Throughout the course of Sales in the Startup, lots of the ideas we have discussed in class have centered around working with clients and putting their needs first. This is absolutely essential to a successful career in any type of sales, which is why I thought it was important to provide a brief list of ways that salespeople can stay productive so that they are getting things done in a timely manner and always offering top-shelf service to their clientele.
In The Ultimate Sales Machine, Chet Holmes outlines six essential steps for time management that should provide useful in helping salespeople stay on top of their tasks and put their clients first.
Rule # 1 – Touch it Once – if you touch it, take action. Chet Holmes says that concentration is like a muscle and it strengthens as you use it more. Something important he notes is that checking your phone every 12 minutes means that you are operating at a fraction of your intellectual capacity.
Obviously, rules like this will differ from individual to individual, but it seems important to make sure that salespeople are maintaining good and healthy work habits so that they can offer the best service to their clients. This can apply to numerous situations in sales. For example, prospects are only going to want to work with people who can get work done in a timely manner, answer questions easily, and be quick to respond to changes in information in the sales process.
The principle of touch it once is mostly used for personal tasks, but the underlying principle is that if you visit a task, take action on it. Otherwise, if you don’t oftentimes the uncompleted nature of that task will linger in your mind and distract you from other work, and with regard to working with clients, distract you from being fully present with them as well.
More information on Chet Holmes Time Management principles can be found in chapter 1 of The Ultimate Sales Machine.
BoweryJE22
I think this is a great principle. This is why a lot of people make lists and have set things they need to get done. Once you create a habit of doing them so often, they become second nature. And like you said, if they don’t do one of them, then they can easily be a distraction and decrease production throughout the rest of the day.
I really like your example, it is very practical and realistic of something that you can actually accomplish in a sales scenario. And once you start to make a habit of doing something it will become easier and easier.