Manage Distractions

I had a sales manager once say that a successful sales manager is one that manages distractions successfully.
Makes sense.
I'd expand that to say that before every sales call or meeting you also have to manage your distractions so you approach your sales event in the right frame of mind.
Here are a couple of things I do to help reduce distactions in order for me to get what I need to do-done:


1. Avoid checking email as the first task of the day.
Email is a great tool to communicate, however it can also open the gateway to distractions.
Ever open up an email from a client or friend and the next thing you know you've wasted 10 minutes looking at links to YouTube videos, jokes, or stories? Avoid that by waiting to check on email. The great thing about email is that it will still be there in your inbox waiting for you. I generally try and wait for 30 minutes after I start work before checking email.

2. Set a daily schedule on Outlook or other calendar to do a task like prospecting. Then stick to that schedule. Really stick to doing that task and nothing else in the time allotted.

Two tricks to make sticking to your agenda easier:

a. don't make the time length too long. Don't schedule four hours to prospect. Schedule an hour at most then move on to something else. If you set a task for a shorter period of time it adds urgency to get the task done in that time. It also helps prevent you from getting bored.

b. "reward" yourself for completing the task. When I finsh prospecting for the hour I take a 5-10 minute break to do something else like write a blog, read the news, read a book, something that will help me in my job, but related to it and not a total time waster. Reading a book for 10 minuites is  good mental switch and also helps you become more well rouonded and able to talk about multiple topics with cleints.

The toughest part of learning how to avoid distractions is to tell people to not interupt you during the time you need to do your task. Once you do that a few times people will get the idea to not bother you during those times and you will accomplish your tasks and to do lists.

Thanks!
Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"