Time Management

Have you ever put off making cold calls? How many follow-up “thank you” notes are on your “action list” of things to do? Do you have a stack of business cards that need to be scanned or added to your contact management database? Do you delay in doing research on your prospects until the night before an important meeting? Do you wait until you’re in a better mood before undertaking any sales activities?

If you see yourself in these low productivity behaviors, there’s a good chance that you are sabotaging your success by engaging in the behavior of procrastination.

What is Procrastination?

Procrastination is the act of deferring or avoiding specific tasks. Sure, we all do it from time to time…”the dishes can be done later”…“I’ll vacuum on Saturday”…”I’ll hit the gym on Monday.” Everyone procrastinates in their personal lives at some point, and typically, the consequences are minimal. However, for sales professionals, the consequences of on the job procrastination aren’t so negligible – it can cost you a deal, your credibility, and even your job.

How Do I Overcome It?

Your ability to overcome procrastination can be done in four simple steps:

1. Identify the reasons

2. Recognize when

3. Create a plan

4. Work your plan

Step 1: Identify the reasons why you procrastinate

Identifying the reasons why you procrastinate will enable you to create a solid approach for overcoming your reluctance to perform a task.

• Are you waiting for the “perfect” time to complete a task?

• Are you waiting until you are in the right mood?

• Are you trying to create a sense of urgency so you have a self-imposed deadline?

• Are you a perfectionist?

• Do you feel that you work best under pressure?

• Have you underestimated the difficulty of the task?

• Did you underestimate the time required to complete the task?

• Did you overestimate your ability to complete the task?

Step 2: Recognize when you procrastinate

Once you have an idea of why you procrastinate, the next step is to recognize when you are engaging in the behavior.

• Do you fill your day with low priority tasks?

• Do you spend more time writing your “To Do” list then actually performing tasks on the list?

• Do you go grab a cup of coffee almost immediately after beginning a high priority task?

• Do you read e-mails as soon as they come in?

• Do you call upon established client to “relationship build” more then you call your prospects?

• Do you repeatedly transfer items on your “To Do” list from one week to the next?

Being aware of your behavioral triggers can help you create a plan to deal with and control procrastination before you miss opportunities or your career is disrupted !

Step 3: Create a Plan

Overcoming procrastination involves creating a better organizational and time-management plan.

• Banish Negative Self-Talk
  • Change how you talk to yourself by replacing “I need to” with “I get to”…”I have to” with “I chose to”…and “I should” with “I will”

• Prioritize your tasks
  • Focus on the vital things that absolutely must be done

  • Give higher rank to items that make you money (especially prospecting)

  • Set a clear deadline

  • Be realistic

  • If you don’t know how to prioritize items, make it your top priority to learn how

• Do the easiest part first
  • Start with easier parts of a task so you have immediate success

  • Enjoy your small success

  • Create a timeline to accomplish the task

• Break-up larger tasks into smaller tasks
  • If a task feels too overwhelming, break it up into small tasks

  • Stay on track and do one task at a time

  • Create a timeline to accomplish all of the smaller tasks first

• Make a game out of tasks
  • If a task is repetitious, make a game out of it (for example, see how many successful cold calls you can make in 20 minutes and try to break your own record)

  • Get a co-worker to race you to make calls, sales or paperwork

  • Keep challenging yourself

• Keep track of your success
  • Create an action item list

  • Make a column to the right and mark each successful item with a ‘W’ for WIN

• Set a completion point for tasks and reward yourself
  • Take a few minutes to engage in non-task focused behavior (it feels indulgent but it will keep you on track and focused)

  • Celebrate every time you get 10 wins in your column

Step 4: Work your plan!

When faced with something you must do, don’t waste time agonizing over it. Review the plan you’ve created, schedule time on your calendar, and make a promise to yourself to get the tasks done.

Okay, it’s time to stop reading about procrastination and start putting your plan to work!