Effective Time Management for Teleprospectors
I've worked with some unique sales reps in my day, some were good at their job and some should have thought about an alternate career path. Though most of the top producers applied different tactics to hit their goals, every one of them contained a trait that the poor performers did not, the ability to consistently and effectively manage their day.
From what I've discovered, this also applies to the teleprospectors here at AG. We train our teleprospectors to focus on getting the most out each dial, and that every minute of each day matters. Pre-call planning is key. The less time you leave to do the necessary research on the company, identify who you want to talk to, and what want you want to say - then you end up wasting more time trying to identify a need/pain because you are just blindly dialing away.
Here are 6 simple suggestions regarding time management that we run our new hires through during their first week of training:
1. Write a To-Do List: What do you want to accomplish today? Set goals! Take into account meetings or trainings you have that day and plan your calls throughout the day around that:
- How many sales conversations do I want to have today?
- How many dials do I plan to make?
- How many opportunities do I plan to uncover?
2. Prioritize who you want to call:
- Call higher level executives in the morning or at the end of the day when their assistants may no longer be in the office.
- Carve out the 30 minutes at the end of your day to prioritize which accounts should be called first the following day.
3. Act, do not procrastinate:
- Tackle the toughest calls of the day first.
- If you have a conversation with a prospect and hang up the phone and realize you forgot to ask a certain question that could have turned it into a lead, pick up the phone and call them back.
- Spread your activity evenly throughout the day- don't leave the majority of the calls for the second half of the day- you won't make smart dials.
4. Keep your list fresh:
- Don't spin your wheels and waste time with unresponsive prospects- If you don't hear back after two weeks flag them as unresponsive.
- Make a point to pull in 5-10 fresh accounts a day.
5. Remove Distractions:
- Sign out of IM for 30 minute blocks.
- Only check email 2 x an hour.
- Place a "Call blitz" sign on your door or cube to let others know you can not be disturbed.
6. Use reward to mark your progress: Allow yourself a small break after hitting goals throughout the day (ex: After getting through your first 25 calls get up and grab a coffee or take a walk outside and get some air in your lungs).
Your time is valuable, and making cold calls is hard enough so put yourself at an advantage. Whether you're a senior sales guy or just starting your career in sales, keep these tried and true methods in mind.