So let me get to point. Are your salespeople spinning their wheels? Are they spending time, money, and energy keeping busy or producing results? If you’re not sure, be on lookout. Watch and see if your reps are doing things that less-skilled and lower-paid support personnel could be doing for them. Do your representatives spend time doing things manually that could be done better, faster, and more efficiently using technology?

For example, are they writing and launching mailing campaigns that could be done better and faster by an assistant with a computer and automation software? Are they spending hours each day leaving messages in prospective clients’ voice mail boxes instead of having sales assistants with Direct Voice Mail Marketing Systems make calls for them?

Let me encourage you to rethink assignment of individual job responsibilities and list tasks necessary for successful job performance. Take a look at which tasks require specific knowledge and ability of a salesperson and which ones don’t. Build teams of support personnel and leverage technology wherever possible to cost effectively and efficiently accomplish simple, yet time-consuming, tasks that hold your salespeople back.

Copyright 2001, Mason Duchatschek

1. Plan your day night before. List and prioritize top five objectives you desire to accomplish when you get to office. Start with number one item on your list and stay with it until it is complete. Try to do most difficult tasks first.

2. Your first priority as a salesperson is to make appointments. If you do not have an appointment with a prospect, then get on phone and make one. I recommend you make your phone calls in morning when you are fresh and alert.

3. Let your friends and co-workers know when you do not want to be disturbed. Close your office door and stay focused on task at hand. An open door invites continuous distractions.

4. Get to office early. You will never be successful in sales profession if you get into habit of coming to work at “crack of noon.”

5. Avoid long personal phone calls, lunches and coffee breaks. How much of your day do you spend with a client or actively prospecting for new business? You may want to start an activity log and track how you spend your time.

6. Delegate, delegate, delegate. Avoid temptation of doing administrative duties and paperwork. Salespeople historically tend to hide behind their paperwork. Focus your efforts on things that you are licensed or hired to do and consider employing someone else to handle your paperwork. If you have any doubt, ask yourself “What is best use of my time right now?”