Unless we live by design, we live by default. Whatever pops into our in-box gets our attention instead of what’s really important to us. Our challenge is to learn to separate the important work from the urgent work. We need to stop confusing being busy with being productive.
In “The ONE Thing,” Gary Keller says it is critical to continually ask this specific focusing question: “What is the ONE thing I can do (right now/this month), such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”
As I worked on chopping my list down to a more manageable size, I discovered that these were my three essential categories where investing my time would have the highest payback:
Pipeline– While lead generation, networking and prospecting are often unloved tasks, they’re also crucial to do. Recently, I asked three top sellers from different organizations how they kept themselves focused. All three listed their top prospects on a personal whiteboard right next to them, where they also recorded the deal value and next step. With this visibility, the salespeople kept laser focused on the accounts that truly mattered.
Planning– Time spent on research, prepping and strategizing is equally as important as the time spent on customer-facing activities. Forrester Research reports that executives rate only 20 percent of salespeople as being prepared for the meeting and creating value. Thinking and prep time have maximum impact. We have better conversations, build stronger business cases and have greater credibility, and win more deals – faster.
Producing – Like many of you, I’m an entrepreneur. We have to deliver on what we sell. This work is essential because it pays the bills. If you’re like me, doing the work is your favorite part of your job. However, you can’t run a sustainable business if you neglect the selling and planning aspects of your job. – JK
