| You can't manage time. | | | | important task, activity or role |
| Interesting concept when you consider there are | | | | -can enjoy the time you have |
| thousands of salespeople and managers every | | | | -get more satisfaction from your life's |
| day trying to improve their time management. | | | | responsibilities |
| I challenge you to manage the next minute! Can't | | | | -get more done |
| do it. Time passes. When you are doing what you | | | | -can sell more |
| like or are with people you enjoy time seems to | | | | Work from lists of things TO DO. Here's how. |
| speed by. When you are doing thinks you hate or | | | | 1. Male a list. |
| are with people you don't like time seems to | | | | 2. Prioritize the items on the list according to your |
| creep by very slowly. The rate of time does not | | | | goals, needs, desires, activities, demands etc. |
| change. Your perception of passing time does. | | | | 3. Start with the important ones (must do's) first. |
| Time management is a misnomer. If you are | | | | 4. Finish these before you move to the less |
| having trouble managing time I'll be you are having | | | | important ones (should do's) |
| trouble managing: | | | | 5. Finish these before you move to the |
| -people | | | | unimportant ones (will do's if I get time) |
| -resources | | | | Work from lists and you will get more done in |
| -decisions | | | | less time. |
| -procrastination | | | | -planning |
| -success | | | | -contemplation |
| -failure | | | | -reflection |
| -emotions | | | | -relaxation |
| -feelings | | | | -fun |
| -problems | | | | -thinking |
| -attitudesand so on. | | | | Develop the habit of spending a certain amount of |
| The inability to successfully manage any of the | | | | time each day/week/month and year in solitude |
| above will result in a "time management" problem. | | | | or mini breaks for recharging your battery. It |
| To improve time effectiveness you must | | | | doesn't matter if it is walk in the park, slow |
| improve one or all of the above. | | | | relaxed meal, meditation time or just sitting doing |
| My research shows the typical salesperson | | | | nothing. |
| spends 10-20 percent of their time selling and | | | | Paperwork is not going away, not in this lifetime |
| 70-80 percent doing everything else. Isn't it | | | | anyway. It doesn't matter how technically |
| amazing that you can earn an income in sales | | | | oriented your organization becomes, there will |
| spending less than 30 percent of your time selling? | | | | always be paper reports; information to share, |
| Imagine what you could do to your results and | | | | something to write, forms to complete, reports |
| income if you could increase that number only 10 | | | | to evaluate or analyze and some piece of paper |
| percent? | | | | that finds its way to your desk or mailbox. The |
| Time Management and effective time use is a | | | | key is to honestly and effectively determine |
| function of many skill and attitude; prejudices, | | | | whether you want or need to spend time on this |
| attitudes, habits and personal philosophies. No one | | | | stuff or whether you can discard it without |
| can manage time. If a person has a "time | | | | negative consequences. Let's take a brief look at |
| management" issue or problem it is most likely | | | | a few of the paperwork demands on your time. |
| due to a weakness or lack of ability in some | | | | 1. Expense reports |
| other area of their life. In order to improve | | | | 2. Call reports |
| ultimate time use a person must identify these | | | | 3. Territory reports |
| tendencies, attitudes or weaknesses and then | | | | 4. Customer reports |
| develop skills and abilities to address and | | | | 5. Customer history reports |
| overcome them. You can't improve time use, it is | | | | 6. Forecasting reports |
| a nebulous concept. | | | | 7. Goal or quota reports |
| The keys to improving time use and territory | | | | 8. Competitor evaluations |
| management - are to: | | | | Here are a few ideas to consider while managing |
| -know yourself | | | | paper. |
| -know your tendencies | | | | 1. It is a myth to believe that you can handle |
| -know your strengths | | | | each piece of paper once. |
| -know your weaknesses | | | | 2. Technology will never replace someone's need |
| -know your goals- | | | | or desire to have a |
| -identify your common time wasters | | | | 'hard copy' of something. |
| -have a prospecting strategy | | | | 3. Let's face it - depending on who wants the |
| -establish regular planning times | | | | information - a customer,your boss, a fellow |
| -be ruthless with your self-discipline | | | | employee or another department will |
| Territory management is the ability to maximize | | | | determineyour attention span and response time. |
| your results, reach your goals and effectively build | | | | 4. Most people are not good communicators on |
| your business in your territory while satisfying the | | | | paper. They either go on and on and on with |
| demands and expectations of your management | | | | endless dribble OR they give us far too little |
| team and customers. | | | | information to help us make a decision. |
