As a person who needs a list to stay organized everyday, I'm always happy to see new time management strategies. Today business growth expert Diane Helbig shares her tips to getting it all done - without feeling overwhelmed!
There are steps you can take to get things back in line and start taking effective action:
1. Start by listing all of those to-do items. While it may seem scary, once you have them listed you can start attacking. If they only occupy space in your head they can seem bigger than they are. So bring them down to earth and onto paper.
2. Prioritize the list. This is a key part of taking action. There really are items that are more important or pressing than others. So, put the list in order of importance or urgency. As a part of this discovery process identify any items that you can delegate. Ask yourself what the best use of your time is and if anything on your list falls outside of that scope, delegate it.
3. Take the list of items you couldn't delegate and break them down into bite size steps. When to-do items are large they can seem overwhelming. However, remember the saying 'you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time,' and list the action steps that are necessary to accomplish the to-do item.
4. Then schedule those action items. When will you get them done? This may require taking a step back and looking at your calendar from a distance. Scheduling activities in a constructive way will help you spend less time on them and actually get them done. And keep your goals to three at most. Only add an item after completing one. If the deadlines are different consider staggering your activity so there is no down time.
5. Set up an accountability partnership. This is someone you can partner with to monitor your progress and celebrate your accomplishments. As you complete your tasks and move projects toward completion, make sure you acknowledge it. In addition, your accountability partner can help you schedule action items in a realistic way so you are more apt to be successful. And as a partnership, you will be helping them as well. I find that having these relationships helps me stay focused and on track.
Getting things done is an important aspect of success. You can't afford to allow a large list of to-do items paralyze you or derail your efforts. Remember that feeling overwhelmed is a common occurrence for small business owners. This feeling doesn't have to rule your world - you rule your world. So, take control, create your list, schedule your action items, and partner with someone who will help you stay the course. As you knock down item after item you will find yourself enjoying your business even more.
Diane Helbig is a Professional Coach, and President of Seize This Day Coaching. She works one-on-one and in groups with business owners, entrepreneurs, and salespeople. Visit her website at http://www.seizethisdaycoaching.com
Showing posts with label time management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label time management. Show all posts
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Five Secrets to Effective Time Management
During hard economic times it is often prudent to take on more responsibility at work to show how important you are to the company. But that shouldn't mean you're at the office 12-13 hours a day. So how do you get everything done in a normal time period? Use these time management techniques from sales trainer Mike Brooks to fit more into your busy days.
Secret #1 - Identify the two most important things to do each day, and then do them. Identifying these priorities is actually easy. Each night before you go home, make a list of all the things you need to do the next day. Once that list is completed, ask yourself, "What two things, if completed, would have the biggest impact on my bottom line?"
Once you've identified these two items, make them your top priorities for the next day and commit to getting them done. Unlike most people who struggle with many conflicting activities that rob them of their time, by adopting this one habit, you'll move into the top 5% of all business executives and managers.
The most effective executives and business owners are "doers" and the way they are able to accomplish great things is they have the ability to identify the important things and they commit to getting them done.
Secret #2 - Start each day with your top two priorities and work each one through until it's completed. Then cross it off and complete the next one. Resist the temptation to multitask other activities while you're working on your priorities, and don't start the next one until you're done with the first one. Working each one through to completion is the key.
This builds momentum, a sense of accomplishment and empowerment, and most importantly you'll actually be getting your important priorities done each day.
Secret #3 - Start with your most important (or most difficult) priority first. Accomplishing one or two important tasks always leads to more success -- and always frees up the most energy. Once those "mountains" are out of the way, you can easily and more enjoyably take on your other tasks of the day.
Most people do the opposite: they put off the hard (and most important stuff) and get caught up in the time robbers. This is a sure recipe for feeling overwhelmed. Do the opposite -- start with the hard, and watch your day get easier!
Secret # 4 - Group your other activities. Paperwork, checking e-mail, checking voicemail, etc., are incredible time drains. The worst thing to do is to keep checking them every few minutes. Make a schedule - perhaps after you cross off a priority you allow 15 minutes to check these things and then go right back to your next priority. Paperwork and other non-essential activities especially are best grouped at the end of the day.
