Time management tips for increased sales

Don’t you find yourself wishing that there were more hours in a day? As a sales professional, you are familiar with the old proverb “time is money.” Every minute you spend not engaged in selling activities means lost opportunities—and lost money. Effective time management is a prerequisite to success in sales. Time management is knowing where your priorities should lie, and it can be separated into three categories:

-The mindset you apply

-The tools you use 

-The process you define

Managing time increases the productivity of an individual and helps them avoid forgetting important things. Time management ensures the completion of tasks at a much faster rate and more effectively. One of the top ways to manage time is to be organized. 

Why time management is important for sales professionals

Without solid time management, your work and well-being can suffer, and it can lead to:

• Poor quality work
• Missed deadlines
• Increased stress levels

Success in sales comes from the ability to juggle different tasks. This is where solid time management skills come into play. Time management for Sales Reps study from InsideSales reveals sales reps spend:

• 12% of their day on internal policies and approvals
• 15.7% on meeting and customer interaction
• 12% researching target accounts and contacts
• 36% of their day selling

A majority of a sales rep day (about 64%) is full of activities that do not generate revenue. 

A majority of a sales rep day (about 64%) is full of activities that do not generate revenue. 

-InsideSales

Lack of time is not the problem; how you use it is. Effective management is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome. Once you establish a routine, more opportunities to close deals are created, and you’ll be able to complete your daily tasks and still have time to stop and breathe.

Tactics for time management

Success in almost everything involves time management. Focus on improving these areas, and in the long run, it’ll help manage your workflow. 

1. Get organized with templates

In sales, being unorganized means that you might be wasting time you could spend with prospects. Improve your time management by utilizing templates, whether it be for emails, texts, or progress trackers.  

2. Prospect with purpose

A significant issue for sales reps is spending too much time researching prospects. Research, along with administrative tasks, are the most time-consuming activities for sales reps. Direct your focus on qualified leads to avoid time wasters. 

3. Plan your day around your customers

If you’re not calling leads when it’s convenient for them, you’re not effectively managing your day. While there is no perfect time, structure your day around your target buyer’s schedule to avoid wasted time.

4. Be smart with email

Create templates for your emails that support the conversations you have on a repeated basis with prospects and customers. 

• Pricing Information
• Answers to common questions and objections
• Social proof, including testimonials 
• Standard info 

5. Streamline repeatable tasks. 

When prospecting the same type of customers, your prospects will be similar to each other. Instead of investing the same time on the same kind of tasks, create a framework that allows you to review your past wins and note important details for future sales. 

6. 80/20 rule

20% of your time yields 80% of your results. Pareto’s principle suggests it’s essential to focus 20% on tasks with the highest impact. Time-consuming, repetitive tasks can be automated or outsourced to maintain motivation for the highest ROI. 

7. Focus on one thing at a time

While juggling many different tasks may feel really productive, the truth is, it’s the opposite. Your quality and attention to detail are likely to suffer. When you try to multitask, you lose 40% productivity because your brain constantly shifts gears and refocuses on each task.  Group similar activities to allow your brain the opportunity to perform each activity effectively. 

When you try to multitask, you lose 40% productivity

Wrike, a Citrix company

8. Take a break 

Your brain can only do so much before productivity starts to decline.  Short breaks help your brain rest, recover, and stay fresh for longer periods of time. It can be anything from:

• Walking around your building
• Grabbing a quick snack
• Stretching at your desk

Taking a break increases productivity, prevents burnout, and improves your focus. 

9. Track your progress with SMART goals

A great way to increase your productivity and time management is to have a specific goal. Write your goals down and review them, so you know exactly what to work on.  

Those who set goals and actively check their progress perform 30% better than those who don’t. Targeted goals increase both your motivation and achievement.

10. Leverage a CRM

Sales CRM software places all your lead data in one centralized place where you can access it whenever. No more chasing down info and account history for key customer notes that’ll enhance their experience. 

CRM makes scheduling easier and automates follow-ups. By streamlining administrative work, CRM systems allow you to focus on building relationships and closing sales. 

Work smarter, not harder

With features to shatter your quotas, GlassHive helps your team deliver a legendary sales performance with a CRM that helps you close. We give you full visibility into all your sales activities to improve time management. Our platform gives your team the tools they need to effectively complete tasks without the rigamarole of data entry and file management. 

GlassHive gives you the full power of AI, big data, automation, and an integrated collateral library, without sacrificing your workflow. Our email integration features keep track of activities on and off-platform and automatically log them into GlassHive. Contact research can be done with a click, and you can prioritize your leads any way you want. The at-a-glance sales dashboard provides insights into your campaigns and performance to help you plan for success.

The takeaway

Succeeding in sales, reaching your goals, and giving clients and prospects the proper attention, requires the ability to complete various tasks each and every day. GlassHive has the tools to help you perform every day. Sales is a marathon, not a sprint. Time management allows you to plan for and see long-term, repeated success. Streamline your processes by:

• Setting better goals 
• Monitoring your performance
• Embracing the right tools
• Mastering time management

Explore how GlassHive gives you the visibility and tools to manage your workflow effectively. Don’t lose any more sales to poor time management. Sign up for GlassHive today and streamline your day, reach more prospects, and make more sales.