As you wrap up your peak season sales and enrollments, it’s not too early to start thinking about your goals for 2026.
Here are three goals you might consider.
2026 Sales Goals
1: Elevate your time management.
You’ve got a lot on your plate. Your role encompasses many things: prospecting; sales; needs analysis and risk assessment for clients; compliance; relationship management; service; market research (to ensure you’re able to offer the right products and services for those you); continuing education; and more.
Schedule your day. Determine your priorities but maintain flexibility for unexpected interruptions.
Focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking may seem like a good idea, but studies show switching between tasks has a cost: lower quality output. Even checking your email repeatedly can be counterproductive. It’s better to designate a few times a day to check email, so you can stay focused and organized.
2: Review your sales process.
Consider what’s been most successful for you in the past quarter or year. Look at what made those sales easier – or what made one enrollment go more smoothly than others.
Use your CRM platform to help you determine where your leads came from and how many turned into actual sales. What’s your average sales cycle? If you’re investing a lot of time and effort and falling short, it’s time to review your process and consider making changes.
Are you routinely surveying your customers – both those who become clients and those who don’t – to get feedback on what they like and don’t like? If not, you should be.
Measuring your performance is essential to your future success.
3: Prioritize relationships.
Building, nurturing, and maintaining relationships are or should be your priority. Your goal is to develop a long-lasting relationship that leads to renewals, expanded sales in the future, and referrals for additional business. You can get there by getting to know more about your prospects and existing clients. As we have discussed in the past, your ears can be one of your best sales tools. Read of “Power of Active Listening” blog for guidance.
If you don’t already have a referral program, you might consider establishing one.
As you consider other potential personal goals for 2026, don’t forget one of the most effective methods for goal setting: be SMART. This acronym can help you be more strategic.
S: Be specific in your goal setting.
Ask yourself a series of questions to help you map your strategy.
• Who is involved? You by yourself or you working with others?
• What are the specific reasons or targeted benefits of achieving your goal?
• When will you achieve each step? What’s your timeline for each goal?
• Where will it happen? At what location?
• Why is the goal important? Why are you doing it?
• What stands in the way of achieving your goals?
M: Make your goals measurable.
Whether you focus on increasing sales (sold policies, enrolled participants, or premium dollars), boosting your market share, or increasing revenue by a target percentage, each of your goals needs to be measurable. You must be able to answer questions like “How many? How much?”
Avoid undefinable goals. “Sell more business this year” is an example of what not to do. Although admirable, consider changing it up by adding a percentage increase. That makes it measurable.
Be sure to track your progress: weekly, monthly, and quarterly. Doing so keeps you on target, and it can also give you a sense of achievement as the months progress.
A: Make your goals achievable.
While you want to push yourself, you need to be realistic in setting your goals. They need to be attainable. Ask yourself “Is the timing reasonable?”
Your goals should represent a bump from last year. But don’t overdo it. Having a growth mindset will help you develop the attitude and skills needed to get there.
R: Focus on relevance and results.
Each goal must represent something you are able and willing to work toward. Be certain that each represents a substantial step forward. Make sure each goal fits with the others.
T: Make each of your goals time bound.
You need to have a target date or achievement timeline for each goal. Think about when you want to (or believe you can) complete each goal. That will force you to evaluate your goals separately – and consider whether each is a near-term or longer-term objective.
It doesn’t matter whether you are an independent insurance sales professional, or part of sales team at a corporation, agency, or bank. Developing an annual, well-defined list of goals can help you stay focused as the year progresses.
Your goals are like a road map, which can help drive you to success.
As the marketplace continues to change, no matter how your clients’ demands may change, you can count on Word & Brown to help you adapt and thrive. We’ve been working with brokers for 40+ years, and we are committed to providing you with what you need to succeed. That includes our legendary Service of Unequalled Excellence.
Contact your W&B rep today. Or if we’re not already working together, call 800-869-6989 or register online today. .
