As 2022 screeches to a close, it’s a great time to start planning and setting goals for 2023. It’s no secret that teams and individuals are more productive when they have clear objectives to work towards; as the Harvard Business Review puts it, “goals energize people and encourage them to keep going.”

As you look ahead to next year, here are the top six areas to keep in mind when it comes to creating – and accomplishing – your 2023 goals.

1. Utilize a goal-setting framework

With so many goal-setting frameworks out there, it’s important to choose the one that works best for your team. You may have used ones like SMART goals and OKRs, but also check out backwards goal setting, the goal pyramid method, the golden circle, and more. The purpose of a framework is to help you and your team get clear on your objectives and how to reach them, so find the framework that lends itself to the working styles of your individual team members.

2. Create your goals

Regardless of which method you choose, keep these three things in mind as you create goals for your team:

Work backwards from your overarching annual goal. Having a clear goal to hit by the end of 2023 can help you determine what smaller goals need to be achieved. Incorporating quarterly, monthly, and even weekly goals can help keep your team members on track and focused on smaller, more attainable objectives that ultimately ladder up to the end-of-year picture and keep your team motivated and aligned.

Balance different types of goals. It’s easy to focus on the goals directly related to quota: make X amount of calls, book Y amount of meetings, etc. But SDRs can contribute in other ways, too. Be sure to include goals that center around innovative outreach strategies (ex: incorporate video messaging into your sequences this month), social media presence (ex: write and share a LinkedIn article), and more.

Consider what each individual team member brings to the table. Team goals are dependent on everyone working together towards a common objective, and thus must take into account each employee’s strengths and weaknesses. Make sure that your team goals lean primarily on the skills at which your reps are most successful, but also allow for growth and development in their weaker areas. Likewise, individual goals should be created with the SDR’s strong suits in mind, but include enough stretch to challenge them to improve.

3. Incentivize good behavior

Most sales teams incorporate SPIFs (Sales Performance Incentive Funds) or another form of incentives into their strategy, and for good reason. Incentives motivate reps to push more fervently towards their goals, and can boost performance in a shorter period of time.

4. Communicate effectively.

Goals mean nothing if they are not clearly communicated to your team. Consider having team and individual alignment meetings at the beginning of the year (and again at the beginning of each quarter), and keep a tracking document available so your team can easily see their progress. Your one-on-one check-ins are a great time to review individual progress and make adjustments where necessary.

5. Coach for the win

You shouldn’t expect your SDRs to hit all their goals, grow or develop without intentional coaching. As you plan for the new year, work to incorporate dedicated coaching time for your reps to improve their sales skills. If you’re looking for help on the coaching front, download The Ultimate Playbook to Coaching New SDRs.

6. Stay nimble.

If there’s one thing 2022 taught us, it’s that things can change at the drop of a hat. Remember that even the most well-thought-out goals are created in a vacuum; be prepared to adjust or rework goals as the market shifts and/or as major obstacles come up in your reps’ lives.

Vendition can help

Crushing your 2023 goals begins with building a team of driven, high-performing SDRs. If growing or coaching your sales organization is on the docket for next year, Vendition may be the partner for you. Connect with us today.