596. Sales Targets

"For this year also, our MD (Managing Director) has given us unrealistic sales targets. Let alone achieving the targets, we can't go anywhere near the targets."

"It has been the same story every year. Our MD does not seem to have learnt any lesson from the past!"

"Our Sales Manager should have told him that these targets were unachievable. But, not having the courage to speak against the MD's ideas, he was sitting quietly in the meeting. But he would torment us, by continuously reminding us about the targets!"

This was the conversation among the sales executives of the company, after coming out of the sales budget meeting held by the Managing Director. 

"Sir! I didn't want to say this in the meeting where the sales executives were present. I feel that the targets fixed by you are too high" said Vikraman, the Sales Manager.

"I am happy to hear you saying that the targets are 'too high.' If you had said that the targets were 'somewhat high' or 'a little high,' I would have thought that I could have made them still higher!" said Senthil, the Managing Director, smiling. 

"Sir! Please don't think that I am finding fault with your approach. Every year, we keep fixing the targets at very high levels. But we have been able to achieve only fifty to sixty percent of the targets fixed by us. Will this not discourage the sales executives?"

"We don't sack any sales executive for not achieving the target. We give them good increments every year. They have not been quitting their jobs, frustrated by their failure to achieve the targets. During the past three years, only two sales executives quit their jobs, that too because they got better jobs" said Senthil.

"It is true, sir. Many sales executives have been telling me that you are very graceful and magnanimous. They are loyal to you. But, is there not a principle that targets should not be unrealistic?"

"Yes, there is. But, I follow a different principle. My principle is that our goals should be high!" said Senthil, laughing.

"Is this approach pragmatic?"

'Let me share something with you. I had aimed for several things in my life. But, in most of the cases, what I got was much less than what I had aimed. But, I keep aiming for something big again and again. In the beginning, I was working in a company. I aimed to come to a top position in that company. But I was able to rise only up to some level. Then I started my own business. I had the aim of growing my business into a corporate entity. But, our firm still remains quite small. However, I have not given up my efforts. As you know, our firm is one of the top firms among the small firms in our line of business. I believe that this was made possible by my setting high goals."

"After listening to your explanation, I am able to see the efficacy of your approach. Though our performance has been below our targets, our growth has been above the average growth of firms in our line. I am beginning to understand how your approach of setting high goals has yielded results" said Vikraman.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 61

Possessing Zeal

Verse 596 (in Tamil):

uLLuvadhellAm uyarvuLLal maRRadhu
thaLLinum thaLLAmai nIrththu.

Meaning:

Fervently aspire for the best; even if you fail,

you should not stop aiming high.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'viRpanai ilakku' by the same author.) 

Verse 597
Verse 595