Q. My time is constanly being taken up by tasks other than selling. What can I do?A. Yes, this "amount of time I have to sell" issue has been increasing over the recent years as companies are trying to do more with less. If you are a member of our group, you can refer back to the December 2007 newsletter where we give some extensive ideas on this.
You either have to find a faster more efficient way of doing the non-sales tasks, or you need to find someone else to do them for you.
How can you delegate some of these tasks? Can you have support people in the office do paperwork, proposals, etc.? If not, perhaps you could hire someone to do the things that take up your time but don't pay you, or even the tasks you're not good at. You may feel you can't afford someone, but the extra money you would make from spending more time on sales related tasks may more than make up for it.
If you do decide to do tasks yourself, here are a few quick ideas on better managing your time: 1) Keep a time log so you can see where you're spending your time. 2) Block out specific times of the day for specific tasks and stick to your plan. 3) Work on your most important task until 100% done, then move on to #2, etc. 4) Plan your day ahead of time and do your best to stick to it. 5) Work hard, work smart, and do what needs to be done ahead of time and be proactive to prevent last minute deadline issues.
Overall, you want to stay determined and disciplined. Again, refer to Dec. '07 newsletter if a member.
