What Value Have You Created This Year?

It’s December, we’re all caught up in a frenzy of activity—closing those final deals we need to achieve our goals, preparing for a fast start for next year, then preparing for the Holidays….

Now here I am, adding one more activity to your already over loaded “To Do List.”  But I think it’s an important one.

Take some time to analyze:  “What value have you created this year?”

Here are some specific things you should be doing:

1.  Look at the top 5-10 deals you won this year.  Go back to the customers to see where they are at.  Have they achieve the goals they had hoped to achieve?  Have they measured and tracked it?  Is there a gap?  Should you be doing something about it? 

If they aren’t achieving their goals, they are on the way to becoming an unhappy customer—fix it.  If they have achieved the goals, is there another turn of the crank?  Can they move forward and achieve any more?   Talk to them about how you both can leverage the current success and move forward. 

Do they recognize your contributions in creating that value?  Can they introduce you to others who might want to achieve similar goals?  Can you create a case study you might be able to leverage in the coming year?

2.  Look at the top 5-10 deals that ended in a loss or no-decision made?  Where did you go off the rails in creating value?  Go ask the customers.  Take the time to explore where they are at now–are they achieving what they had hoped?  Do you have an opportunity to help them further?  What can you learn to improve on next year?

3.  What have you done for your peers and colleagues?  Have you helped them learn and grow?  Have you helped them achieve success?  Have you mentored someone?

If you are a manager, how has your team grown?  What impact have you had in helping them both perform at the highest levels possible and in achieving their full potential?  What barriers to their success have you removed?  Does each person understand where they stand?

4.  How have you simplified what you do?  What old baggage have you discarded?  What things that waste your time, your customers’ time, or your peers’ time have you eliminated?

5.  What have you done to develop and improve yourself?  The bar will raise in the coming year–your customers will have higher expectations, your competition will be tougher, your company will have higher expectations.  Have you prepared yourself to meet and exceed these expectations?

6.  What have you done to create value in your community or with a cause that you care about?  Are you contributing your time and talents to create a better world?

Success in business, sales, life is simply about value creation.  Continuing to create value builds on itself.

What value have you created this year?