Slow down to speed up (Sales)

There are two running jokes in my family.  One is an admitted clumsiness ala Chevy Chase playing Gerald Ford on SNL.  The other is an absolute inability, according to my wife, to multitask. I often disagree but then tend to give in. We all want to be better at multitasking. Unfortunately some of us just aren't that good at it.  In fact, science has proven that women are better multitaskers.

My wife's frustration aside, is multitasking really that important? Or is it more important to focus on, and master, individual tasks throughout the day?  The professional sales world is an area where multitasking is counter-productive. The effective sales professional needs a unique ability to intensely focus on one task at a time.

A professional sales rep is task oriented with a singularity of purpose around specific activities that he or she is working on at that particular time. If I'm a sales manager the last thing I want is to stop by the desk of one of my reps during prospecting time and see eight different windows open on their computer as they're "multitasking" in between prospecting calls.

Naturally there's much more to the process than simply focusing on one singular activity. Once you focus on the activity and make it a priority to not multitask the next step is deep and systematic analysis of how effective you're managing your time. Schedule your day, collect data and break down your performance.  If things need to be tweaked, tweak them. This type of personal process management can be done for any step of the sales process but works particularly well with prospecting. The framework you develop will help you master your game and make you infinitely more effective in the long-run.

The process of performance analysis can be translated to other facets of your daily life and workday. Driving efficiency will not only help you peak performance but will allow you master time management and will lead to better life balance.  So stop the multitasking.  Focus and master individual tasks.

Once individual tasks are mastered you'll become an effective multitasker.  And you're wife will be happy.

Forget Your Five-Year Plan!

There's a particular sales guru that I receive frequent emails from.  He's renowed in his field and has helped me immensly over the years. Virtually all of his blog posts are full of useful wisdom that if enacted can greatly benefit your career.  A constant theme of many is the ideal "5-year plan" with the classic career planning mentality and how you need goal setting and a vision towards that ideal outcome. It makes perfect sense, yet it all seems so outdated.

Forget the five-year plan! In fact, stop thinking in terms of "five-years from now I'll be here," etc. Many of the five-year objectives we set will not be a reality in five-years. This mindset creates a thought process where many people delay decisons and opportunities that could benefit them in the here and now. Don't get caught in the jet stream of what is perceived as the ideal life outcome. The notion of putting in your time and getting that dream job is a great vision but the reality is it doesn't have to be a vision. If you have an ideal outcome in mind why delay that outcome for five-years?

When many people invoke the idea of the "five-year plan" they also bring up the notion of "putting in my time". Unfortunately that's exactly what a lot of people are doing--- putting in their time.

How about a five-month plan?  Or a five-day plan?

If you're in business, like I am, you have to think of life in terms of business. In five-years the business landscape may be completely different, as the last five-years can attest. You may be in an industry that doesn't exist in five-years or a company that doesn't exist in five-years. You need to constantly challenge with frequent introspection the direction you're headed.

Many people get caught up in the five-year mindset because of a fear of the unknown. Embrace the fear of the unknown.  If that career path or dream job is perfect in "five-years" why not acheive it now?  Don't wait five-years to start your own business, start the business now! It's not knowing what's on the other side that prevents many of us from making changes that seem completely rational to the outsider.  Unfortunately one of the most difficult things in the world is making those life-changing decisions that seem so daunting inside our head. The best way to analyze such a decision is to take a look at it with the worst possible outcomes in mind.  What is the worst thing that could possibly happen?

Once you stop fearing the unknown your potential is limitless. Start by avoiding the "five-year" mentality.