I’d like to share another real-life situation with you. I met recently with someone in my sales coaching program whom I had not seen in more than 90 days. We spent the first part of the meeting talking about the previous year. He’s been in sales for about three years now, and he had a good previous year with a notable amount of new business so our conversation was relatively easy and pretty positive.
Then the discussion turned to this year.
We talked about his new-business goal for the year. It was a big number, and I was impressed that he had set the bar so high for himself. His was the kind of high goal that called for a solid strategy. I asked him, “So, what does your work routine look like each week?”
He started talking, but he wasn’t really answering the question. Instead, he was almost rambling.
His non-answer made me think he didn’t understand my question. So I asked him to describe—in detail—his daily work schedule and sales routine Monday through Friday. I asked, “Where exactly are you spending your time each work day?”
Then he really did start to ramble. Suddenly, his failure to answer the question made sense: He doesn’t have a routine at all!
Some of you might be asking, so what’s the big deal about having a routine and why was I focusing so much on that one aspect of work? Well, it all goes back to what I call “the swarm.”
“The swarm” is all the ordinary (sometimes large, sometimes small) things that will consume your day and eat up your productivity. I’m talking about texting, emails, voicemails, customer questions, vendor issues and all kinds of meetings. And that’s just at work! That doesn’t even count all kinds of out-of-the-office activities and obligations like taking care of an aging parent, children’s events, sick family members, faith activities, community involvement, exercising, lunch with a friend, etc.
If you don’t have set routines in your life, you’re simply not going to be very productive.
Using our 7 F’s of True Success model, a typical work-life routine for a salesperson might include:
- In the office on Monday preparing for the week and scheduling meetings. Out of the office making sales calls Tuesday through Thursday. And then back in the office on Friday to follow up on any promises, plan for the week ahead and manage “the swarm.”
- Regularly scheduled (time blocked!) “Hour of Power” twice a week from 8 to 9 on Tuesday and Friday mornings. This is time for calling on new relationships. Don’t spend it returning current-customer calls and following up with existing stuff.
- Limiting interruptions by only checking emails and voicemails during normal working hours at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. (No email at all after 8 p.m. at home!)
- At the gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday for a 5:05 a.m. spin class.
- Daily quiet time, prayer, devotional or introspection at 6 a.m. or at bedtime.
The list, of course, could go on and on and include many other things. The point is that your success comes from your ability to set and keep routines, disciplines and good habits. Make sure your routine is a schedule of success and not one of being a slave to the swarm.
Do that, and you’ll do what you do better both in and out of the office.