Page 1 - November&December_2017

Inside This Issue...
• Time Management Tips
• Sales & Marketing Talk
• Upcoming PPAI Webinars
• Sales Results through November 2017
• Million Dollar Club Achievements
• 2017 Milestones
• Recap of December Events

Volume 79, Number 9 November/December 2017

11 Time Management Tips for Busy Sales Reps

“Time is money.” We all know that phrase, but, Setting goals is only half the equation. you found yourself wasting time driving out of
as a salesperson, your time really is money. You need feedback too. Monitoring your your way due to ineffective scheduling? Grid
You don’t get paid for the hours you put in. progress will show you how much you have your territory and meet with prospects and
You get paid based on your results: the more accomplished as well as what corrections catch up with current customers all within the
you sell, the more money you make. need to be made. same area. When you effectively manage your
travel between appointments, you can meet
It’s easy to feel like there aren’t enough hours 3. Focus on the 20% with more prospective buyers, increasing your
in the day. But the problem may not actually Most people are familiar with the 80/20 Rule: sales potential.
be a lack of time but how you use it. Effective 20% of your time produces 80% of your results.
time management is critical to sales success, Rather than focusing on tasks that have little 5. Stop Multitasking
but it is also one of the biggest challenges. impact on your success, concentrate on the You may think you’re being more productive,
ones with maximum ROI. Then, look for ways but studies have shown multitasking actually
With multiple demands on your time and to either outsource or batch those low-ROI slows you down. Your brain can’t do two things
attention, limited resources and when you’re activities. at once. When you think you’re multitasking,
judged by results alone, you are constantly your brain is actually darting from one task
being pulled in different directions and to another in rapid succession. As a result,
battling distractions. On the plus side, you you lose 40% productivity, because the
have way more control over your work and brain is constantly shifting gears and trying
earnings than people in other industries. to focus. Not only does multitasking kill your
efficiency and performance, it’s actually
Since you can’t add hours to your day, harmful. Prioritize your sales activities and
make the most of the ones you have. Using focus on one thing at a time to maximize
your time wisely will help you focus and, your success.
ultimately, boost your success. It’s one of the
most useful skills a salesperson can have! 6. Batch Tasks
Grouping similar tasks together leads to
1. Track Your Time greater productivity and efficiency. Block
When it comes to managing your time, the off a specific amount of time to make cold
first step is to figure out where it goes. Most calls each day. Return calls at the same time
people are unaware of the habits that kill their Another way to think about the 80/20 Rule is, each day rather than continually checking
productivity. If you’re suffering from too much 80% of your sales will come from 20% of your your voicemail all day long. Designate an hour
to do and not enough time to do it, the best customers. That’s true for a business, but many or two in the afternoon for prospecting for
way to get it under control is to acknowledge reps will have names on their list that will never the following day. Once the time is up, move
and understand your habits. You can do this buy and others that will become high-value, on to another task. Scheduling activities this
by tracking your time. long-term customers. The sooner you can way improves your workflow because when
qualify, the better for you, so if you’re doing you concentrate on one activity at a time, you
2. Start with the End in Mind your own qualifying, do it hard and fast, batch become faster, better and more accurate.
People who set goals and monitor their it and remember: if there’s an unqualified
progress perform 30% better than those who lead on the phone, you’re not actually selling. 7. Get to the No Faster
don’t. Having goals increases motivation and You’re either qualifying, or you’re just talking. Chasing the wrong prospects costs valuable
achievement. However, not just any goal will time you could have spent nurturing a
do. The more specific the goal, the greater the 4. Batch Appointments viable lead. Most likely, you have a system to
likelihood of success. A goal without a number When you have a meeting outside the office, disqualify leads, but it can be hard to let go of
and a timeframe is a wish. think about who else you could meet in the a potential sale, even one that appears to have
area. It seems obvious, but how often have little chance. That’s an error.

Time Management,
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