The author of a recent article on AllBusiness.com makes a wise observation in his first line: “The person who coined the phrase ‘time is money,’ must have been a sales rep paid on commission.” John Boe, the article’s author, makes a valid point that while time is important in every industry, it is particularly vital in sales, when every phone call, meeting, or even e-mail can mean more money made. Especially in a time when the economy is not very stable, time management is essential to success and sanity.
While the tips Boe offers are considered standard practices, one in particular stands as out sage advice:
“Be careful not to confuse activity with productivity. For example, don’t just block off a couple of hours to make calls, set measurable activity goals to be accomplished, such as 25 phone calls per day.”
This can become a gray area for any professional, and Boe’s advice serves as a reminder that not every task is worth the time spent. By taking a step back and analyzing some of your day-to-day activities, you may find that at least a couple aren’t necessarily leading to a lucrative end. Also, by specifying exactly what goal you want to accomplish with each task, you give yourself something to work towards and measure results against. If you find that you aren’t meeting those goals, seek out more efficient ways to get the desired return on your time investment.
Wednesday, Apr 1, 2009
Jessica Helinski