Some salespeople work
on things they're good at and don't spend enough time trying to overcome weak
areas. They can only improve their strengths so much.
Even if they do improve strengths, there's a
good chance no one will notice, since slight improvements are hard to spot.
Strengths will take salespeople only as far as their weaknesses will allow. Be
grateful for your strengths, but work on your weaknesses.
Try to do a "weakness" audit each
week. What situations in selling make you uncomfortable? Where does your sales
manager suggest improvements are needed? Write them down. When you improve your
weaknesses, the difference will be dramatic and visible to everyone.
As a sales
professional, if you want to make effective use of your time, planning is the
best thing you can do. Devise a plan that works for you, but keep it simple. A
plan is like a roadmap. It tells you where you are, where you want to go, and
how you intend to get there. Starting off the day, week or month without a plan
means you will spend time reacting rather than acting.
Here are three roadblocks to successful time
management:
1. Too much attention on unimportant items.
Try not to spend time on "low return" activities that don't have a
significant payoff for your major task – closing sales.
2. Trying to do it all. Independence is a
key trait for top performing salespeople. But some try to do too much. Increase
selling time by doing clerical functions in non-selling hours (such as
evenings, early mornings, and weekends) or by delegating to others when
possible.
3. Procrastination. Putting off important
tasks because they may be difficult may lead to lost time and lost sales. Don't
just look at a difficult job – start it. Then you'll be able to gauge how much
work is needed and budget your time accordingly.
