Diagnosis
There isn't enough time in the day to handle your territory
Prescription
More efficient time management candrive up productivity
Knowing when not to work is as important as knowing when to work. Many of us jump into each day without a rhyme or reason for what we do and
when we do it. We react when we should respond. Few realize that the art of responding is the backbone of effective time management
for any sales rep.
MICHAEL POEHLMAN/DIGITAL VISION, GETTY IMAGES
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Some people are born with an aptitude for managing their time while many others struggle with it. No matter what your skill
level, you can always learn something new from those who do it well. Notice what makes them effective, how they respond to
last-minute requests and how they plan and prioritize.
Making plans
Do you forget to take the time to plan your day, week or month? Many sales reps who are struggling with time management ignore
this important step and think they can get by and juggle tasks in a reactive way. However, when they start to feel overwhelmed
and see their numbers at the end of the month, they are quick to find excuses or reasons why their goals were not achieved.
The managers playbook
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Take responsibility for your time. Start with the end in mind and make sure you know what you want to achieve each day, week
and month. Confirm with your supervisor what your top-three objectives are for the month and be specific.
It's a good habit to take time each Sunday night and strategically plan the week ahead. Make to do lists for each day. Review
the next two to three weeks to keep a big picture perspective of what is coming up.
Give yourself time limits to complete each task. For example: Take 10 to 15 minutes to plan your day, allow 20 to 30 minutes
for reading and responding to e-mail; 90 minutes for a lunch meeting with a key customer, etc.
"Have a routine for checking e-mail and voicemail as well as planning your itinerary, then stick to it. I tell my reps to
check voicemail when they get in the car each morning. After lunch and at the end of the day they should check their voicemail
and e-mail," explains Melissa Parker, regional sales director, Novartis. "They can do their call notes during the day so by
the end of the day they have most of their work finished and their personal life can begin."
In your effort to address time management, do not overload on the latest gadgets and systems. You may end up with too many
tools with no consistent method or process to use them. Select the tool you want to use (Outlook, Blackberry, iPhone, etc.)
and learn the features that will really help you. Take an online tutorial or class, if necessary. Keep it simple and consistent.
Don't try to overcomplicate your process, because you won't be successful.
