Why do some sales people accomplish more than their peers? Here are some time management tips to help improve sales performance.
To make the most of your day, I have compiled some time management tips for sales people:
- Sales people should schedule their daily appointments and activities days in advance. This will give you plenty of time to do pre-call planning.
- Don’t over-schedule your day. Devote your time to your best prospects. If you have done a good job in qualifying your prospects, you will know the best hunting grounds.
- Review your sales objectives and target account list at the beginning of each new day. Harvey McKay, author of Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, kept his number one prospect written on the inside of his hat. This reminded him of his goal every time he put on his hat.
- Schedule some telemarketing time each day for sales prospecting and to phone customers in your existing account base. To keep track of your prospecting efforts and to maintain up-to-date records on your existing customer base, invest in a sales contact management system.
- When a customer has a question, provide him an answer immediately. It makes a good impression on a customer if you actually do something during your sales visit. There’s nothing wrong with phoning from the customer’s office to make an inquiry.
- If you have a busy travel schedule, don’t unpack your bags. When I was a salesman, my suitcase always stayed in the trunk of my car. That way I was prepared to get on road again at the drop of a hat. When I did my laundry, I would wheel the suitcase into the Laundromat and unload my dirty clothes. After washing and folding my laundry, I repacked the suitcase, and it went right back into the car trunk.
