Rise and Shine!

Who likes worms?!

I remember many times over the course of my lifetime hearing the phrase, “The early bird gets the worm.”

Having the apparent genetic disposition that results in sarcastic humor at times, I would be the first teenager to pop off with a quick, “Who wants to eat a worm?”  Later, in college, I may would hold up my favorite bottle of tequila – you know… the one with the worm in the bottom, and just smile. 🙂

One of the best replies to that old saying is, “Yes.  The early bird may get the worm; but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.”

One of the most consistent challenges that I see sales people experience is overcoming that inertia to begin their calls on a daily basis.  This issue seems to show up particularly strong on Monday mornings.

Do you see any of these people at your office in the morning?

• Willie at the water cooler – decides that it is his important task to catch everyone up on the weekend news and sports and will waste a significant amount of time visiting instead of working.
• Carrie at the coffee pot – has to sit quietly in the break room having another cup of coffee as she wakes up.
• Mike at the meeting – has never met a meeting he didn’t like.  Although there are times when sales meetings are an important part of the success of any organization, Mike finds ways to meet, simply for the sake of having a meeting.  One of my friends once asked a mentor if mine, “Hey, could you begin this meeting close to the end?”
• Darlene at the database – spends much more time identifying leads than calling on them.

Recognize anyone?  Hopefully you do – just not when you look in your mirror. 🙂

How much more would you accomplish if you eliminate these time wasters?  Eliminating one hour of unproductive time each day – and then replacing it with time spent doing the activities that increase your business would actually give you a minimum of 12.5% greater productivity.

What would it do to your business and income if you increased your effectiveness by 12.5%?

This week, we will discuss ways for you and your sales team to take advantage of getting a quick start each day.

QUESTION:  Have you ever tracked your time and activities for one week, in order to see clearly how you actually spend your time?