| -Know your prime time. What is prime time? It is | | | | 5. Sooner or later someone/everyone wants to |
| that time of the day, week or month when you | | | | be copied on everything/something. |
| are at your best. Are you a morning person? Late | | | | 6. You need a priority system for handling your |
| night person? Other? Does your energy fade | | | | administrative tasks. |
| during a certain time of the day or week? | | | | 7. File any notes you take during telephone |
| How about your Prime Time PLUS- This is that | | | | conversations or appointments. |
| combination of time when you are at your best | | | | 8. Establish a reading file. |
| and your customers/prospects can see you. For | | | | 9. Use expandable file pockets instead of hanging |
| example if you are a morning person and a client | | | | folders. |
| prospect wants a conference call in the morning- | | | | 10. Keep your briefcase organized. |
| this is your Prime Time Plus. However if you are | | | | 11. Have an effective follow-up system. |
| an afternoon person (your energy, creativity, | | | | 12. Have an effective suspense action system. |
| imagination) peaks in the mid afternoon and you | | | | 13. Do difficult tasks first thing in the day. |
| are not at your best in the early morning and a | | | | 14. Use a pencil for scheduling appointments. |
| prospect wants a meeting in the morning this is | | | | 15. Confirm all appointments. |
| not your Prime Time OR your Prime Time Plus. | | | | 16. Send yourself e-mails as reminders. |
| The key is to schedule critical sales activities | | | | So, how can you streamline your paperwork? |
| during Prime Time Plus and non sales activities | | | | 1. Allocate a specific amount of non-selling time to |
| during you non Prime Time Plus. | | | | administrative requirements. |
| Each of us has numerous demands on our time, | | | | 2. Don't let paperwork/reports get in the way of |
| energy and resources. One of the keys to sales | | | | you prime time selling activities. |
| success is the ability to balance multiple: | | | | 3. Make a daily/weekly appointment with yourself |
| -demands | | | | for reports/paperwork. |
| -expectations of customers | | | | 4. Categorize your administrative tasks into: |
| -requirements of our position | | | | -A- Must do's now/today. |
| -personal needs and desires | | | | -B- Should do's now/today if you have time. |
| -tasks | | | | -C- You will do when you finish you're A's and B's |
| -routine activities | | | | 5. Form the habit of keeping daily records so at |
| -family roles | | | | the end of the week it isn't as big a chore to |
| -personal needs and desires | | | | complete a report or administrative task/function. |
| -expectations of our supervisors | | | | 6. Organize you routine tasks reports/roles in |
| -personal growth possibilities | | | | such a way that they can be completed easily. |
| -and much more. | | | | 7. Delegate what you can to a subordinate, staff |
| It is no wonder that many salespeople burn out | | | | person or another department. |
| early in their career due to the inability to | | | | 8. Have your mail screened by a support person. |
| successfully handle all of these issues, challenges | | | | 9. Create files for your paperwork: routine, |
| and requirements. If success is one of your | | | | urgent, archive, action today, action this week, |
| agendas you will ultimately have to: | | | | action this month, suspense, action this year, |
| -eliminate something from your plate | | | | pending, to review, to read, when I get time, |
| -better manage all of these issues and roles | | | | from my boss, customer requests. Get creative |
| -get better organized | | | | here - the more you have the easier it is to keep |
| -or live with the continued stress of poor | | | | track of everything. |
| organization | | | | 10. Subscribe to a book review program. |
| I am sure you know the feeling of being | | | | 11. Spend a half-day a week or month in the |
| overwhelmed - the need to satisfy everyone and | | | | library catching up on industryinformation/trends. |
| everything in your life as well as the desire to | | | | 12. Write responses on memos/faxes/e-mails |
| create a sense of peace in your life knowing that | | | | rather than create a new document. |
| you - while working on other people's issues, | | | | 13. Keep things brief, short and to the point. Avoid |
| expectations and demands - have not abandoned | | | | editorializing. |
| your own requirements for success, achievement | | | | 14. Keep your memos, reports, correspondence |
| and success as you have chosen to define it at | | | | accurate not perfect. |
| any given point in your life. | | | | 15. Develop a standard format or template for al |
| You have also most likely known how you have | | | | of your routine reports. |
| felt when you have finished a day, week or | | | | 16. Have a self-rating system for how well you |
| month with a great deal of unfinished business. | | | | think you are doing managing your paperwork. |
| Everyone who hopes to do more, have more, | | | | 17. Develop the habit of asking yourself: do I need |
