Time management is the base for your success

Time is money! Especially sales managers know this to be the hard truth. Therefore, it is important to focus on the most valuable tasks each day. Figuring out the value drivers during your day and week boosts your sales sustainably. Time management is one of the disciplines the hardest to master. Plenty of books and articles have been written about how to allot time to important tasks efficiently. A few time management hacks can help you to boost productivity, though. Here are our eight favourites:1. Avoid time-consuming tasks2. Take care of one task after the other3. Be flexible4. Don’t stop when you are on a roll5. Let’s get it over with!6. Your client sets your timetable7. Improve your workflow8. Don’t let yourself get distracted

1. Avoid time-consuming tasks

Automate repetitive tasks! Notably, many administrative tasks can be automated. Saving a few minutes on every task each day quickly results in a lot of time gained by the end of the week. In the end, you benefit by being able to channel your energy to the success crucial tasks. We have two examples for you:

(I) Set email templates for a repetitive client or colleague request

Shift through your inbox and identify frequently asked questions. Make sure to individualise the template for each type of client. The basic structure will help you to have your selling arguments straight and to focus on the unusual questions.

(II) Get your leads right into your inbox with automated lead identification tools

Building Radar, for example, helps you to identify relevant construction projects in your area. Once setup you can focus more on client research and relationship management.Read more about our new inbox system in our blog post.

2. Take care of one task after the other

Multitasking doesn’t work! There is research providing evidence that humans cannot focus on two tasks at once. Our brain always has to refocus after switching a task. Therefore, increase your efficiency by clustering activities. Sales managers often follow a fixed scheme of work. For example, when having a list of leads, they call the lead, log the call and write an email. Instead, call the lead and log the call at the first step. After finishing all the calls, send out the Emails. This structure saves you an enormous amount of time.

3. Be flexible

Adapt to sudden changes! It might happen that a buyer cancels a meeting just before the appointment. Many sales managers would now return to their office or spend some time drinking a cup of coffee. It is more efficient to contact other potential buyers in the proximity and try to arrange a new meeting. This works in outside as well as in inside sales. Replace a cancelled task by another similar task. Thus, you stick to a particular type of task in your mind.

4. Don’t stop when you are on a roll

Continue the winning streak! Do not stop working right after a sense of achievement to rest on one's laurels. When you closed a deal, directly call the next lead. The best period for the next action is after experiencing success. Success is stimulating and you put even more effort into your job. Most likely you will then experience even more success.

5. Let’s get it over with!

First, deal with the tasks you don’t like. There will always be that task which you do not like to do. A common reflex is trying to avoid this task as long as possible. Unfortunately, trying to avoid these unbeloved tasks is time-consuming, and in the end, you have to do it anyway. The best way to deal with such tasks is to do them as soon as possible. Afterwards, you can focus on your preferred tasks again.

6. Your client sets your timetable.

The customer is the boss! In fact, there is no typical perfect time to make an important call or send an important email. But unattended calls or open emails are just a waste of time. The best time depends on your client always. In the construction industry, for example, call your clients in the early morning or in the afternoon as many contact persons are on building sites at midday.

7. Improve your workflow.

Preparation is the key! Many building constructors will ask the same questions. Prepare a set of answers to frequently asked questions. Learn them by heart. When a buyer challenges you with a frequent question, you will exactly know how to respond. What will be different is that you will be able to monitor the buyer's reaction and improve your responses. In high stakes situations, this can turn the scale. Continuing, your potential buyers share certain features. This means that you will have similar questions to them. Prepare a list of questions to quickly clarify all of them.

8. Don’t let yourself get distracted.

Managers receive 30,000 emails each year on average.In the 1970th managers had to handle 1,000 notifications via phone on average!Stay focused! The modern workspace is full of distractions. Whether it is Facebook or your smartphone, you should exclude all possible distractions from your workspace. First of all, you should store your smartphone far away from you and disable notifications. Many smartphones offer a “Do not disturb”-function which is very practical. Furthermore, you can block sites if they are not relevant to your job. For example, you can use the extension “BlockSite” for Google Chrome and Firefox.We hope that these tips will help you to improve your daily time management. If you have further suggestions or ideas on how to improve time management, feel free to leave us a comment.Read more about the Construction Industry in Europe in our construction blog.