According to a Miller Heiman 2003 Sales Effectiveness Study, over 60% of sales organizations are being pushed to increase results with reduced budgets and fewer salespeople compared to last year
Whether you are a sales rep or a sales manager this information is probably not a surprise to you. Simply put, the current business climate demands you work smarter and not harder. It's about being organized enough to put your best foot forward in order to close business. The sales professionals I work with sales pros who rarely disagree when I say that time management is not only important but a critical factor in being successful. When I break down the most important components, here's what I find:
Prioritize. Most sales professionals I work with have a clear understanding of their goals and priorities, but shifting priorities have become the norm in most organizations. Being able to change quickly can mean gaining a competitive advantage, but it might also leave the employee feeling confused and over-whelmed. To remain flexible, re-visit your priorities several times during the day. Try working on priorities first thing in the morning BEFORE accessing email. This is a much more effective approach, both long and short term. However it can be difficult to implement because we tend to respond to the urgent (email) first. Your time management habits should support your ability to focus and proactively seek working on what's important, because focus and importance shouldn't be on any customer and prospect but on the right customer and the right prospect. Otherwise you're simply wasting time and opportunity.
Process. Selling is a process. It requires being efficient (doing the right thing) and effective (at the right time). And that's what time management is all about. But the first rule of effective time management is to overcome personal disorganization. How do you handle all that incoming information? Is the pile on your desktop stressing you because you fear something might be falling through the cracks? Can you store, manage and retrieve electronic and paper-based information easily? Paper and time management are interconnected so having a roadblock in one area usually leads to a challenge in another. If your systems and processes are already in line, ask how you can make them better because little shifts can make a huge difference in increasing productivity and reducing stress.
Proceed. 'Hope is not a Strategy' is one of my favorite book titles. The same is true for improving your time management skills. It's action that makes the difference. Doing something that moves you forward helps you feel you have more control of your day and your workload. Just thinking about doing something is a waste of your time. Time that would be better spent overcoming roadblocks.
Don't be a slave to poor time management habits, cluttered desktops (and hard drives) and procrastination. Being successful means having more time to spend with your family and friends as well as pursue some of your own interests.
Copyright 2004 Cynthia Kyriazis. All rights reserved.
Cynthia Kyriazis is a Professional Organizer, trainer, consultant, speaker, coach and author with over 20 years management experience in multi-unit corporations. She is President of Organize it, Inc., an organizational consulting firm serving Fortune 500 clients since 1995. Cynthia has worked with over 150 companies and hundreds of professionals to help improve performance in the areas of time, information, space and electronic file management.
Cynthia has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kansas City Star and the Legal Intelligencer. She currently serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), member of the National Speakers Association (NSA), member of International Society for Performance Improvement ? Kansas City chapter (ISPI-KC) and consultant to the American Coaching Association.
Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..I would like to touch upon a subject that it... Read More
An appointment is simply a mutual agreement to meet with... Read More
TIME MANAGEMENTWith the creation of the universe, God gave humankind... Read More
Setting goals is the easy part -- but sticking with... Read More
A new client recently admitted to me sheepishly that she... Read More
Your productivity depends on good tools and effective environments, and... Read More
Number Yourself: Count yourself as an important individual. You are... Read More
We all face decisions that involve doing things that affect... Read More
If I had a dollar or even better a pound... Read More
One question a lot of people ask me recently is:... Read More
Our daily lives are inundated with a crammed to-do list.... Read More
Goal Planning-Achieving balance in a person's life requires assessment of... Read More
Vilfredo Pareto's Principle, or The "Pareto Principle," is more commonly... Read More
When I was small, I have never considered the importance... Read More
Work brings together people of different characters and behavior, and... Read More
How much time do you spend on Mastering Your Time?... Read More
Why Read?It's been said that there are three kinds of... Read More
Whenever you have projects that can't be done in one... Read More
Do your dishes really need to be dried, or could... Read More
It's easy to waste time on things that seem urgent... Read More
* If you were paying you to prioritise emails over... Read More
"Can you find four extra hours in your day?" a... Read More
A common remedy for improving your time management is to... Read More
How many people do you know who are so busy... Read More
Despite the best of intentions, most of us don't use... Read More
Western Springs shuttle limo ..If you work from home, you know the kind of... Read More
How do you eat two elephants? The same way you... Read More
If you can motivate yourself at will to get any... Read More
Years ago clients would tell me they could not identify... Read More
Whenever you have projects that can't be done in one... Read More
One of the tried and true organization and time-management tools... Read More
And when you finally sat down to eat breakfast, was... Read More
In working with and coaching people across the country, one... Read More
As mothers we play so many different roles and most... Read More
Do you feel guilty about all the publications you purchase... Read More
"TIME CANNOT BE 'MANAGED.' THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF TIME MANAGEMENT... Read More
Reflect on the rewards of kicking the procrastination habit. They... Read More
This past Friday I was asked to speak with a... Read More
Time - it is the one thing that we are... Read More
Work more efficiently and be more productive using these time-management... Read More
Any habit of mind or body that interferes with taking... Read More
I keep a fossil on my desk at all times.... Read More
"I find it interesting that the very cape I tried... Read More
Does it ever feel like there is never enough time... Read More
The ability to be able to set priorities and deal... Read More
People always seem to be in such a hurry, everywhere... Read More
A common remedy for improving your time management is to... Read More
As a home-based, self-employed woman, mundane tasks can be as... Read More
Partnering with the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the... Read More
Last week I attended a presentation from Parenting Expert and... Read More
Time Management |