Sales and the Bucking Horse Named “Time Management”

In my practice as a Sales Coach, I’ve come to recognize that most salespeople undervalue their time and don’t realize that it is in fact their most important asset. But the reality of this job is that we often lose track of time because of the constant demands from our environment – clients’ demands and internal demands from our employers. Especially at this time of the year, it becomes even harder to focus on what’s really important.

I’ve watched too many salespeople get on the ‘horse’ very early in the morning and then be taken for a heck of a ride, going along wherever the horse feels like going, answering to everyone else’s demands and focused on so-called ‘emergencies’. While they might feel like they are being productive, being carried along is not going to help them deliver on their bottom line. A friend in the consulting business once told me: “Pierre, you can’t invoice your lost day to a client!” and this still resonates with me every day.

To avoid being dragged along by this bucking horse, it’s important to prioritize your time and build an agenda that reflects the goals of your sales plan. Your Sales Goals should always remain your Top Priority! Make sure to allocate enough time in your schedule for all your sales calls, but don’t forget to also schedule time for follow up conversations and prospecting.

Inevitably, at some point during the week, you will have to deal with other issues, but at least your Sales Plan will be at the forefront of your mind when planning your agenda. When you do encounter these ‘emergencies’, make sure first that they are real emergencies and not distractions. Schedule a time to work on these emergencies, and deal with them then. For example, plan a couple hours per week at the end of the day or before lunch to work on them.

If you value your time as your most important asset, you will start to act accordingly. Otherwise, I can guarantee that your Bucking Horse will take over and your day will be gone with the wind, the same way the wild horse runs without knowing where he’s going. One’s thing for sure, the horse is headed somewhere: it might be a bumpy ride and you might end up nowhere near your goals. As a result of many days like this, you’ll also have to explain to your boss why you took so many wild rides!

Here are some tips to improve your time management:

1. Build your agenda according to your Sales Goals/Plan
2. Include all goal-related activities in your agenda: prospecting, meetings, follow-up conversations…
3. Learn to differentiate between real emergencies and distractions
4. Schedule time to deal with emergencies, and work on them during these times only.

I hope you all have a great end of the year, and I look forward to sharing more tips with you in the New Year!

Pierre the Coach!