Although these things seem important (and some are) don't keep getting tangled up in them. You must stick to your top two priorities (like 2-3 hours a day spent cold calling -- a top priority that pays for itself many times over). Grouping your activities allows you to get all of the other 'stuff' done but not at the expense of your priorities.
Secret #5 - Prepare your next day the night before. Before you leave the office, make sure you have your written list of priorities and grouped activities timed and written down. This helps you stick to a schedule when you get to the office, and that's another secret of effective time management.
It also allows you to get more rest because you're not worrying about or planning your day as you're trying to fall asleep at night.
Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, specializes in helping sales reps avoid rejection and make more money. Check out his free ezine at http://www.mrinsidesales.com/ezine.htm
Secret #1 - Identify the two most important things to do each day, and then do them. Identifying these priorities is actually easy. Each night before you go home, make a list of all the things you need to do the next day. Once that list is completed, ask yourself, "What two things, if completed, would have the biggest impact on my bottom line?"
Once you've identified these two items, make them your top priorities for the next day and commit to getting them done. Unlike most people who struggle with many conflicting activities that rob them of their time, by adopting this one habit, you'll move into the top 5% of all business executives and managers.
The most effective executives and business owners are "doers" and the way they are able to accomplish great things is they have the ability to identify the important things and they commit to getting them done.
Secret #2 - Start each day with your top two priorities and work each one through until it's completed. Then cross it off and complete the next one. Resist the temptation to multitask other activities while you're working on your priorities, and don't start the next one until you're done with the first one. Working each one through to completion is the key.
This builds momentum, a sense of accomplishment and empowerment, and most importantly you'll actually be getting your important priorities done each day.
Secret #3 - Start with your most important (or most difficult) priority first. Accomplishing one or two important tasks always leads to more success -- and always frees up the most energy. Once those "mountains" are out of the way, you can easily and more enjoyably take on your other tasks of the day.
Most people do the opposite: they put off the hard (and most important stuff) and get caught up in the time robbers. This is a sure recipe for feeling overwhelmed. Do the opposite -- start with the hard, and watch your day get easier!
Secret # 4 - Group your other activities. Paperwork, checking e-mail, checking voicemail, etc., are incredible time drains. The worst thing to do is to keep checking them every few minutes. Make a schedule - perhaps after you cross off a priority you allow 15 minutes to check these things and then go right back to your next priority. Paperwork and other non-essential activities especially are best grouped at the end of the day.
Although these things seem important (and some are) don't keep getting tangled up in them. You must stick to your top two priorities (like 2-3 hours a day spent cold calling -- a top priority that pays for itself many times over). Grouping your activities allows you to get all of the other 'stuff' done but not at the expense of your priorities.
Secret #5 - Prepare your next day the night before. Before you leave the office, make sure you have your written list of priorities and grouped activities timed and written down. This helps you stick to a schedule when you get to the office, and that's another secret of effective time management.
It also allows you to get more rest because you're not worrying about or planning your day as you're trying to fall asleep at night.
Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, specializes in helping sales reps avoid rejection and make more money. Check out his free ezine at http://www.mrinsidesales.com/ezine.htm
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Conserve Energy...Stop Complaining!
Mark Hunter has a great post on his blog. I know it's a reminder I should keep in mind!
From Mark's blog:
Regardless of how energetic you are, energy spent on complaining about something or somebody you don't have any control over is always wasted. The greatest assets any salesperson has are their time and intelligence. How you choose to spend the time you have each day is the easiest asset to control. There is a direct relationship between your energy level and the amount of time you have in your day. When we spend it complaining about something, we wind up placing our energy into an activity that has virtually zero return. Our complaining takes away our valuable energy and, as a result, our most prized resource: time.
Over the years, I've found that there is very little room for complaining among top performing salespeople. They would rather spend their energy and time developing customers and closing sales. Next time you're about ready to start complaining about something, take a deep breath, step back and ask yourself if it is really going to be constructive.
