Managing your time

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.