There are four primary activities that successful salespeople engage in on an ongoing basis. These are Prospecting (45% of time), Presenting (20%), Product Knowledge/Malleability (20%), and Professional and Personal Development (15%)
Recently we were presenting this information in a workshop on Prospect Management, when one of the participants raised his hand and said: "That's great. But you just don't understand. We spend so much of our time having to service our existing clients and putting out fires, there's no way to have that much time for prospecting and all this other stuff."
Sound like something you face?
We understand, because we're out there selling too. Just like you, we go out and find new prospects, show them how we can help them, deal with client service, make sure training materials show up where they're supposed to be, etc? And, we spend a good deal of time consulting, conducting workshops, and working with clients.
Like most sales professionals, we, too, have to juggle my time to focus on actually selling and prospecting.
The key is effective time planning.
Time planning is really more than time management. You really can't manage time at all when you think about it ? no matter what we do time marches on. No matter what we do there are 52 weeks in a year, 24 hours in day, and 60 minutes in an hour. Try as we might, we just ain't gonna change that. So, let's not bemoan that we don't have enough time ? the time you spend complaining about not having enough time is time you could spend on something more productive and rewarding. (Ever notice that the people who complain the most about not having enough time are usually the ones getting the least amount done? Think about it and observe.)
So, we can't control time itself, but what we can control is how we use our time. In fact, when you come right down to it, our use of own time is the ONLY thing in life that we really have complete control over. Every minute of every day you are making a choice, whether consciously or not, over how you use your time. The key to effective time planning is to make conscious decisions over how you spend this most valuable resource.
Here are some tips to help you plan and utilize your time more effectively:
Be obsessive about planning:
Everybody these days uses some sort of planner whether electronic or paper; that's a personal choice and either one is fine. But, real effective planning is more than making a daily to-do list.
Plan Weekly: Look at everything you have going on for the next two weeks. First appointments, follow-up meetings, presentations, internal meetings etc? In addition to actual meetings, you need to schedule in time for:
- meeting preparation
- travel time to and from meetings
- administrative and paperwork
Schedule these things into your calendar so you know exactly when you are going to do them!
Next, schedule in time ? make a firm appointment with yourself ? for prospecting activities. When will you make calls? I can guarantee that if you don't make a firm appointment with yourself, those calls won't happen.
Taking this weekly view is vital to effective time planning; many things that we do can't get done in one day, but if know what we want and need to accomplish in the broader space of a week, we're more likely to be productive with our time.
Plan Daily: Look ahead to the next day. What urgent things will you need to attend to? When will you do them? What things did you not get done today that you need to do tomorrow? Do this each day at the end of the day so you can start your next day fresh with the knowledge of exactly what you're setting out to do.
TIP: Don't overpack your time too much. You do need to allow for the unexpected. You also need to constantly reevaluate your time in the face of changing priorities. Give yourself the cushion for this.
Analyze Regularly: Keep track of how you spend your time, and analyze its level of productivity; look at whether each activity is moving you closer to your goals or is not. Try doing this for a period of two weeks; you'll be amazed to realize how much time we spend on non-productive things. Just the sheer act of tracking this will make you more productive, guaranteed.
Apply "Zero-Based Thinking": Author and speaker Brian Tracy, in his book "Focal Point" talks about applying "Zero-Based Thinking" as a way to form your goals and mission. It applies at this level as well. As you get a sense of where you're time is currently spent, ask yourself these questions:
- What things do I need to start doing?
- What am I currently doing that I need to do more of?
- What am I currently doing that I need to stop doing?
What things can you delegate? What things could you stop doing that aren't really necessary? (Think hard on this one; there are certainly things we all do that don't really need to be done at all.)
Take time for reflection and planning: "But wait", you say! "I don't have time to do stuff now, how can I take all this time for planning. Sounds nice in an ideal world, but I have to live in reality!" Taking the time for planning and thinking will actually make you more productive. You will be in more control of your time, and you will be focused on the activities that will yield you the best results. 15 minutes a day is all you'll really need. And those 15 minute could well be the most important time you spend!
