How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Busy People Make Time!

Guest articles > Busy People Make Time!

by: Jonathan Farrington

You know, one of the distinguishing characteristics of the most successful salespeople you know is to get things done: Have you noticed that they always seem to have time – they make time - for you; for colleagues; for family and friends; for relaxation … So how do they do it?

Here are twenty essential questions you should get used to asking yourself about your daily time planning:

Did I accomplish all of my high-priority goals?
Did I reach or surpass all of my other goals?
Did I invest as much time as I planned in persuading others?
Did I contact every prospect that was on my list today? If not, why not? What prevented me?
How much time did I spend prospecting for new clients?
How much time did I waste procrastinating today?
What is the most productive thing I did today?
What is the least productive thing I did today?
Of the things I consider a waste of time; could I have avoided them or eliminated them?
How much did I spend doing something that will profit me? Can I devote more time here?
Was today a productive day for me? For my company?
Did I take care of all the paperwork I needed to care of?
How many of today’s activities have helped me achieve my goals?
How much time did I allocate to my family, friends, etc.?
What can I do to improve the quality time I need to spend with my family/friends, etc.?
How much time did I allocate to me?
If I could live today again, what would I change?
What did I do today that I feel really good about?
Did I send ‘thank you’ notes to the people who gave me business and to those who helped me secure that business?
What or who wasted the greatest amount of any time?

Finally, And In Summary, Here Are Ten Common Time Traps to Be Avoided

Desperately seeking what should not be lost – Become more organized
Failure to do the job right the first time – Work to ‘Right First Time’ principles
Procrastination – Get to the point
Unnecessary or unnecessarily long telephone calls – Be succinct
Unnecessary or unnecessarily long meetings – Be rigorous
Check lunches that last for two or more hours – Be honest
Negative thinking – Be positive
Travelling time – plan
Unconfirmed appointments – Be realistic
Laziness – Be diligent – Productivity = Results

Remember:

The most important word in time and self-management is………NO!

I made the time today to share these tips with you, will you make the time to analyze how you can become more efficient?

Jonathan Farrington is Chairman of The JF Corporation and CEO of Top Sales Associates, based in London and Paris. He is also the creator and CEO of Top Sales World and the man behind the Annual Top Sales Awards. More about Jonathan: http://www.jonathanfarrington.com

Contributor: Jonathan Farrington

Published here on: 11-Dec-11

Classification: Leadership

Website: http://www.jonathanfarrington.com

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