Before going out and knocking down that first deal, it is crucial that every sales representative takes the time to develop a list of personal goals and objectives for optimizing their performance within their role. Although the primary objective for most sales representatives is to secure orders, there are many other objectives that are even more important. Yes, that’s right, more important than getting that elusive customer to sign on the dotted line! Even though your title may be “sales representative,” in actuality there may be a myriad of approaches and requirements for that position. The first thing to be familiar with is your company’s mission statement and corporate objectives. You then need to establish the best approach to your given market that will most effectively support those objectives. Your company may be a new player in a specific market and is therefore trying to establish their position. If this is the case, you will likely be judged based upon your ability to grow volumes and increase market share. On the other hand, your company may be in a market with only a few competitors, and perceived success is based upon negotiating the best deal. In that instance, optimizing profitability at each account will be your primary objective. In order to be perceived as an outstanding performer, you also must perform within the expectation guidelines held by your organization. Some companies want their sales people to scour the market for new customers, while others are just seeking to maintain their customer base due to capacity constraints. In almost every organization, however, the sales representatives are the eyes and the ears of that company. The gathering of customer and market information is critical to every organization’s long term success. In order to optimize performance, salespeople need to be excellent communicators. They need to be able to constantly gather new information and filter out that information which is valuable to their organization. Identifying which information is worth passing along depends upon the specific goals and objectives of each particular organization. Even if your company does not require you to