Great Time Management Advice from the Sales Dog

I recently read an article put out by salesdog.com which has prompted me to take corrective action in my day to day activities. It's a little late to call it a new years resolution, so call it what you will, just apply these words of wisdom to your own life and take notice on how many more hours in the day you are productive........

Don't Lose Another Minute

The dawn of a new year reminds us that time waits for no Salesdog. We've excerpted these timely tips from a chapter by Art Sobczak in Top Dog Sales Secrets. Take Art's advice to heart and you're sure to keep on track this year.

Have you ever felt like you could use a few more hours in the day? Welcome to the club! I think most of us would agree we could sell more if we only had more time-or more realistically, better control of our time. After all, we can't manage time any more than we can manage the weather. We can only control what we do with our time, to squeeze more productivity from every day. For salespeople, good time management starts with two fundamental strategies to prevent you from spinning your wheels, and allow you to spend more time doing what you do best: selling.

• Do the important stuff first. Do the stuff you get paid to do! Make the critical calls and work on the larger proposals first. Tackle the more difficult projects early, before the inevitable little annoyances begin chipping away at you.

• Police interruptions. Don't let the constant arrival of email messages, voicemail messages or postal mail interrupt you. Instead, discipline yourself to manage these interruptions at predetermined times of the day. When reviewing email and voice messages, identify the items needing immediate attention and add them to your master "To Do" list. The others can be left for later, or trashed.
On a tactical level, Dan Wallace wrote an article called "Do Twice as Much in Half the Time" in Home Office Computing magazine. I've excerpted and adapted the ideas that apply to sales.

• Ask for the first appointment of the day. On the phone or in person, the first appointment of the day is the least likely to start late.

• Update your contact management program and keep it current. Place a printout of your accounts/prospects by the phone. When mail comes back marked "Return to Sender" or you find someone has moved on, make manual corrections to the printout. Then, when you are on terminal hold with someone, update the list on your computer.

• Rearrange your workspace. Use the "near-far" rule. Keep things you use frequently at arm's length, and things you don't use often out of the way. If piles clutter your desk, invest in some shelves. If you're right-handed, place the phone on your left, and keep a pad and pencil nearby. If you're a lefty, do the opposite.

• Police your voice mail. When you accumulate a voicemail backlog, write or type the messages, then delete them. This eliminates scrolling through previously-heard messages the next time you check your system.

• Return calls. Use the lunch hour to return calls requiring only a short answer, or those in which you're asking a simple question. Many people will be away from their desks, and you'll reach voicemail.

• Discourage interruptions. If you have an office, stick a sign on the door that says, "Important sales call in progress." Or hang one on your cubicle that reads, "Door closed."

Finally, here are some personal tips I've accumulated over the years to help squeeze more productivity out of every day:

• Flush your account files. I am astounded by the amount of rubbish residing in many reps' follow-up files. Read the skimpy account notes, and you see a long list of comments like, "Not ready now, check back in six weeks." Simple math tells you the time spent trying to push a two-ton rock uphill would be better invested looking for someone with whom you have a chance. Set an objective for a decision of any type on your next contact with these people. Ask, "When do you feel you'll move forward with a purchase?" You'll save time on your calls, and the results will be more pleasing.

• Know when and how to say "no." Far too many sales reps feel obligated to jump through hoops for prospects who merely want to pick their brains, or obtain obscure product information. They comply without even knowing if they'll get something in return! Before investing inordinate amounts of time with prospects, be certain there is a potential payoff. Don't be afraid to say, "I'll be happy to do this for you. I assume you want it because this is something you're interested in, and we'll be working together on a purchase?"

• Help people get to the point. Those who just want to chitchat with you are pickpockets. You would not let them snatch a $20 bill off your desk; why let them do this with your time? Whether they're customers, peers or vendors, politely help them explain the reason they are calling by asking, "So how may I assist you?" or, "What can I do for you?" Use the past tense; signify the end of a call by saying, "It's really been great speaking with you." or, "I'm glad we had the chance to talk."

• Reschedule personal interruptions. When friends call to chat, let them know you're busy, but want to speak with them. "Mike, great to hear from you! I want to hear all about your vacation in North Dakota. I've got some business calls I need to make, so what's the best time for me to call you back tonight?"

• Use "Power Blocking." Set aside blocks of time (45 minutes) for specific activities, and do nothing else during those times. For example, you might have two blocks of prospecting, and three blocks for follow-up calls during the day. This keeps you from scattering your attention in too many unproductive directions.

• Take the "Why am I doing this?" test. When engaged in a questionable activity-such as stuffing envelopes, or writing a proposal to a marginal prospect-ask yourself why you are doing it. If you can't honestly say it is making (or saving) you or the company money, delegate it to someone else.

• Analyze and adjust your work hours. You might be physically present for eight hours, but how much do you get done during that time? Perhaps by coming in a half-hour earlier, you could accomplish in that time what would normally take two hours later in the day. You'd be squeezing out another ten hours of production each week!

• Never write memos or email again. Got something important to say to someone internally? Say it as you walk by their desk. Or call them, for goodness sakes! I realize some situations require covering your behind with a written record, but most memos simply waste your precious time.

• Go public with your intentions. If you must do something for someone else, commit to completing it by a specific time. For example, "I'll have that price quote to you by two o'clock." This forces you to complete the task on time and avoid procrastination.

• Turn wait time into productive time. Think of all the places you wait: airports, doctors' offices, the mechanic's shop. Carry a file of reading or light paperwork you can get done during those down times. This will ease the frustration of waiting, make the time productive, and free up your work time for more important tasks.

If you think it's stupid to waste money, it's even more foolish to waste time. You can always make more money, but not even Bill Gates can buy more time. The bottom line is: if you want to get more done, you will. From that desire will flow plans for monthly, weekly, daily, and hourly plans for accomplishment. There's no magic in time management; it's all about getting back to basics. If you have that burning desire, give these ideas a try. You'll find yourself getting more done in less time, and selling more both in person and by phone.