sure you kept going even when it feels hard?

In sales, there is no cap on how much you can earn. The only limit is your mindset, adaptability, skills, and resiliency. When you build a strategic plan to approach your business, you can say goodbye to being mediocre and start saying hello to President's Circle. What would it feel like if you were standing on stage earning that President’s Circle Award? How would you feel if you enjoyed these lavish vacations? I don't know about you, but when I was in medical sales, I started to get accustomed to receiving paid vacations every year. It was awesome. I got to enjoy going to Costa Rica, Cabo San Lucas, Jamaica, and a couple of other places; I've been able to travel the world on the company's dime. I will say though, that it definitely is hard work. And the reward is amazing. Some companies will give you a lavish vacation, some companies give you stock options. Some companies give you a bonus, you get rewarded for what you've put in. 

And I'm going to share with you the steps on how to do it. Because here's the thing, I've experienced firsthand, earning four back-to-back President’s Circles, and leading the historic poorest performing sales team to number one in the nation within two years of being a manager. And I've taught 1000s of salespeople just like you. And I know you can do it as well. Being an account manager or a business development manager, it's like owning your own business. The more you put in, the more you get out. So let's get you thinking like a business owner. 

Five Secrets to Crush your Quota and Earn President's Circle

1. Confidence

   We all have these limiting beliefs. Having limiting beliefs is a state of mind. And these are the negative thoughts that we tell ourselves, it's that inner critic. Have you ever told yourself like, there's no way I can hit this quota, or I'm halfway through the quarter, I'm not going to hit my goal? Or that customer is not going to buy. Or there's, you know, there's no way I'm going to get that new customer, there's no way I can grow my business. All of this self-negative talk is what's preventing you from moving forward. It's that either conscious or subconscious that's getting that roadblock in the way your ability to transform your self-doubt into drive. Motivation and confidence rely upon you identifying and overcoming these limiting beliefs. And affirmation is a true champion inside me. That's what you get to tell yourself. 

   I’ve clearly defined my goals, and I will pursue them today with enthusiasm, determination, and discipline. My invitation to you with this particular step is to sit in a quiet room. Sit in a quiet room for about 20 minutes. Write down every negative self-talk that you have told yourself. What is holding you back from achieving your goals? Okay, sit in that room, write them all down. And here are two things that you can do. And these are some fun exercises and I invite you to do them safely. The first one is after you've written all of these down, you can either tear it up, very exhilarating to tear those up, and they're gone. Or you could go to a safe place and you can burn that piece of paper. Or if you really want to have some fun, you could take a white porcelain plate with a black sharpie marker, write down all that negative self-talk, fill up the entire plate, start from the center and work your way around. And I don't know about you, but if you play softball or baseball and you've taken that bat, you hit a ball really, really hard. Or if you've ever chopped wood, or if you've ever just done something where you've been able to break something and it felt exhilarating. It felt like just the fun fire inside of you has been lit up. That's what you could do with this plate. So you fill up this plate with all this negative self-talk. And then what you do is you go to a safe area and you literally break that plate as hard as you can. Let it shatter into all these different pieces. Cry, crush those limiting beliefs. And then write down five affirmations that you get to tell yourself every single morning, it takes 45 days to 60 days to change our mindset. And imagine if you've been telling yourself this for the past five years, this self-doubt, this negative inner critic – it's probably gonna take a little more than 45 days. 

   But here are a couple of things that I shared with you and I'll share them with you again. Here are three affirmations you can start with: 

   My action today is exhilarating and reaffirms the true champion inside me. Also, I see every problem as an opportunity to overcome a challenge. I'm a firm believer that our biggest challenges are our greatest strengths. I've been through a lot in my life. I went from being kidnapped when I was two years old by my mom who was bipolar to meeting my dad when I was 15, to then stepping into a leadership role for a fortune 500 company with no direct management experience. I get it, I've had some challenges just like all of us have. And these challenges turn into strengths. They shape us into who we are today. Some of the challenges that I've overcome in life have built up resiliency and perseverance. I look at challenges and I go, okay, what are we gonna do to break them down today? 

   Another affirmation is I have clearly defined goals and I will pursue them today with enthusiasm, determination, and discipline. So take these affirmations, write them down, and put them next to where you get ready in the morning. Start every morning by telling yourself these affirmations. Enjoy your evening doing the same thing. Invest time in yourself, shift that negative self-talk and transform it into a place of confidence and courage. You're worthy of loving yourself. You're worthy of knowing exactly where you want to go, how to get there, and achieving those goals. And it starts with your mindset. 

2. Goal-setting

   When you set a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound goal, also known as SMART goals, your likelihood of success doubles. It's almost as if you're driving across the country but you don't have a plan or a roadmap to get there. I mean you could be zigzagging all the way across the country. But what would it look like if you knew exactly how to get there, you put together specific goals, and you kept yourself accountable toward those goals, and they were time-bound? Harvard did a study and said that the students that not only set SMART goals, but also made them time-bound and tracked them, made 10 times more money than their other students that didn't imagine how would it feel if you were making more money, and you were very specific on what your goals were. 

   Here's one thing that I invite everybody to do. When I work with my clients, we do not only create these goals, we write them down. We're very specific about them. And also I walked through, okay, well, if this is your goal, let's talk about the resources that we can do to support these goals that you have. And we'll work on these bullets as we're working together and helping them crush their quota, or whether it's career acceleration. I also invite you to create a vision board. I do this every year with my husband, we write down our financial goals. What vacations do we want to take? What are our personal goals, and then I do owe one for myself? And on my vision board, I have health goals. So right my Peloton three days a week, I've had this Peloton for five years, and I did like 25 rides in four years. So in a couple of years, I now have done 75 rides this year, so I'm getting towards that goal. Another one is investments and financial goals. So what are some of your financial goals? And then also trips, I'm a firm believer that when you put together specific goals you have to put together really stretchy goals. 

