The beginning of a new year is the perfect time for clear-eyed reflection of the previous year, and sound planning for the year ahead. Before you begin strategizing how to maximize the opportunities in your pipeline and generate new opportunities, ask yourself a few soul-searching questions: Was I as productive as I could have been? Did I manage my time in the most effective way possible?
Time is the scarcest resource that we have and wasted time, or time spent on the wrong activities, will negatively impact any sales executive’s ability to succeed. If you take the time to prioritize and organize now, you’ll reap the rewards all year long.
Keep Distractions at Bay
Distractions and poor organization are time snatchers. Today, more than ever before, your computer can be your worst enemy. With Web sites, such as YouTube, CNN or MSNBC, it can be like having a television at your workstation. As tempting as it may be to get the latest news online or to check the statistics of your favorite team, distractions like these will slow you down. What could take an hour with diligent attention can quickly be morphed into a day-long project if you allow yourself to be preoccupied.
Sell During Selling Hours
Even when you use your computer as a business tool, you can run the risk of spending an entire day simply answering e-mail. To keep yourself on track and on task, you must stay focused on your priority to sell. The most effective sales executives already know that you must stay in front of the prospect when they are accessible. In other words, sell during selling hours. By restricting your administrative tasks to slower times of the day, you can better address your prospect’s needs.
React vs. Respond
Keep in mind that clients and prospects can be time bandits as well; to manage your time best, you must be keenly aware of the differences between what is urgent and what is important. A clear distinction between the two determines whether you will react or respond. We react to urgent needs, we respond to important requests. To ensure that you don’t waste your time reacting to requests that can wait, ask clarifying questions. Knowing what the task requires will allow you to allocate your time appropriately.
Know What You’re Good At...and What You’re Not
Delegation is also an effective tool to prevent your time from spreading thin. If you are aware of what each entails, you can determine if certain aspects are better suited to other people in your team. Each person is endowed with a specific skill set and those differences should be leveraged. Delegating will save you time to work on the tasks that are better suited for you and enable you to maximize your opportunity by having the best qualified people working together.
Qualify, Qualify, Qualify
Anyone can get better at qualifying their time. What distinguishes a good sales executive from a great sales executive is the ability to accurately qualify your prospects. Some prospects will never close, no matter how much time you invest. Most of us have a number of prospects in our pipeline that will never make a decision. A clear and consistent qualification method will enable you to disqualify them and save you wasted time. Give yourself the gift of valuable time that can be better spent on qualified prospects that will result in a sale.
Stay Focused
Every day, new challenges and tasks arise that require you to reevaluate where to spend your time. Ultimately, by restricting your distractions, properly evaluating your opportunities, understanding your own abilities and fully and appropriately engaging in tasks, your time and productivity rate will soar. There will always be time-busting activities that we must accomplish, but understanding how your productivity will be affected by those actions, and then managing your time effectively will take you to a higher level of sales success.
Manage Your Time Like Your Business Depends On It