To help you, here some great tools you can download:
Daily Time Tracking Worksheet
Weekly Planning Worksheet
Mark Dembo and Thomas J. Baskind are Managing Partners in DEI/Lexien of Greater New York, a sales performance improvement and management consulting company. They invite you to visit their website, http://www.lexien.com/, and welcome your comments and inquiries.
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
Imagine increasing your business earnings by 30, 40, or 50%.... Read More
We all agree one of the most important parts of... Read More
How well do you know your community? As business owners... Read More
Are you dog tired because of the way you manage... Read More
Many recruiting ads and job descriptions include "knockout factors" that... Read More
It's a fact - the online world dies down in... Read More
How you prioritize your sales territory management activities depends upon... Read More
I remember moving my family to Argentina as Vice President... Read More
Maximizing account penetration is one of the most critical functions... Read More
Every dollar you discount is a dollar of pure profit... Read More
A Highly Conscious Approach To Business Management. For more on... Read More
Many people believe that the main reason for representatives leaving... Read More
Few businesses keep tabs on competitors, yet such knowledge can... Read More
In the 30-plus years I spent working in advertising and... Read More
This article may be reprinted in its entirety with express... Read More
Sales managers are an interesting breed, effective sales managers are... Read More
As a group of sales trainees took a break from... Read More
Leadership, like class, is hard to define, but easy to... Read More
Do you want to make more money?Yes, I guess that... Read More
Q. What's the single, biggest change exhibitors can make to... Read More
Of the many mistakes small business owners make, a big... Read More
Good sales people can close, but few "step up" for... Read More
An effective way to increase your profits and sales is... Read More
You've probably heard of focus groups. It's a tool that... Read More
"(Howard) Hughes never learned how to convert his knowledge to... Read More
Performance and behaviour management is by far the most difficult... Read More
Although I never met the man, I imagine Lou Boudreau... Read More
I just finished a phone call with a potential client... Read More
In 2000 a computer distributor hired me to help them... Read More
Are you involved in projects that seem to go nowhere... Read More
Increasing Sales by using Coupons. Will it help your business?... Read More
Do you know anyone who regularly wins bids? Or can... Read More
This is a quandary not unlike the chicken or the... Read More
If your letter writing and phone calls have all failed... Read More
I don't know about your business but in my experience... Read More
The objective of an incentive is to incite action within... Read More
You've probably heard of focus groups. It's a tool that... Read More
Many people today simply prefer the convenience of paying by... Read More
Here's the Scenario...You're at a trade show. Out of town.... Read More
Good sales people can close, but few "step up" for... Read More
Few businesses keep tabs on competitors, yet such knowledge can... Read More
How you prioritize your sales territory management activities depends upon... Read More
This week's article is my response to a question by... Read More
If you have a small business and you are looking... Read More
Business executives and sales managers frequently bemoan "80/20" performance on... Read More
I just got off the phone with Susan. She is... Read More
That we live in a time of relentless and pervasive... Read More
Does the competition drive you crazy? Are they relentless about... Read More
Is lack of sales results, more sales training costs, months... Read More
Many people believe that the main reason for representatives leaving... Read More
I don't even like saying the word d---------g. I have... Read More
In a classic business-to-business print ad from the late 50's... Read More
One of the most asked questions I get is how... Read More
How high is your sales trust factor?Is it higher than... Read More
This article may be reprinted in its entirety with express... Read More
Money is the only thing that motivates a salesperson, right?... Read More
The old adage in selling has always been, "Find out... Read More
As a group of sales trainees took a break from... Read More
I recall a heated discussion with a sales director some... Read More
As spring moves to summer, the forecast should be for... Read More
Sales forecasting is the process of organizing and analysing information... Read More
Question: What do the following have in common?- I spend... Read More
Here's the scene. You're at the trade show, having a... Read More
Sales managers are an interesting breed, effective sales managers are... Read More
Sex, Drugs & Rock-n-RollHere's the Scenario...You're at a trade show.... Read More
Do you want to make more money?Yes, I guess that... Read More
Sales Management |