Read The Sales Hunter's latest thoughts and comments about consultative selling, sales development, and sales motivation techniques at www.thesaleshunter.com/blog
From Mark's blog:
Regardless of how energetic you are, energy spent on complaining about something or somebody you don't have any control over is always wasted. The greatest assets any salesperson has are their time and intelligence. How you choose to spend the time you have each day is the easiest asset to control. There is a direct relationship between your energy level and the amount of time you have in your day. When we spend it complaining about something, we wind up placing our energy into an activity that has virtually zero return. Our complaining takes away our valuable energy and, as a result, our most prized resource: time.
Over the years, I've found that there is very little room for complaining among top performing salespeople. They would rather spend their energy and time developing customers and closing sales. Next time you're about ready to start complaining about something, take a deep breath, step back and ask yourself if it is really going to be constructive.
Read The Sales Hunter's latest thoughts and comments about consultative selling, sales development, and sales motivation techniques at www.thesaleshunter.com/blog
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Take Control of your Time
"Being an effective sales person is tough in today's environment," says business coach Tom Kelly. "As a salesperson, you are responsible for a myriad of tasks and responsibilities in addition to selling the product or service. As a result, it is paramount that you effectively manager your time. If you don't, you may find yourself in reactionary mode, and your sales will suffer as a result."
Here are a couple tips from Kelly to avoid this trap:
1. Maintain a "Master Schedule"
The most effective way to manage your time is to make sure that your daily actions are in alignment with your intentions. One way to do this is to design a "Master Schedule" that includes all the things that you need to accomplish each week. By committing to this schedule and eliminating time wasters, you can effectively manage your time.
2. Stop tolerating things that waste your time
Don't allow people and things to waste your time. If you are asked to attend a meeting, make sure you know what the meeting is about, why you need to be there, and what the agenda is. If this isn't clear, don't attend. Additionally, remove yourself from the company of people that are just there to waste your time.
3. Implement the FAB technique
FAB stands for Focus, Administrative, and Buffer. Use this technique to effectively schedule your day. For example, schedule focus times during the day for meetings with clients, prospecting, and any other tasks that are critical to your success. Make sure that you are not interrupted during focus times. Anything that is not critical, but needs to get done should be scheduled during administrative times, preferably outside of the normal sales calling times. You can fill in the blanks with buffer time, time when you can take a break to restore your energy.
4. Set up blocks of time for phoning and e-mail
Set up a consistent time each day to return phone calls and do e-mails. During the rest of the day, stay away from these tasks, as they can immediately put you into reactionary mode. Consider not answering your phone during the portion of the day when you are visiting customers. Instead, leave a message on your voice mail instructing the caller to leave you a voice mail, and you will return their call at the end of the day. Avoid doing e-mails first thing in the morning, as this can get you off track as well.
"By taking control of your time, you will be much more effective as a salesperson, and your customers will respect you more for it," says Kelly. Happy selling!
Tom Kelly is a Profession Business Coach that specializes in working with small business owners, entrepreneurs, and salespeople. He can be reached at (773) 907-0921, or at www.potentialinmotion.com.
Here are a couple tips from Kelly to avoid this trap:
1. Maintain a "Master Schedule"
The most effective way to manage your time is to make sure that your daily actions are in alignment with your intentions. One way to do this is to design a "Master Schedule" that includes all the things that you need to accomplish each week. By committing to this schedule and eliminating time wasters, you can effectively manage your time.
2. Stop tolerating things that waste your time
Don't allow people and things to waste your time. If you are asked to attend a meeting, make sure you know what the meeting is about, why you need to be there, and what the agenda is. If this isn't clear, don't attend. Additionally, remove yourself from the company of people that are just there to waste your time.
3. Implement the FAB technique
FAB stands for Focus, Administrative, and Buffer. Use this technique to effectively schedule your day. For example, schedule focus times during the day for meetings with clients, prospecting, and any other tasks that are critical to your success. Make sure that you are not interrupted during focus times. Anything that is not critical, but needs to get done should be scheduled during administrative times, preferably outside of the normal sales calling times. You can fill in the blanks with buffer time, time when you can take a break to restore your energy.
