Membership Overview
Learn what being a member does for you
The Seller Styles
NASP Programs
Catalog
See a summary of all our programs and certifications
Online Certifications
Certified Professional Sales Person(CPSP®)
Develop your potential as a certified sales professional
Certified Professional Sales Leader(CPSL®)
Grow your impact as a certified sales leader
Certified Master Sales Professional (CMSP®)
Join the elite group of sales professionals and leaders
Certified Master Sales Trainer (CMST®)
Online Programs
Advanced Sales Influence (ASI)
Take your influence and leadership to the next level.
Certified Professional Sales Associate (CPSA®)
Learn foundational sales behaviors, strategies, and skills
Power of Contact Marketing
Learn from marketing expert and author Stu Heinecke
ProSeries Programs
Join the top 1% of sales professionals in the world.
Next Level Virtual Coaching
Sales Mastery
Join our ongoing dynamic virtual coaching community
Career Center
Explore job postings from some of the best companies in the country looking for sales professionals
Training Resources
Daily Dose of Influence!
Enjoy our video series of influence tips and strategies
Leads To Growth
Dig into our podcast featuring industry leaders and experts
Coaches Corner
Learn from our high-level sales coaching video series
Women of Sales & Influence – Facebook Live Series
Be inspired by our Facebook Live series spotlighting top women influencers
Women of Sales & Influence – Video Blog
Enjoy valuable, high-level sales strategies to empower your sales goals
Sales Resources
The Growth Quotient
You’ve heard about IQ, but what is your GQ?
Our Commitment to You
We are here to help your approach to sales, how you interact with others, and how you perform and execute
Articles
NASP Sales Blog
Learn from our member-submitted articles for sales professionals
About Our CEO
Standards of Conduct
Testimonials
Common Questions and Answers
Contact
by Kellie D'Andrea
Each year, millions set out to achieve their big, big goals and often start with the greatest of intentions but never make it to the finish line. The reason is simple, they do not set deadlines!. Deadlines can be used to your advantage and are proven to improve your success rate when trying to achieve your goals. A deadline is a point of measure or a time commitment by which your tasks and goals must be achieved. They serve as a powerful reminder of not only what you are trying to achieve but that there is an end in mind to the process. Goal achievement is about setting your goal in reasonable timeframe and building the plan to get you there. If you do not set a deadline and you leave it open, human nature will allow you to believe that you have unlimited time to achieve the results you desire and procrastination will take over.
It is proven that those who set deadlines and had the mindset to meet those deadlines were twice as much as effective in reaching their goals as those that didn’t. Deadlines demonstrate commitment, accountability and urgency.
Goal achievement starts with a decision to make change. Using deadlines reinforces that decision and holds you accountable to reaching your milestones and your goal. It enhances your focus and drives your performance to take action towards your goal.
In short, deadlines challenge you to perform! One of the biggest mistakes you can make when trying to achieve a goal is to plow ahead with a grand idea without drilling down the steps you need to take each and every day to get there. If you don’t set milestones along the way with strong deadlines, you will not accomplish what you set out to accomplish.
Remember back in school or at work when you were assigned a big project to complete, you were also given a deadline to complete that project. It wasn’t left open, there was no “when you get to it” You had to get it done by a certain date or else there were consequences. You got right on developing your strategy to complete it and remained focused on getting it done, no matter what. We have been conditioned to respond to “it’s got to be done by this deadline” so why not use it in your goal achievement process? It works and it is proven that deadlines lead to results.
About the author