You've got a plan. How do you stick to it?

As the calendar year winds down, thoughts turn to new goals for a new year. Maybe you had a great year and want to go further, or maybe you didn't perform as you hoped and need to make some changes. Whatever your situation, thinking ahead will help you make it happen.

How do you ensure that you stick to your plan and reach your goals? Sales trainer Colleen Francis has some tips to help you focus:

• Make each goal quantifiable. It's simple to say, "I want to triple my sales this year," but how realistic is a goal like that? To make goals stick, you need a breakdown of exactly how you plan to succeed. How many more cold calls would it require? How many presentations?

• Execute on a daily basis. Once your goals are quantified, make a daily chart that includes the number of cold calls made, presentations scheduled, sales closed, etc. It's the only way to chart your progress and adjust on a week-to-week basis.

• Create a "To-Do List." Successful salespeople know goals are more than words on paper. Each week, make a list of the top five things you need to adjust in order to achieve them. The following week, replace the ones you've accomplished and continue to work on the others.

• Create constant rewards along the way. You are the ultimate manager of you! Lasting success comes when your motivation comes from within - not an outside source. To help along the way, provide yourself an incentive at key milestones. Try setting up small bonuses for meeting benchmarks along the way. Treat yourself to a purchase, a trip, a day off, or coffee with a friend. One way to achieve long-term goals is by focusing on short-term ones. I believe that what gets rewarded gets repeated.

Check out more of Colleen's advice at www.engageselling.com. You can also reach her by calling 877-364-2438 or emailing her at colleen@engageselling.com.

"I'm just calling to check in ..."

This is surely one of the most ineffective (translate: lame) openers you could use. But does that stop most salespeople? Unfortunately, no.

"If you're like most people, you've used this opener at some point in your sales career," says Colleen Francis of Engage Selling. "What you may not realize is that this little sentence can quickly reduce your credibility with your prospect. Are you really calling just to check in or check up? If so, either you've got a lot more time on your hands than I do, or else it's time to seriously consider a career change!"

Francis gives this advice for creating a more effective opening:

First, start by removing the word 'just' - it makes you sound unimportant, and your call seem like an afterthought.

Replace it with something like: "The last time we spoke, you ..." By taking the customer back to the last time you spoke, you remind them of your relationship, and prove that you are carrying through on what you were asked or promised to do.

Nothing builds rapport better than a promise kept. Rapport leads to trust, and trust leads to loyal customers.

Give this tip a try this week and see the impact on your calls.

Sales trainer Colleen Francis is president of Engage Selling Solutions and a contributor to Top Dog Sales Secrets.