4. Set up blocks of time for phoning and e-mail
Set up a consistent time each day to return phone calls and do e-mails. During the rest of the day, stay away from these tasks, as they can immediately put you into reactionary mode. Consider not answering your phone during the portion of the day when you are visiting customers. Instead, leave a message on your voice mail instructing the caller to leave you a voice mail, and you will return their call at the end of the day. Avoid doing e-mails first thing in the morning, as this can get you off track as well.
"By taking control of your time, you will be much more effective as a salesperson, and your customers will respect you more for it," says Kelly. Happy selling!
Tom Kelly is a Profession Business Coach that specializes in working with small business owners, entrepreneurs, and salespeople. He can be reached at (773) 907-0921, or at www.potentialinmotion.com.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Busy, Busy, Busy
The best account managers are busy. Average account managers are busy and below-average account managers are busy. Who isn't busy?
That being said, it's easy to be busy doing things that do nothing for your business. Tim Rohrer recently discussed in his blog the difference between busy-productive and busy-unproductive.
Rohrer says there are only two right things to be busy doing:
1. The actions that get one closer to making a sale
2. The actions that ensure the success of a sale already made
That's it! Here's a story from Rohrer to help you make sure you're only doing these two things.
"The other day, an account manager pointed out to me that she had sent an email to a client with an interesting article attached. The article was relevant to the customer's business and sending it was a good idea," says Rohrer. "But does her action fall into Category #1?"
"Her action should have fallen into Category #1 as she was trying to get closer to making a sale. But, based on the content of her e-mail, I can promise you that she didn't get closer to making a sale because she didn't ask the customer to take any action. Her email said something like this:
"I saw this article and thought of you."
"Coincidentally, another account manager also copied me on an email he sent to a customer with an article attached. His email said something like this:
"Did you see this article (attached)? Let's get together and brainstorm ways to make this work for your business. We always come up with great ideas and I am sure that we can do it again!"
"Two busy account managers. One productive account manager," says Rohrer.
This outline from Rohrer should help you see the difference between busy and productive:
1. The actions that get one closer to making a sale
a. Prospecting
i. Research to identify prospects
ii. Research to identify industry trends
iii. Contacting prospects with valid business reasons to convince them to spend time with you.
b. Qualifying
i. Determining if the prospect has enough money to purchase your products through research
ii. Determining if the prospect has enough money by meeting with them
c. Presenting
i. Sending presentations that ask for an investment
ii. Delivering presentations face-to-face that ask for an investment
"Being busy is not the goal of any seller who counts on revenue production to earn commissions. Being productive is the goal," says Rohrer. "Let's examine our behaviors and get a little busier being productive."
Tim J.M. Rohrer is a recognized leader in sales and sales management. He writes about his experiences in advertising sales on his blog at http://www.salesandmarketingloudmouth.com. Currently employed as a Sales Manager at Radio One in Atlanta, he can be reached through e-mail at timrohrer@comcast.net.
That being said, it's easy to be busy doing things that do nothing for your business. Tim Rohrer recently discussed in his blog the difference between busy-productive and busy-unproductive.
Rohrer says there are only two right things to be busy doing:
1. The actions that get one closer to making a sale
2. The actions that ensure the success of a sale already made
That's it! Here's a story from Rohrer to help you make sure you're only doing these two things.
"The other day, an account manager pointed out to me that she had sent an email to a client with an interesting article attached. The article was relevant to the customer's business and sending it was a good idea," says Rohrer. "But does her action fall into Category #1?"
"Her action should have fallen into Category #1 as she was trying to get closer to making a sale. But, based on the content of her e-mail, I can promise you that she didn't get closer to making a sale because she didn't ask the customer to take any action. Her email said something like this:
"I saw this article and thought of you."
"Coincidentally, another account manager also copied me on an email he sent to a customer with an article attached. His email said something like this:
"Did you see this article (attached)? Let's get together and brainstorm ways to make this work for your business. We always come up with great ideas and I am sure that we can do it again!"
"Two busy account managers. One productive account manager," says Rohrer.
