Selling.2.YES Nov '17

November 2017

Time'll suck the sales outa' ya.

We’re born into this world out of control, and then all of a sudden we get sales jobs and we’re in control. We try to control everything: our buyers, the mastering of our product, growing our skills, proactively managing our clients…etc. Yet, there's one thing that takes years of effort and attention to control: time.

I assert that you, the accomplished, successful, ambitious, and bright sales executive are also incredibly proficient at wasting time. There. I said it.

Here’s a pop quiz to prove you're not as efficient and focused as you can be:

Do you go straight back to the office after each sales call? Or do you sometimes stop to try on those nice pair of shoes that are speaking to you from the window display?
Do you spend more than ten minutes a day checking your fantasy football team?
Do you interrupt your work to check your feed more than five times a day?
Do you spend more time grabbing coffee with buyers, or being in front of them making brilliant value-stuffed presentations? (“Not fair, Hess…tough to get a meeting these days.”)

Ok, you’ve cried “uncle” so I’ll get off. And I now I will help you up because this is NOT about making you feel badly. (Nice selling technique, Hess.) Here we go...

Your behavior is all very normal, it’s all very typical given the pace, stress, and distractions of our work. I admit I hit my sports and weather blogs a couple times a day to make sure I haven’t missed anything. (Do I really need to check the weather 19 times a day?)

This post offers one simple message: enlist your manager to help you create a personal time management plan.

This is not a post about ADHD or how technology is pushing us around. This is a post with a simple message: enlist your manager to help you create a personal time management plan. Your manager has the experience to understand where the trappings are on the clock. S/he can help direct and focus you. (Unless, of course, that person is a mess. If so, make an intro for me.) You won't be uber-successful until you get a grip on how to control time. BTW, it's gonna take years of practice!

All of my clients – individuals and teams receiving training and coaching on performance improvement – do an exercise where we chart the output of time. After all, issues addressing performance improvement coincide with time analysis. I'm not kidding when I say ALL participants in time charting exercises are surprised by what their results show.

Here are two revelations that are consistent across the board with those who play the game:

WAY too much time is spent on operations and execution issues that should be handled by other people in the company. Somehow, you have to learn to delegate and trust these people to do their job to support you. Get your manager on that one!
NOT NEARLY ENOUGH TIME is spent on prospecting…the actual act of getting in front of buyers and finding/meeting key decision makers (KDMs).

These are but a couple revelations that affect how we spend time and focus on productivity...there is gobs of insight that come from this exercise. Don't be afraid to look in the mirror and ask for help, you won't progress until you do.

Lastly, here is the secret to sales success that could change your life and set your career:

TIME MAXIMIZATION x SKILL x PRODUCT = SUCCESS.

Master the time thing.

Call me, I want to work 'til I don't know what time it is!

Gobble gobble.

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Selling.2.YES

November 2017

Time'll suck the sales outa' ya.

Selling.2.YES newsletter

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