Time Management Tips: Do You Act before You Think?

Do you start your day running to your first appointment? How often do you get to your first appointment only to find that you don't have what you need? These are clear signs that it’s time for you to slow down, and plan what you’re going to do before you take action. n nI know it seems counter intuitive, but you’ll get more done faster with less stress if you set aside proper planning time. Sales people love action and they would rather be doing than thinking. As long as you’re doing something you think you’re making progress. nnThe reality is probably that you’re just making yourself tired and stressed because you’re approach to doing isn’t focused on doing the things that produce the best results. The best way to start the day is to plan it the day before and get organized. If you’ll just take 15 minutes before you end your day to plan the first thing you’ll do the next day, and what you’ll need to do it you can start your day right and get better results. nnWhen your planning how you’ll start your day start with the most important thing you could do that day. If possible schedule your most important appointments, phone calls, and actions for first thing in the morning. Make sure whatever action you’ll be taking has a clear objective. n nIf you have an appointment know exactly the outcome you expect from the appointment. The same holds true for phone calls. Know exactly who you will call, have an agenda for the call, and identify what you want to accomplish as a result of that call. Whether that be an appointment, an agreed upon next action, a referral, or a closed sale. nnWithout clear objectives you waste valuable time and you get poor results. You’re running around working harder than you need to and you aren’t getting the results you want. If you don’t know exactly what you want from your actions you can’t expect someone else to know. nnYou like to solve problems and make things happen. When a customer or prospect calls you like to drop everything and immediately respond, but that isn’t necessarily a demonstration of good time management skills. It just demonstrates that you’d rather be reactive than proactive. nnYou’ll better serve your customers, prospects, and yourself if you develop a planning habit. Your current habit of reacting rather than planning is causing you to receive poorer results than you could be. If you’ll plan before you act with a clear understanding of your objectives and be organized in your approach you can enjoy great success and free time. n