Seven Daily “Must DOs”

Whether you're a sales professional, a business owner or wear many professional hats that include sales responsibilities, your typical day is most likely very hectic and very full. It is easy for all of us to spend time on menial tasks that do not generate revenue for our businesses.

In this day and age, we can all get easily distracted by unimportant e-mails and non-urgent phone calls or by "playing" on social networking sites. (Notice that I said "playing" on social networking sites not "implementing your social networking strategy.")

I often am asked about time management strategies and where sales professionals should be investing their time every day. In the current economic climate, it is important that we as sales professionals and business owners work daily on key strategies that will have a direct impact on our businesses and on revenue growth.

Here are my seven daily "must-dos" for sales professionals and business owners:

1. Read something positive for at least 15 minutes.
2. Read about sales improvements or sales strategies for 15 minutes.
3. Prospect at least one to two hours. (What's your preferred method? I hope it's not cold calling! For my thoughts on that strategy, see "Cold Calls Suck" on p. 10 in the May/June 2009 issue of SDB.)
4. Network with members of industry associations and referral groups, Shred School grads and fellow NAID members.
5. Meet with at least two new prospects.
6. Send at least one thank you card or some sort of "thanks" to a prospect, client, associate, strategic partner, etc.
7. Plan ahead and review your goals.

If you're looking for a bonus "must do," I suggest you speak with at least one client every day. Cultivate these relationships, and business referrals will be generated.

We all have the 24 hours per day to work with. Sometimes it doesn't seem like we do. But remember: The most successful people do a better job of "investing" their time on effective activities rather than wasting it.

Ray Barry is vice president of Total Product Destruction and president of Total Training Services, which operates The Shred School in Spartanburg, S.C. He has helped more than 220 companies in the document destruction industry to grow their businesses. Previously, he was part of a shredding company that was named twice in Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in America. Barry can be contacted at raybarry@totaltrainingservices.com or at 864-699-8417.