| become more, learn more and contribute more | | | | to do this? Do I need to do it now? Can someone |
| will, sooner or later, have to confront their own | | | | else do this? |
| needs and style of what personal organization | | | | Territory management, like time management, is |
| means to them. No one can tell you how to | | | | a function of many attitudes, habits, values, skills |
| organize your life and career. What learning can do | | | | and beliefs. It is also a function of: |
| is help you identify where growth, change or a | | | | -the geographic size of the territory |
| new philosophy is needed so you can regain some | | | | -the number of clients/prospects in the territory |
| sense of harmony while climbing the ladder of | | | | -the method of travel through the territory i.e. air, |
| personal success, whatever that means to you. | | | | car etc. |
| Let's take a brief look at a few of the issues that | | | | -the non-sales responsibilities within the territory. |
| will require your attention as you attempt to | | | | -the degree of administrative sales support |
| better organize your time, territory, career and | | | | Here are a few territory management ideas to |
| life. | | | | consider that can improve your results. |
| One of the key characteristics in effective | | | | In order to effectively manage a sales territory it |
| territory management is to do a better job of | | | | is critical that a salesperson have a "prospecting |
| qualifying prospects prior to giving them your | | | | strategy' - a rational for how much time, energy |
| time, energy or corporate resources. Let's look at | | | | and resources to give to each type of prospects |
| a few ways to better manage your resource of | | | | customers. Many salespeople travel hundreds of |
| time and territory management. | | | | unnecessary miles each week or month and still |
| 1. Ask more effective questions earlier in the | | | | do not effectively 'cover' his/her territory. |
| sales process. | | | | Without this prospecting strategy it is impossible |
| 2. Pay attention to their answers to determine | | | | to get better use of one's time and have |
| whether this is a good time to try and sell this | | | | effective territory coverage. |
| prospect. | | | | 1. Get a flash pass to speed up routine travel. |
| 3. Develop a customer profile to use as a | | | | 2. Bring reading material on the road |
| template for your prospecting. | | | | (entertainment, self-help, business related) |
| 4. Audit your sales call activity by dividing the | | | | 3. Leave important contact telephone numbers |
| number of calls you make in a week by the | | | | with people who may need to reach you. |
| number of miles you drive in that week. This | | | | 4. Use meals to meet with clients, associates |
| number will give you your call route effectiveness. | | | | suppliers. |
| 5. Spend more prospecting time getting referrals. | | | | 5. Have someone review your incoming e-mails |
| 6. Develop strategic alliances to help you improve | | | | while on the road. |
| your prospecting activity. | | | | 6. Use a contact management system that |
| 7. Plan you call activities early in the week, month | | | | permits access to all necessary client/prospect |
| or day. | | | | information while traveling. |
| 8. Don't give poor prospects more time than they | | | | 7. Read or write while on the plane. |
| deserve. | | | | 8. Use a map software in the car or have current |
| 9. Develop a daily checklist of what you will need | | | | maps with you. |
| to do to be effective. | | | | 9. Get directions to your destination before you |
| 10. Try to get more of your prospects to visit | | | | leave. |
| your location, plant or office. | | | | 10. Confirm all reservations before you leave: |
| 11. Don't spend time giving presentations to | | | | cars, hotels, limo's, airline reservations. |
| non-decision makers. | | | | 11. Have a duplicate schedule with you while on |
| What are some common time/territory | | | | the road and leave one with a spouse, associate, |
| management attitudes? | | | | subordinate or friend. |
| 1. There is always tomorrow. | | | | 12. Travel during non-rush hour periods. |
| 2. There are too many demands made on my | | | | 13. Get Cell phone caller ID. |
| time. | | | | 14. Develop an office travel file which can contain: |
| 3. There is too much paperwork. | | | | documents, itineraries, articles to read, information |
| 4. My geographic territory is too large. | | | | to review etc. Keeps everything in one place. |
| 5. I have too many prospects/customers. | | | | 15. Use a journal while on the road to keep track |
| 6. I don't have anyone to delegate to. | | | | of objectives, actions, messages etc. |
| Always work from a list. Working from lists is one | | | | 16. Stick with your typical routines while home |
| sure way to ensure that you: | | | | such as: eating habits, exercise routines, reading |
| -don't forget to do something important | | | | etc. |
| -work on the important stuff first | | | | You have heard it thousands of times - in sakes |
| -can feel good about your day | | | | time is money. How about -time is life! |
| -end the day/week/month without neglecting an | | | | |