Kicking Off The New Year

To ensure you hit the finish line in 12 months, you must ensure your top sellers are off to a great start. One of my favorite bosses, Kirk MacDonald, told me you always ride your big horses at the beginning of the year. Riding your big horses harder goes further than getting the others to catch up. Here is how you ensure your top sellers are prepared for the new year.

Here is how to ensure your best reps are prepared, motivated, and sprinting toward success.

1. Are They Dialing for Dollars or Wasting Time?

Momentum matters. Push hard on January 2, just like December 29. Sales leaders who slow down after the holidays signal the team to hit cruise control.

🔹 Bring the energy. Walk the floor, set expectations, make sure reps hit the phones.
🔹 Lead from the front. If leadership looks checked out, sellers take their foot off the gas.

2. Do They Have a Plan of Attack?

Sellers without a clear plan drift aimlessly. Lock in strategy before the year slips away.

🔹 Sit down with each rep. Review personal goals, revenue targets, and top accounts.
🔹 Get specific. Outline daily activity metrics or focus on three must-close accounts for Q1.

A clear plan drives urgency. A vague plan leads to missed quotas.

3. Have You Removed Their Roadblocks?

Top sellers should sell, not battle internal issues. Fix problems early to keep them focused on closing deals.

🔹 Ask the right questions: What stands in the way? What support do they need?
🔹 Solve internal bottlenecks fast. Every minute spent fixing internal problems is lost selling time.

Sales leaders clear obstacles. Reps close deals. Keep their time focused where it matters.

4. What Extra Incentive Pushes Them?

Most leaders wait until sales slow to run contests. Reverse that. A strong January fuels the full year.

🔹 Simple bonus ideas:
✔ $100 per new deal closed.
✔ Extra commission for deals over a set amount.

🔹 Pro tip: Hand out cash. Seeing the money hit the desk beats a direct deposit.

Incentives turn strong starts into record-breaking years.

5. Have You Set the Tone?

Kickoff meetings set the standard. No meeting? No urgency. Sellers assume leadership is too busy to manage them.

🔹 Host a launch meeting: In person, video, or call.
🔹 Lay out clear expectations: What matters, what wins, what does not fly.

Salespeople want money for nothing and love for free. Leaders make sure they earn it.

The Bottom Line: Start Strong or Play Catch-Up All Year

Top sellers drive revenue. Focus early effort on keeping them engaged, removing distractions, and rewarding results.

🔥 Lead with energy. Reps match the manager’s intensity.
🔥 Plan the attack. Clear targets drive execution.
🔥 Fix problems fast. Selling time beats admin time.
🔥 Fuel early momentum. Smart incentives shape the year.
🔥 Set the tone. Sales teams need direction, not autopilot.

A strong start builds unstoppable momentum. Push hard now. Win big later.