It's not too early to start planning for the sales results you want at the end of 2005. Here are seven things you can do to make sure you're in the Winner's Circle at your Next National Sales Meeting.

1. Develop a system for everything. There's a fundamental reason why companies like McDonalds, Disney, and FedEx do so well. They havesystems for getting things done. You can too. Think about systematizing all repetitive tasks. Quit reinventing the wheel everyday and you'll close more sales.

2. Schedule your priorities instead of prioritizing your schedule. Read that line again and let it soak in. Keep two lists. One is thlong view and the other is the short view. The short view is what you should be doing today. These lists should be in writing. If you are creating these lists with an electronic planner - be sure to print it, so you can see it and refer to it often throughout the day.

3. When you're in the selling mode keep the A.I.D.A. principle in mind. A-ttention, I-nterest, D-esire, and A-ction. This model has been around a while because it works.

4. Rise and shine 30 minutes earlier everyday - especially if you're lagging in the sales quota department. Allocating an additional 30 minutes every day will enable you to plan more effectively, think more creatively, exercise more regularly, read more frequently, and outfox your competitors more profitably.

5. Hit the books. There are no excuses for not knowing something. None at all. It doesn't take time to succeed in sales it takes knowledge. For example, doing a Google search on these phrases yielded these results:

Sales questions - 56,400,000
Closing the sale - 6,030,000
Negotiating - 13,100,000
Sales tips - 25,900,000
Sales techniques - 16,300,000
Price objections - 1,420,000

You'll get a wealth of information just reviewing the first couple of pages created by your Google search.

6. Keep track of your success. Measure your success and be sure to measure what matters most. Applying a yardstick to everything you do is the quickest way to turn around your sales performance.

Pretend you're Swiss Cheese - and find the holes. Even if your numbers are good right now, they'll get even better when you track all key elements of your sales performance.

7. Poofread your work. Actually, it should have said Proofread your work. When you're running fast you're likely to make more mistakes. The more important the communication is, the more time you should spend proofreading and editing the copy. You're always being judged and the customer is doing the judging. Reading your document "Out loud" will help you catch mistakes before it's too late.

Focus on winning. Eliminate all distractions. Be like a horse withblinders on, when it comes to doing what's important first and yes it might mean letting some things go undone.

The only people who don't have to worry about exceeding quotas, multitasking, dealing with demanding customers, keeping up with technology, and handling a variety of annoyances and problems on a daily basis are resting comfortably in cemeteries.

Isn't it great to be on this side of the SOD?

Buckle up - the last 5 months will be a roller-coaster.

Enjoy the ride!