First and foremost, Mega-Buck Sales Pros are extremely jealous of their time. When they work, they focus on working and when they play, they focus on playing, and they rarely mix the two. Keep in mind that we are all blessed with 1440 minutes each day in our Time Bank and it is up to each of us to spend our time wisely or waste it foolishly. I will challenge you to begin to identify the “time wasters” in your life on a daily basis. Of course, an important one is that studies show that the average person watches about 2 and a half hours a day of the Boob Tube. Granted, there should be time in our lives for entertainment and relaxation, however, perhaps we should be a bit more selective about what we’re watching. Will the TV show make us feel good, will we learn something, does it have a topic that we can have a family conversation about later, or is it negative garbage that has absolutely no positive or constructive purpose? Why not set a goal to cut your TV time in half and find new ways to spend quality time with your partner and/or family, or do some volunteer work, or invest that newfound time in learn and grow?
I encourage you to have a sign in your work area that says; “Is this making or costing me money?” The next time you’re on a personal call or chatting with someone at the office, just look at your sign and remind yourself why you’re there. Also, keep track of calls, contacts, mailings or appointments, callbacks, results, etc. Determine your numbers and percentages and then improve slightly each week.
This is a great way to end up with at least 5 extra weeks a year. It has been proven that the average person loses at least 6 minutes per hour. That could be starting work a little late, leaving a little early, taking too many long breaks, personal phone calls, having fun with your coworkers, daydreaming, etc. I personally think 6 minutes per hour is a gross underestimate, however let’s accept that it is accurate. If we work an 8-hour day, that’s 48 minutes. A 40-hour week adds up to 240 minutes, which is 4 hours. Assuming we work 50 weeks a year (2 weeks off for vacation), that adds up to 200 hours, which equals 5 full 40-hour work weeks. Incredible but true. If you want an additional 5 weeks of production per year, simply identify at least 6 minutes per hour that you are currently wasting and put them to good use.
Here’s an amazing technique that will save you tons of time by being able to reach twice as many people in half the time. Never, ever stay on hold for more than 20 seconds. Immediately press Redial and when the Operator answers again, say;
“I was waiting for (name) and got disconnected.”
Note that I didn’t say how I logged out, just that I did. Many times now she will apologize and try to connect her Call next. Also, when they tell you that your group is on the phone and ask if you want to wait, always ask;
“Will they know I’m on hold?”
A high percentage of the time now they will say something like; “Well, no”. So why in the world would you want to stay on hold?
Another great technique is pagination. If the Secretary says; “Sorry, I don’t see you in her office”, please she listen carefully because she didn’t say that she was out of the building or out of the country. You just say;
“I understand, please call him and I’ll wait.”
If that’s too strong, you can always ask a question instead, like;
“I understand, is there any way you can locate it for me?”
If you call someone and get connected to their voicemail, immediately press “O” and most of the time you’ll get an operator. At that moment you say;
“Hello, I was trying to reach Mr. Big live in person and all I got was his voicemail. Would you call him for me?”
If they really aren’t available, always find the best possible time to try to call them back using a technique called layering, which is asking a question over and over again until you get it right. Examples would be:
“When would be the best time to try later today?”
“If you could guess, what time?”
“Who do we have to consult to find out?”
“Do you have any regularly scheduled meetings that you need to avoid?”
Another variation is to ask to be transferred to someone else in the Prospect Department. The Operator may be on a different Floor and has no idea where your Group is. However, someone who works alongside them might know.
Here are some great ideas to get more organized. First, keep in mind that Organization is a learned skill. Let’s start with your office or work area and break it down into 3 basic steps.
[1] Analyze your current situation by asking yourself:
What is working? This is important because you don’t want to change things that are successful. The question what doesn’t work? Determine anything that requires more time, money, and/or effort to achieve.
[2] Create a strategy of what is essential for your Office and what is most efficient. Should your phone have a headset or better headset? Should you upgrade your fax machine or printer, or possibly get a model that does both? Should you upgrade or upgrade your computer and install better software? Look at your files and lots of things that need to be archived. Take a look at your storage area and how it could be improved. Budget what you can afford to do in steps that will help you improve your effectiveness in the shortest possible time.
[3] You finally attack. However, before you decide the benefits of being more organized. I realize this may sound petty, however we all need to be aware of the rewards and benefits before it leads us to take action.