Time Management – How do you wisely use your time to be an effective sales leader?

Effective time management is something everyone faces. It is a critical skill to learn and balance especially when you have multiple direct reports and others who need your time and attention during the day.

I gained some new insights from a program I attended through WBECs (The World’s Business and Executive Coaching Summit), the other day with Nir Eyal. In addition to introducing ways to handle our distractions and understanding why we give in to them, he introduced a system I am starting to use to replace my own “to do list” and scheduling tool. It is called a “timebox” schedule.

A link to his website (above) has great articles on why this works and how to implement a “timebox” system. This will be especially useful to you if at the end of your day or week you feel like you just did not do what you said you would do.

My hybrid system worked for getting some of the high impact things done early in the day… There have also been enough times at the end of the week when I wondered why things did not get done. So, I am implementing the timebox system fully to evaluate its effectiveness for me.

Consider this as you read the ideas below:

One of the tools I recommend for my clients is to use a timer. (Use your smartphone) I found this especially valuable when I am working on a project with multiple pieces rather than something that can be completed in an hour or two. It is hard to stop when you are deeply engaged. Yet, if you do not then the other things that are high priority may never get done. When you stop in the middle of a project I suggest this: I use a post-it note to write down where I am stopping, what the next steps are and anything that might help me get right back into the project without wasting time. This has saved me time and frustration!

Here are a few ideas to consider as you look at how you invest your time. Some of them are practices I used as a Sales Director and Region Manager. Others are newly shared from the program I attended. Here is a link to some of his articles.

“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now and so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.”  – Stephen Covey

Stephen Covey

10 Ideas or Tips to Manage your Time:

1. Put on your schedule a block of time to think, plan and strategize your day or your week. Reflect on the quote above and back into your week and choose what you want to have completed by the end of your week. Get it on your schedule.
2. Make sure you do what you put on your schedule at the time on your schedule. If it didn’t work out then, record why. What got in the way? Also ask yourself when you are tempted to do something other than what is scheduled – is now the time for this? Or I remind myself something a close friend says “that’s not today’s business.”
3. Schedule your creative time in your calendar with do not disrupt or disturb “orders” except in a true emergency. Creative time could be writing proposals, developing contracts, creating content for your regional or division meeting.
4. Schedule your “call in’s” with your sales associates or sales managers and have an agenda for the call with time for their questions and feedback built in. Stick to the time. Make sure you listen well yet at the same time, stay out of story or explaining your agenda and help them stay out of “story” or excuses on the tough things.
5. Schedule your business travel as far in advance as possible and include in your timebox schedule your travel time to your destination. Allow for traffic (especially now that people are returning to their offices).
6. Put your “me time” in your schedule. I am a firm believer in self-care, whether it is meditation, journaling, physical fitness/gym, taking a walk, an undisturbed bath, massage, dance class – you name it – schedule it!
7. Schedule your family time, social time. Coordinate your schedules in advance. This helps you and your family, friends and associates know when you are not available for anything else.
8. Plan time in your schedule for breaks and allow “buffer” time as you learn how long it takes you to do something. This works well when you have something that is new or had not been put in a time block previously.
9. 10 Minute Rule – I totally think this is great – I had been saying “no” or just walking away from my desk when something was calling my attention away and was in the habit of asking myself is this now’s business and I would write it down to do later. What I like about Nir’s 10-minute rule is that you have the opportunity to give in to the distraction in “10 minutes” and in that 10-minute time frame you can either go back to what you are doing until your timer rings, or you can pay attention to what urge is causing the distraction.
10. Absolutely create a Do Not Disrupt, Do Not Disturb timebox for the high impact, revenue producing work you do. Protect this time and if possible set it to be recurring at the same time so your management team, direct reports and others understand you are not available. How about something as loud as the image below? Do you think they will notice!!!

Finally, everyone has the same amount of time in their week – you just have to determine how you are going to invest it. What serves you best? What helps you stay true to who you are and allows you to lead powerfully in and for your life, and your career. Sales leadership is not for the faint of heart. It can be very demanding on your time as you can lose yourself along the way. That is why it is so important to find what works best to schedule your time to its best advantage – serving you and your team.

Let me know if you try this technique and how it is working. If you would like to work with someone who has been in the trenches both as a field Regional Sales Managaer and a Director of Sales managing to deliver award winning results year after year, please set up a strategy session. It would be my joy to support your journey. You can send an email to kathyholdaway08@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Happy scheduleboxing!

Kathy Holdaway – Sales Leadership Coach & Consultant