It's that time again. Time for another quarterly review.
And you're looking at the numbers, and you aren't happy.
The sales figures are low. Way below where they should be. Way below where your sales goals are.
Do you wonder what went wrong? How can your sales team meet its goals for the next quarter? How can it exceed them?
Don't worry! You can stop pinching the bridge of your nose and rubbing your brow like you're trying to scrub it off your face.
Below are 6 pro tips to help you exceed your sales goals.
So, what are sales goals?
Well, they're exactly what they sound like. They are your (and your sales teams') goals for selling.
But what does that actually mean? What does it look like?
Sales goals are the sales targets set to be met after a certain amount of time (monthly, quarterly, yearly, etc). You can set short-term sales goals or long-term sales goals, but either way, they should be realistic. When setting these goals, you'll want to consider what's achievable and balanced with what you need to be profitable.
Sales goals differ from sales quotas, as they can be about different aspects of performance, rather than just revenue. However, that's not to say that sales quotas can't be an important aspect of sales goals.
There's not just one reason why sales goals are important. They provide a few key functions.
When looking at sales numbers, you will probably have more than one goal in mind you'd like your team to hit, and they're probably not all about the same thing, or should be gone about in the same way.
It follows, then, that there are different types of sales goals.
There are sales goals for different periods of time, like:
But there are other types as well, that get into different aspects of selling than simply a length of time.
Some of these different types of sales goals are:
|
Types of Sales Goals |
Description |
|
Sales Performance Goals |
Sales performance goals are typically short-term for individual sales reps used to set expectations of their roles and to measure their successes and capabilities. |
|
SMART Sales Objectives |
SMART sales objectives are sales goals written with the SMART criteria, meaning they are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound (see what they did there?). |
|
Waterfall Sales Goals |
Waterfall sales goals use a series of smaller goals that increase with each goal to reach a larger goal (which was the original goal all along – how sneaky). |
|
High Priority Sales Goals |
High-priority sales goals are sales goals that you've identified as being the highest priority, or most important, for your sales reps to achieve. |
|
Incentivized Sales Goals |
Incentivized sales goals are sales goals with an incentive for your sales team to achieve them. Often in the form of commissions, bonuses, or other rewards, incentivization can be a great way to motivate your sales reps into wanting to achieve their sales goals. |
|
Stretch Sales Goals |
Stretch sales goals are sales goals that are not just lofty, but practically unachievable given your current sales process/strategy. To meet a stretch sales goal may mean completely remodeling your current sales process and strategy. |
|
Inside Sales Goals |
Inside sales goals are your goals for sales strategies that can be done from in-office. These aren't your goals for the sales reps running around to prospective clients with PowerPoint presentations. |
|
Measurable Sales Goals |
Measurable sales goals are, very simply, sales goals that can be measured. Typically, these sales goals can be tracked in their progression and measured in their success. |
Setting sales goals is your roadmap to consistent revenue, high-performing teams, and smarter decision-making. But vague targets like “sell more” won't cut it.
Let's walk through a step-by-step process to set sales goals that not only sound good on paper but also actually drive results.
Before you can aim for the stars, you need to know where your feet are planted. Look at historical data: What did your team achieve last quarter or last year? Which reps hit their targets? What campaigns or channels delivered the most ROI?
When setting sales goals, past performance acts as your reality check.
For example, if your team averaged $100,000 in monthly revenue last year, setting a monthly sales goal of $300,000 with no additional support or strategy might just be wishful thinking.
Dig into:
Use this data to determine what's realistic—and where you can stretch.
Stat to consider: Sales teams that leverage real-time data to set goals are 28% more likely to hit their targets.
Some sales goals are about revenue. Others focus on lead generation, customer retention, or market expansion. Your sales goals and objectives should mirror your company's broader strategy.
For example:
Aligning sales team goals with company priorities ensures that your reps are not just busy, but busy with the right things.
Big-picture goals are great, but they're useless if your team doesn't know how to contribute. That's why setting sales goals examples should include both team and individual sales goals.
Let's say your sales team goal is $1.2 million in annual revenue. Divide that by 12 months and then by the number of reps, adjusting for experience, territories, or product focus, to create realistic sales goals for everyone.
Personal sales goals and sales rep goals give individuals ownership. This boosts accountability and makes it easier to measure progress. And when people see how their efforts ladder up to a bigger win, motivation skyrockets.
Your sales goals need to live in harmony with your management approach. That means syncing with KPIs, CRM system workflows, pipeline stages, coaching strategies—you name it.
For example, if your sales managers prioritize quality over quantity, then smart goals for sales should focus more on conversion rates than just outbound calls. Or, if team collaboration is a priority, add goals for sales reps that include mentoring or team-based selling.
When it comes to setting sales goals, the smartest strategy isn't choosing between long-term and short-term—it's knowing how to leverage both. Each serves a unique purpose in your sales playbook, and together, they create a powerful roadmap for sustainable growth.
