focus - Better Closer

November 21, 2010 By Bill Rice

Focus for Sales Improvement - BetterCloser.com

I’ve been struggling with focus lately.

I have an ever increasing list of TODOs and my communication tools (i.e., email, Twitter, Skype, IM, Linkedin, Facebook, etc.) are never short of requests. In working through my own challenges with focus I realize it is certainly one of the top 10 keys to success.

Sales success is no different–focus is critical!

Unfortunately, I’m not sure that focus is something that you can take a course on, pass a test, and consider it accomplished. I think it’s a skill that needs attention every day.

It’s a fact (at least in my personal testing) when I’m focused, I …

Get more work done,
Create better results,
Waste less time in between tasks, and
Offer better service to my customers (and audience–like YOU)

Focus is the fuel for …

New ideas,
Creative ways to find and engage customers, and
Helps make sharper, more effective plans

All this leads to less stress and that persistent feeling of being overwhelmed. So how do you build daily focus?

Here are some things that I have found help me focus my sales day. (Please add your ideas in the comments section, below this article)

Set Up Focus Hours

This means that you set certain hours of the day specifically for focus. This means that there will be no interruptions. Unless it is a time-sensitive issue, there should be no communications between members of the office during this time. This makes it possible for people to focus on their work. As much as we’d like to think so, human beings are not capable of multitasking like a computer operating system. Every time we switch between tasks, there is a period of recuperation that slows us down.

Turn Off Email Alerts

Unless this would negatively impact your service, it is a good idea not to answer emails immediately as they come in. Taking the time to switch from one task to responding to emails slows you down. Even if your business is highly centered on providing customer service at a rapid pace, it is very rare that an email can’t wait for at least an hour to be answered. If you designate specific times during the day to check and respond to emails, you will get your tasks finished faster. In most cases, you will end up spending less time on the emails themselves this way as well.

Do Not Use Instant Messengers

Unless these are completely necessary for your sales model, they are nothing but a burden. Just knowing that somebody has sent you an instant message, whether or not you take the time to see what it says, is enough to spoil your focus. In order to concentrate and get your work done, you need to avoid distractions like this.

Stay Away from Your Web Browser

Unless you absolutely need it in order to get your work done, the internet is just a distraction. If you must use the internet to get your work done, make sure that you don’t get distracted and start clicking on links that seem interesting, but are way off topic.

This is my two cents on a topic I continually battle against. How do you improve your focus? How does that improve your sales performance?

I’d like your help to improve. I bet the other folks reading would like your help too.

5 Important Steps to Keeping Your Sales Process Moving Forward

January 9, 2010 By Bill Rice

I think it’s harder than ever to keep your sales process moving forward. There are so many innovative technologies that hold promise for sales. So many social media tools that help us connect and build relationships. Unfortunately all this scatters our attention and focus and working the sales pipeline.

Here are some time-tested ideas for returning your focus to forward sales movement.

1. Time blocking - This is an oldie, but goody. Blocking off certain times during the day for specific routines is a great way to block out distractions. The technique is as simple as blocking off brief increments (I recommend 30 minutes) of your day. During those blocks of dedicated time refuse to do anything, but the assigned task or routine.

This works exceptionally well for things you probably procrastinate on a regular basis–doing sales reporting, updating your CRM, cold calling, commenting on relevant blogs.

2. Jump start every day - This is one of my favorites and I think my biggest productivity lifter. There is so much time lost or wasted in starting up and winding down the day. I recommend improving the productivity of both those time blocks with a simple technique.

As you wind down (maybe even have a dedicated time block) review your day. Sales might review objections that stuck them, marketing may review analytics, writers might inventory assignments, developer might track problems that baffled them. Now turn those items into a fast start for tomorrow…

Create your “before email” morning routine. This might be a Web prospecting goal, competitor website research, a little searching in developer forums, have documents with titles (maybe outlines too) open on your computer. Jump starting the day is as simple as knowing what–exactly–you are going to do first.

3. Stop prioritizing - I think this is the number one killer of sales momentum. Prioritization is often a crutch. Something that we do when we lose confidence in our sales approach or are frustrated with our numbers. These challenges send us looking for the sure wins. Unfortunately, that is a myth. Avoid it.

4. Do the work - Prioritization and not doing the work often work hand in hand. There is no short-cut. You can’t cherry pick your way to success and you can’t grow rich while you sleep. You have to do the work. In sales or even as a freelancer that means making connections. You need to do the work–build the connections, nurture relationships, and build trust. There are no short-cuts, only distractions.

5. Understand your energy - This is a big one for me. Everyone seems to run on their own energy cycles. Mine is early morning, around 10 am, and then again around 2 pm. This when my mind seems to kick into high gear. Pay attention to when your energy kicks in and time block high impact tasks into those opportunities. Trying to plow through a low energy cycle is on a challenging task is a waste of time. Instead block in your Web browsing, Twittering, relationship calls–easy, no-brainer tasks.

Bonus tips (my favorites):

6. Work in short sprints - This tip is an important part of a lot of the other techniques. I find it a big productivity enhancer. Learn to work in short, well-defined, goal-oriented sprints. This makes it easier to stay focused and maximize energy cycles.

7. Set bite-size goals - In addition to your big goals, it’s important to have smaller objectives that get you to the big ones. This will help you stay focused and boost your confidence on a regular basis. Feeling productive is a huge motivator and aids focus.

8. Learn to relax - This is one I have just recently learned the value of–learning to shutdown. The always on and connected world makes this really hard. Wifi and iPhones keep us always tuned into our task list and emerging demands. This can keep you continually stressed and overwhelmed. You need time to recharge. It is impossible to run at 100% for 12-16 hours a day.

Shutdown at specific times–evenings, weekends. Spend the time enriching your life. Hang out with family and friends. Read, watch movies, experience travel. These activities not only relax us and get us ready for the next hard charging sales cycle, but they make us better at sales. These experiences make us better rounded and more interesting conversationalist–core skill for a good sales person.

What do you do to stay focused? How do your structure your sales day? What do you do to relax?