1. Allure Of The Urgent.

Salespeople love to be busy. We have visions of ourselves as people who get things done!

One of the worst things that can happen to a consultant is to have nothing to do, nowhere to go, and nothing going on. So, we latch onto every task that comes along, regardless of importance.

For example, a customer calls with a back order problem -- we drop everything and spend two hours expediting the backorder. In retrospect, couldn't someone in purchasing or customer service have done that? Wouldn't prospecting be a lot better use of your time?

2. Comfort Of The Status Quo.

Many salespeople have evolved to the point where they have a comfortable routine. They make enough money and they have established routines and habits that are comfortable.

This can be good. Some of the habits and routines we follow work well.

The problem develops when salespeople are so content with the way things are, they have not changed anything in years.

If you haven't changed or challenged some habit or routine in the last few years, chances are you are not as effective as you could be.

3. Lack Of Trust.

Salespeople have a natural tendency to work alone. After all, we spend most of the day by ourselves. That's generally a positive personality trait for a salesperson. Unfortunately, when it extends to those tasks that could be done better by other people in our organization it turns into a real negative.

Many of these tasks can be done better or cheaper by someone else in the organization. Too bad; it's a tremendous waste of good selling time and talent.

4. Lack Of Thoughtfulness.

Ultimately, time management begins with thoughtfulness -- "thinking before you do it."

Good time managers invest in this process. They set aside time to create annual goals, they invest planning time every quarter, every month, every week and even every sales call. In addition, they are disciplined and tough-minded about how they think. They ask themselves good questions, and answer them with objectivity.

"What do I really want to accomplish in this account?"
"Why aren't they buying from me?"
"Who is the key decision maker in this account?"
"Am I spending too much time in this account, or not enough in that one?"
"How can I change what I am doing in order to become more effective?"

They don't allow their emotions or personal comfort zones to dictate their plans. They go where it is smart to go, do what it is smart to do.



--Source: Dave Kahle is a consultant and trainer who helps his clients increase their sales and improve their sales productivity. He's the author of more than 500 articles, a monthly e-zine and four books. His latest is 10 Secrets of Time Management for Salespeople.