Here's a quick comparison of the two types and when to use them:
|
Uses |
Long Term Sales Goals |
Short Term Sales Goals |
|
What they're for |
Big picture outcomes over quarters or years |
Tactical steps that drive day-to-day momentum |
|
Examples |
Build a $1M pipeline, expand to new markets, boost average. deal size |
Book 15 demos/week, close 5 deals/month, quick follow-ups |
|
When to use |
Strategic planning for the future |
Immediate results and sales activity optimization |
|
Team impact |
Drives vision and investment |
Boosts accountability and focus |
Now, let's analyze each of the two in more detail.
Think of long-term sales goals as the North Star. These are your ambitious, overarching targets, the ones that take months or years to achieve. They're not about what your reps close this week; they're about the strategic direction your entire sales org is moving toward.
Long term sales goals examples:
These goals in sales require patience, resources, and long-term planning. You'll need leadership buy-in, operational support, and often a shift in how your team thinks and sells. But when executed well, they move the needle in a big way.
Short-term sales goals, on the other hand, are your sprints. They create immediate momentum and give reps clear, actionable targets they can knock out daily, weekly, or monthly. These are the measurable sales goals that help keep energy high and performance visible.
Short term sales goals examples:
These goals are perfect for daily coaching, tracking sales performance, and keeping the pipeline humming. They're also a great way to measure sales rep goals individually and build healthy internal competition.
Here's the trick: you need both. Focusing only on short term sales goals can make your team reactive—constantly chasing quotas but lacking direction. Meanwhile, only setting long term sales goals can leave your team uninspired and unsure of what to do today to reach that big five-year plan.
Think of short-term goals as bricks and long-term goals as the blueprint. The blueprint gives you vision. The bricks? They're how you build.
That's why sales management goals should always include a healthy balance of short and long timelines—strategically aligned and clearly communicated to the team.
Setting sales goals is step one. Meeting them is step two. Exceeding them? That's where the magic (and commissions) happen.
So, the following strategies will help you crush your sales goals and objectives with confidence.
Nothing makes meeting sales goals easier than adopting a sales CRM. As well as being great for monitoring sales goals progression, CRMs are also incredible tools for making sales more efficient to accomplishing. You can use CRMS to automate different processes, like emails, generate new leads, collect client data, etc.
Ringy, for instance, offers features such as SMS and email drip campaigns, lead management, click-to-call dialing, and more. These are all features that will help your sales process move smoothly, so you can make more sales and exceed sales goals.
No more sticky notes. No more mental reminders. Just data, strategy, and seamless execution.
You can request a free demo to learn more about what Ringy offers.
Want to achieve a $100K monthly sales goal? Don't just stare at the number—reverse engineer it. Break it into weekly then daily targets. These micro-goals are your breadcrumb trail to big wins.
For example:
Micro-goals help you stay motivated, accountable, and focused. They turn your long-term sales goals into daily action plans.
If you set it and forget it, you won't meet it. Schedule weekly or bi-weekly check-ins to track your progress against KPIs and adjust the course as needed. These reviews create a culture of accountability around meeting sales goals.
Ask:
Managers: this is also a great time to review sales rep goals and give focused, actionable feedback.
Generic outreach is dead. If you want to achieve sales goals, you have to make prospects feel like people, not just pipeline entries.
Tailor your emails. Reference industry-specific pain points. Mention their latest product launch or press mention. When you personalize, you build trust—and trust closes deals.
Pro tip: Research found that personalized emails improve open rates by 29% and boost click-through rates by 41%.
So, make personalization part of your sales team goals, quality beats quantity every time.
The best salespeople are lifelong learners. Whether it's a negotiation workshop, a new book on psychology, or coaching sessions with a sales manager, skill development should be baked into your routine.
This is especially true for personal development goals for sales reps. Want to improve your close rate? Practice objection handling. Struggling with prospecting? Master cold call scripts.
Sales change fast, so should you.
If your team's compensation doesn't match your sales goals, don't expect top performance. Incentives drive behavior. So tie commissions, bonuses, spiffs, and recognition directly to specific, measurable outcomes.
Examples:
Make your rewards meaningful and closely linked to the behaviors you want to encourage.
Gut instinct is great, but it's no match for cold, hard data. Analyze your pipeline metrics, conversion rates, lead sources, and sales activities. Use this info to refine what's working and ditch what's not.
This turns every mistake into a learning moment and every win into a repeatable play.
If you're not using data to guide your strategy, you're just guessing your way through setting sales goals, and that's a fast track to missed quotas.
So, to sum up, if you want to smash your sales goals this year, make sure you're making realistic, good sales goals by:
And then, exceeding those sales goals by:
Sales goals are an important part of creating a comprehensive plan of attack in sales so the members of your sales team can perform to the best of their abilities.
And with these seven tips, you know that they will be.
So get out there and start selling! Put these tips to the test and exceed your sales goals. You can make this quarter your best yet.
And psst! If you need a place to start, how about with a sales CRM that offers a free demo, and agent coaching upon subscription.