Are you confusing being busy with being productive?

You’ve all seen this salesperson.  He looks busy, complains there isn’t enough time to get everything done and has no sales results to show for his efforts.  What’s not working?

This salesperson is confusing being busy with being productive.  As a result, he is on an endless sales-gerbil wheel leading to no sales.

Here are a couple of tips from top sales producers that are busy AND productive.

#1:  Time Management.   Great salespeople are excellent at planning and managing their time.  When they come into the office on Monday morning, they know who they are going to contact, why they are going to contact them and when they are going to contact.

They use a basic time management tool called calendar blocking.  If you look at their calendars for the month, these top performers have blocked out specific times for prospecting, account management, running appointments and follow-up.  They are planning their work and working the plan.

On the other hand, the busy and non-productive salesperson starts getting ready to get ready on Monday morning.  By the time he has organized his week, the competitor has contacted all of his best prospects!

#2:  Track and measure.  Productive salespeople score high in the emotional intelligence skill of reality testing.  They closely track and measure their efforts and results.  Their ideal client is identified and pursued.   Non-productive salespeople are busy pursuing—anything that fogs a mirror!

The productive salesperson has clearly identified selling steps and stages and HONORS those steps.  For example, if the prospect isn’t willing to allow access to other decision makers, this salesperson disqualifies the prospect early in the sales process. The non-productive salesperson doesn’t really have a defined sales process so they are busy—pursuing prospects that are never going to buy.

Are you busy or productive?

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