This outline from Rohrer should help you see the difference between busy and productive:
1. The actions that get one closer to making a sale
a. Prospecting
i. Research to identify prospects
ii. Research to identify industry trends
iii. Contacting prospects with valid business reasons to convince them to spend time with you.
b. Qualifying
i. Determining if the prospect has enough money to purchase your products through research
ii. Determining if the prospect has enough money by meeting with them
c. Presenting
i. Sending presentations that ask for an investment
ii. Delivering presentations face-to-face that ask for an investment
"Being busy is not the goal of any seller who counts on revenue production to earn commissions. Being productive is the goal," says Rohrer. "Let's examine our behaviors and get a little busier being productive."
Tim J.M. Rohrer is a recognized leader in sales and sales management. He writes about his experiences in advertising sales on his blog at http://www.salesandmarketingloudmouth.com. Currently employed as a Sales Manager at Radio One in Atlanta, he can be reached through e-mail at timrohrer@comcast.net.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Quote of the Week
"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We only have today. Let us begin." -- Mother Teresa
We're now halfway through July, and the summer is just flying by. It can be hard to concentrate during the summer, especially when you're a couple of days away from your vacation, but it's important to prospect and close business each day, just as you normally do during the rest of the year.
Keep your concentration during your workdays, and you'll be free to enjoy your vacation time, knowing your bank account is in fine shape.
We're now halfway through July, and the summer is just flying by. It can be hard to concentrate during the summer, especially when you're a couple of days away from your vacation, but it's important to prospect and close business each day, just as you normally do during the rest of the year.
Keep your concentration during your workdays, and you'll be free to enjoy your vacation time, knowing your bank account is in fine shape.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Don't Allow "Busy Work" to Interfere with Selling
How many times do you have a full day of selling that gets put off due to "necessary" interruptions? If you're like most salespeople, this probably happens more frequently than you'd like. Customer service issues, phone calls, emails and coworkers are all a drain to your precious selling time each day.Sales trainer Paul McCord has a solution that can help you handle the interruptions without taking up too much of your selling time. In a recent blog post, McCord wrote, "My solution has been to set aside four 1/2 hour times during the day when I will address non-selling issues. Twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon I set aside my selling and marketing activities in order to return calls, handle 'emergencies,' and the other 'busy' work of my business. Of course, if a real emergency arises, it takes precedence over all else. But real emergencies are rare."
This can be a scary idea for those who check their messages and email often - but you'll find that this system allows you to be more productive and focus better on the task at hand. After all, building your business should always be the number one priority.
Author of "Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals," Paul McCord is president of McCord & Associates, a sales training and management-consulting firm.
Friday, January 25, 2008
SalesDog Quick Tip
Sales trainer Lori Richardson has a sales blog on AllBusiness.com that I highly recommend - it's well written and her posts are always content-rich. She recently wrote a "Sales Prospecting Tip Sheet" to help make your prospecting a success. Here are a few of her tips:
- DIVERSIFY - Mix up how you contact your more probable prospects. Call early in the day, call at 5pm.
- BE CONSISTENT - You must set regular time slots in your calendar to do this! Once you set the times, honor your commitment to yourself and to growing your business.
- GET FEEDBACK - Ask trusted advisors to let you "call them" with an introductory call. Find out how you can tighten what you say - especially in voice mail messages which are nearly always way too long.
- SEPARATE research time, calling time, and updating time. Work like a machine - create a smooth process so that you do research at a different time, and you are able to crank through calls and email messages.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Ben's Message to Sales Folk
It is fitting that Ben Franklin is on the $100 bill - he's the epitome of hard work and thriftiness. His lessons were immensely popular during his time and still apply to modern salespeople. I've picked some gems to share with you - enjoy!
-Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of. Wasting time must be the greatest prodigality, since lost time is never found again.
-If you have something to do tomorrow, do it today.
-Drive thy business, let not it drive thee.
-There are no gains without pains.
-Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee.
-If you want a faithful servant, and one that you like, serve yourself.
-Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of. Wasting time must be the greatest prodigality, since lost time is never found again.
-If you have something to do tomorrow, do it today.
-Drive thy business, let not it drive thee.
-There are no gains without pains.
-Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee.
-If you want a faithful servant, and one that you like, serve yourself.
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