Productivity and getting things done in sales and in business are critical for greater success. Running two growing brands (Score More Sales and WOMENSalesPros) requires focus, planning and adjusting.
I’m so far from perfect -- yet I wanted to share ideas that help us gain momentum and wins here at our homebase and while on the road.
The graphic is a mind map of “my” world and what I am working and strategizing on. Within “Projects” are six categories and this is where most of my day is spent unless I’m delivering consulting or training or coaching:
At any given time, my projects include:
- Client
- Marketing
- Content
- Personal + family + health
- Passion project
- Financial
- “On hold” projects
Next, I use the following tools in my work week:
- Daily plan with specific "to do's"
- Weekly plan
- Monthly plan
- Travel schedule
- Editorial calendar
- Checklists (daily tasks)
- Monday check-on* with team; Friday check-on*
Note: a “check-on” is different than a “check-in” – we are following up on specific action items
My days vary depending on whether I’m home working out of my home office or with clients on the road.
If I am at the home office, the focus is on getting the “big rocks” done – those 2-3 things that need to move forward or completed today. Imagine a jar of sand, pebbles, stones, and then 2-3 rocks. The 2-3 rocks go into the jar first, then the stones, then pebbles, and finally the sand fills up the jar which is a metaphor for your day. Do those big 2-3 things FIRST – or get them scheduled FIRST, then the rest will fall into place.
Understand the difference between URGENT and IMPORTANT.
Read David Allen’s work and the GTD concepts to learn how to get things done.
Get everything out of your head and into a trusted place. You’ll be more creative that way.
Currently we are focused on these areas of outreach and interaction with others – which includes email and phone, but is so much more:
- LINKEDIN GROUPS (manage and participate in)
- TELEPHONE
If you are a seller or a sales leader your top priorities are:
- Activities that lead to sales (seller)
- New revenue and supporting your sales reps (sales leader)
Let us know how we can support you to get more time for selling and building your sales bench strength. Share your best practices for time and self management here in comments or on twitter at @scoremoresales
Lori Richardson is recognized on Forbes as one of the "Top 30 Social Sales Influencers" worldwide and is a Top 25 Innovative Sales Blogger. Lori speaks, writes, trains, and consults with inside sales teams in mid-sized companies. Subscribe to the award-winning blog for sales strategies, tactics, and tips.
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