SALES SUCCESS: SOMETIMES, THE KEY TO LANDING A SALE LIES IN CLEARING AWAY THE OBSTACLES THAT CAN MAKE YOU MISS THE MARK.

RECENTLY, I HAD A CONVERSATION with Rich Machowicz, a former Navy Seal, martial arts black belt and the author of Unleash the Warrior Within (Marlowe & Co.). He explained to me that he prefers to substitute targets for goals. As a Seal, he always had a specific, tangible target he was trying to hit.

Many times, however, various obstacles got in Machowicz's way, and he had to clear them before he could achieve his objective. As long as he kept that target within his sight, however, he could get over, under, past or through any barriers that might present themselves.

The same kind of concept applies to sales. Think of every sales deal as a specific, tangible target. Sometimes, to hit your target, you have to simply clear away the clutter that can get in the way of your path to success. Here are five practical and effective strategies to do just that:

1. CLEAN HOUSE. If you're like most people, you're probably overloaded with mounds of paper--on your desk, in your files and in your briefcase. It's time to clean up. Clear your desk. File or throw out anything that is not of immediate concern. Take care of everything else immediately. Always keep in front of you only those things that are of top priority.

2. STOP SELLING AND START SIGNING. It's possible to sell yourself out of a sale, and that's what will happen if you don't focus on how to get the deal signed. Ask the customer "What do we need to do to get the purchase order signed?"

3. CREATE A HIT LIST. Keep a list of your most important "targets"--prospects and customers--in your wallet and on your wall so they're constantly on your mind. That way, even though you may not be consciously concentrating on them, you'll discover new ways to reach them.

4. BUILD A CRITICAL PATH. This is a visual reminder of your target and the connections needed to reach it. Write it down, and look at it often. It will probably have a hub in the center (representing your target) and spokes coming out in many directions (representing the key means of moving forward). This kind of visual will help you stay focused and determine the best path to success.

5. GATHER YOUR RESOURCES. Do you have everything you need to make the deal? Is your product as good as it can be?

The ability of e-tailers to grow and to reach new consumers was evident in the most recent holiday period. According to Jupiter Communications, online retail spending during November and December 2004 reached $22.1 billion or 22% more than in the 2003 holiday period.

An influx of new online buyers drove the gain, Jupiter said, with 17.7 million consumers making their first-ever holiday purchase online in 2004.

The number shouldn't be surprising. Holidays are a time when consumers, whether because they can't find an item or because they are willing to do just about anything to get their holiday shopping done, are willing to try new things. "The holidays present a great opportunity for retailers to acquire new customers for the long term," said Patti Freeman Evans, retail analyst at Jupiter Research. "Not only were millions of people shopping online for the first time, but three-quarters of consumers bought from a site they had never purchased from before."

McKinsey & Co. estimated that holiday shoppers spent approximately $14.5 billion on goods at e-tailing sites, up 29% over the 2003 season.

The Internet has Congressman Ernest Istook all worked up. That was plain to see at the press conference he held on the Hill last week. But it wasn't music piracy, child porn, ID theft or the other usual hot-button technology topics were riling the Oklahoma Republican.

Istook took his time on the steps of the Cannon building, just across the street from the Capitol, to talk about taxes. Sales taxes to be exact. His new bill, introduced last week, would offer the federal government's stamp of approval for a national online sales tax plan.

Istook is a proud Republican -- not exactly a pro-tax poster child. But Republicans also call themselves the party of states' rights. Simply put, the Washington politicos should keep their grubby hands out of the states' affairs. And that means if they want to tax Internet sales, so be it.

Most states require citizens to pay use taxes on things they buy online or in another state, but few consumers comply because it's almost impossible to enforce. Not only that, a 1992 Supreme Court decision forbids the states from forcing businesses to pay up if they're located in another state.

That's why people in Washington, D.C., like buying big-ticket items in sales-tax-free Delaware. It's what sends Mainers over the border to buy their liquor in New Hampshire. It's what is sending more people than ever onto the Internet to buy just about anything.

The national sales tax plan would throw all this aside and let the states take the money they say they need to keep vital services up and running.

That argument has found little support on Capitol Hill so far, prompting Istook and William Delahunt (D-Mass.) to take the first step.

"If Congress does nothing, then we will be besieged with larger-than-ever requests that Congress make up the difference to support local schools, roads, public safety and hospitals," Istook said.