When I first got into sales I was flying by the seat of my pants. Mentally I was completely disorganized and would muddle my way through the day. Sure, I would have a couple of appointments on the calendar, but during those meetings with clients I would try to squeeze in activities like lunch, paperwork and having coffee with a coworker. I was getting a few sales here and there but I didn't have any consistency.
One day I received a phone call from someone who wanted me to come work with them. "These guys are top notch! I've learned so much from them!" he said. Within a few months I was working with an organization that was almost militaristic in their approach to sales.
I'll spare you the details of my departure from this company but I did walk away with some much better ways of conducting my business. The most meaningful of these was to prioritize my activities and plug them all into a calendar.
Rather than making phone calls throughout the day, schedule a time to work the phones. If you need paperwork done or quotes worked up, carve out time in the afternoon for that. Some of my co-workers would make Friday after 3pm the time to catch up on minor tasks, but that's when I would call prospects, knowing that others were also in their offices catching up on minor tasks.
As one of my managers would say, "Between 10 and 4 you should be seeing clients or fighting to see clients!" That meant to save the lunch with co-workers for another time.
Around the same time I was working with this group another co-worker had his own set of bad habits. Dressed to the nines, he would walk into a coffee shop or high end restaurant, open up his laptop and begin making phone calls to the same half dozen or so clients he had. He worked those people over and over for months, claiming that they were loading him up with referrals that never materialized. I seriously think he just liked to play the part of a salesman.
Our managers suggested that we were to hold each other accountable, so every once in a while I'd ask the guy how many appointments he had for that day. "Oh, well, I have four, but I have a feeling it'll turn into two." In actuality, he had one at best. Any other "appointments" were just him hoping to strike up a conversation with a stranger and forcing one of his business cards into their hand. But this is what happens when you don't have your day planned.
I'm not suggesting that you live and die by your calendar. Things happen during the day and you'll need to make adjustments. Last week an old client of mine called and needed to make some a few alterations to her life insurance plan. I rearranged a few things and all will work out fine. Being a bit flexible for your clients is an asset.
Just remember that it's too easy to put off the important items, like seeing your clients or prospecting. Much like the siren luring the sailors to the rocky shores, social media can drag your career in sales into a shipwreck. Set a schedule and stick to it as much as possible. And if you need to, pencil in a good time to read this blog.
Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.
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