Time. It’s here and it’s gone. There are lots of clichés about time and there ain’t no time like the present. So let’s get going. And let’s get growing. Ask yourself “When” at least three times.
1. When will I create the business of my dreams? If you can’t describe your business that way, then why are you still doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result? What would need to change to get you to change? The only way to get the results that you want is to be taking positive steps toward your dreams now. You will need to focus. You will need to schedule. When will you prospect? When will you research your prospects? When will you plan? When will you identify the critical things you need to do to build your business and then actually schedule them. You need to make appointments for yourself to tackle the important action items needed to make your vision a reality.
2. When will I stop wasting time? Your time is your inventory. Your time is your most precious asset. As a business owner and salesperson, you need to think of your choices as falling into one of four quadrants:
Important and Urgent — These are the critical activities that will drive results, create happy clients, solve problems and move your sales needle. You want to be in this space as much as possible.
Important and Not Urgent — This is where you are prospecting, creating presentations, planning, building important relationships and laying the groundwork for the results you’re seeking. You need to schedule these items. If the activity doesn’t fall into one of those two categories, delegate it or drop it.
Interruptions — These things may be urgent, but not important. If you can delegate any of these things, you’ll be way ahead of the game. Interruptions can be phone calls, some mail, some email, some social media and even some fun or popular activities.
Distractions — Just don’t go there when you’ve got a business to build. Distractions can include busywork, trivial matters, time wasters, rabbit holes and, for many of us, the Internet.
3. When will I learn new skills? We live in a time of great change. We need to not just accept change, we need to embrace it. I consider skill development a Quadrant 2 activity that needs to be scheduled. It is Important but not as urgent as closing a sale. This is where you plant the seeds that you will harvest later. Our focus needs to be on what our customers need and will be needing. It’s the customer’s perspective that matters and the Platinum Rule applies. We need to give them what they want, not what we would want. Your customers want to be reached in new ways today. This means you may need to learn how to use social media (gasp!). You may need to become more proficient at communicating through text messages. What worked yesterday probably will not work today. You need to be on a course of continuous improvement. Continuing education needs to be a part of your life if you want to be relevant tomorrow.
Your time is your most valuable asset. Use it wisely. When? Now!
