Targets And Training
Targets and Training are two of the most key parts of any business. Sometimes employees may feel targets are for the business and training is for the staff. This may not be completely true it depends on the line of business your in. NHS, Police, Retail, Service sector, Recruitment and Personal Trainers all share some form of targets. Gym based personal trainers main targets are based on reaching set client numbers were as self employed one to one personal trainers have more control so they can focus purely helping clients reach there personal targets. However having some idea of how many clients you need weekly and amount of sessions will determine your monthly wage and yearly salary.
Targets and Training in any business may have some positives, as it’s a clear outline on what is required of you. Its also ongoing analyzed data that will bring revenue and keep the business profitable.
Allot of sales companies look for the young graduate, as they may be hungrier to do well. Financially they want to build a life and career for themselves. They also fresh from University or college so they can easily be molded into job enlargement, commission based rewards, management persuasive tactics, overtime etc. Experienced employee’s will know too much because of there age and experience such as Employment Law, Corporate culture, Business Psychology and Human Resources etc. Therefore older more experienced staff will know their rights and know how they fit in the organization regards to Employment Law.
It’s important to know your rights at work. Companies don’t put managers on courses to become better leaders. They put them on courses on how to get staff do what you want them to do through tested strategies i.e. delegation, job enlargement, Job rotation and reward strategies.
Commission based Sales targets only become problem when you rely on them. If you do rely on them then you create a double-edged sword because you have to earn certain commission each month and managers will expect you to reach it to achieve branch as well as personal targets. So realistically you don’t have a say in the matter. So in a stress fueled job like this what is the best thing you can do ?. Best thing is to find a job that is not based on commission pay. Alternatively don’t stress to be the best seller, be average this more realistic as things can change from month to month.
If you raise the bar each month as the best seller, you will get financially rewarded fully. However for your long-term wellbeing it can cause anxiety, pressure and stress because you begin to create high expectations of yourself. The sales targets will then be raised and if you do not reach your expectations certain staff may take desperate measures to reach them by misspelling, force selling, avoiding non buyers etc.
Its normal for a manager to encourage competition within teams because managers get also a nice bonus from it. Expect to have a bad month because you can’t sell to everyone and certain days and seasonal holidays can make an effect on your targets.
Although don’t expect managers to accept this as its there soul job to brain wash staff by thinking you can sell to everyone on any given day. By following the above advice it will prevent anxiety or stress that comes along with this job.
Why do we feel anxiety, fear and stress in our jobs? Are we overworked? Do we hate our jobs? Or are we afraid of loosing our jobs? Best solution is to be proactive and ask for support if your failing to meet your sales targets or not sure how to carry out task to the required standard. This will prevent a verbal warning from management due to poor performance, which can lead to disciplinary. If you ask for support and this has not been carried out then you can make a grievance if disciplinary happens towards your performance. If you need support and not making it clear to your line management then the responsibility may go back to you. Its also important to ask for guidance from high performers as there ideas and sales techniques should be shared between staff.
When you ask for training you will find due to funding, time and convenience allot of the training may not be classroom based. In addition allot of information is delegated down so training may be given by an assistant. I would recommend asking senior managers for 1-2 hour of dedicated time to get direct training so you don’t miss anything out. More importantly all communication in regards to appointment, requests and feedback to be recorded on email as this will be your only proof you will have to show commitment and activeness towards your employer. Finally all Targets and Training need to recorded month after month for your self and your employee to identify what you have learnt ? any developments you need ? as well as any obsticles you may have approached ?.
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Wellbeing & Fitness Writer.