   Also, reward yourself with something if you max out of your comp plan. What's that fun thing you're gonna buy for yourself? I love fashion. So things I spoiled myself with you know, crystal blue baton shoes or a Louis Vuitton bag or have this beautiful cocktail ring that I wear on my right hand, which was when I was number one salesperson of the year. And so, you know, create that vision board. What are your goals? And then what do you get to reward yourself with when you create those goals? Manifest them, look at them every single day, create your vision board, and then really lay out how you're going to achieve these goals. That's where those smart goals come into play. 

3. Strategic Business Planning

   So here's the thing. Failing to plan is planning to fail. It's important that you understand and you analyze and quantify what has worked well in the past. What's worked in the past increases your chances to repeat, boost, and accelerate those results by 10 times. Looking at your business, who's growing? Who's stagnant? Who's declining? Where are your new emerging opportunities? Where are the new accounts that you're merging? What within each account? What are those account strengths? Where are the opportunities? Is there any opportunity to recruit new patients, and convert patients from different treatment modalities? Retain patients? Obviously, it really depends on you know, whether you're in medical devices or pharmaceutical medical esthetics. There's a variety of that, but really identifying your business and saying, Okay, well, if I want to get to 120%, where are the gaps in what I'm currently doing right now? And where do I get to grow? Which customers? Do I get to link arms to grow? And know that you're going to grow them by adding value? It's understanding where are their goals. 

   What are your goals? And how do you get to align those goals together? Obviously, you want to achieve sales, but when you are adding value to your customers, that's when your customers see you as a partner. That's when they trust you. That's when they like you. That's when they respect you. That's when they start calling you and I don't know about you, but when the pandemic first started, a lot of my customers, when you call me back, they wanted us to come back because we brought so much value to them. So that third secret is strategic business planning, analyzing your business, and quantifying what's working and what has worked in the past. And then what hasn't worked, adjust, pivot, find a way to reboot to repeat, boost and accelerate those results by 10 times. 

4. Handling Challenges

   So here's the thing about sales, you're gonna get thrown a lot. There's gonna be times where you're gonna have frustrated customers, there's gonna be times where you've got orders not going through, there's gonna be times you're gonna have recalls on products. Shit happens, life happens, and things don't always go smoothly. So when you can learn how to handle these challenges like a pro, that's when you really get to excel. Because here's the thing that I've found in my 15 years in medical sales, sometimes the unhappiest customers – when you're able to go above and beyond to provide them solutions – become your most loyal customers. Because you stand out, you're not somebody that just comes in, sees the challenge, and stops the ball and leaves. And when you can really overcome these challenges. That's when they become loyal, they trust you, and they see you as valuable. 

   A lot of the things I work with my clients with is, you know, we'll go through what are your biggest challenges right now, what's keeping you up at night. And we'll talk through these challenges. And supporting through that process, sometimes having that second set of ears and eyes in different ways of approaching things as valuable. And also in a very safe container, right? Because obviously, you can go to your manager for a lot of things. But it's nice to have somebody in a safe container that you can be 1,000% transparent with and not have to worry about what perceptions are going to look like from your peers or your manager or anything along those lines. You know, sometimes your challenges are with your manager, that happens a lot. And so being able to talk through some of these challenges and how to approach them is beneficial. 

5. Resiliency

   Ultimately, your success will boil down to how quickly you give up on yourself. And how often have you given up on yourself? How often have you been tracking well to achieve your quota and then all of a sudden, you give up? You're burnt out then you give up? Or maybe you're not hitting the mark that you wanted. And you're just like, I'm just not gonna make it this quarter. I guess I'll just do it next quarter. How would you feel if you had someone linking arms with you every step of the way? When times get tough, you have someone to hold you high. Because it's hard, it can sometimes be hard to stay motivated throughout the entire quarter. You're overcoming challenges, you're sticking to your goals. And you know, it's just like having your tribe of people around you in life, these women in your life that hold you high and celebrate your successes. It's the same thing you want to surround yourself with. People at work are going to hold you high when things are tough or when you're feeling burnt out. When you're just kind of getting in a rut and you're feeling stuck and you're feeling discouraged and you're feeling frustrated, having someone to link arms with you every step of the way. How would you feel if you had somebody to hold you high? 

   So these are my five secrets to success and to crushing your quota. This is a lot of what I work with my clients on because there's nothing more rewarding than seeing my clients max out their comp plan. And then the fun part is when we get to celebrate and we get to talk about Okay, so how are you going to spoil yourself? What are you going to get? You know, maybe it's a vacation, maybe it's going to lavage date night? Maybe it's you're going to go buy some purse you've always wanted. Manifest it, envision it. And how would you feel if you finish the quarter and you are number one? How would you feel if you were standing up on stage and you're going oh my gosh, I'm earning President's Trip? That feeling I can share with you. I remember every single time I earned it. It was such a powerful feeling. And it was even better. When I got to see people on my team are in that same success, whether they were getting promoted. And what really was when they were earning President's Trip and we get to go celebrate together on the trip. You are worthy of that same success. And I believe that everybody has the power to have success. It really boils down to you. Are you going to continue to do the same thing you've always done? Are you going to do something different? Are you going to do something that is going to support you? Are you ready to invest in yourself to achieve these goals? 

   Don't let another quarter go by doing the same thing you've always done and getting frustrated with the results. The time is now and you're worthy of investing in yourself, you're worthy of putting together a plan, you're worthy of crushing that quota.