So what's your resolution this year - lose weight, make more money, spend more time with the family? You might as well add winning the lottery or curing world hunger to the list! Because most New Year's Resolutions fall short of expectations by this time every year!

How about for your company? This year set a resolution for your company; a revenue resolution. A real resolution with an objective and specific set of Specific, Measureable, Action-oriented, Realistic and Timed goals (SMART) goals attached. Not -"This year I plan to grow my business by 15%". Instead try - "This year I resolve to increase my focus on revenue producing activities by... (a set of SMART goals)."

Be careful though, we all tend to focus on the goal and not the objective. For example, let's just say that you set a goal to make 100 cold calls each week in 2008. This goal is certainly (SMART) specific, measurable, action oriented, somewhat realistic and timed; however it does not meet your objective of the resolution to increased focus on revenue producing activities! Dialing for dollars in NOT a revenue producing activity! It's an easy to write actionable goal that makes us feel like we are doing something. When was the last time you bought a service or product because someone, out of the blue, called you and asked if you needed it?

Resolutions like increasing your focus on revenue producing activities are difficult to articulate. They don't come from easy to write individual goals! They require an integrated sales and marketing plan that leverages a number of objectives and goals. Therefore, if you really want to focus on revenue producing activities in 2008; work on creating a sales culture within your organization. Because, in business to business selling, more sales come from referrals than any other source. And more referrals come to companies with a sales culture.