Time Management: Setting Yourself up for Sales Success in 2025
Back in 1964, the Rolling Stones released a song, Time Is On My Side. Unfortunately for many people, time isn’t on their side, and they struggle with the concept of time management. I often hear, “Jack, I wish I had more hours in the day. I’ve got too much to do and too little time to do it.”
I’m here to challenge that thought process. I don’t think we need to worry about time management. Time manages itself pretty well. Each day gives you 1,440 units — minutes. What really matters is how you prioritize those minutes. Instead of focusing on time management, let’s focus on priority management. This is one of the most effective time management strategies for sales professionals.
Identify Your Priorities
Take some time to write down three or four things you need to do each week or each month without fail to succeed in your role. These should be specific tasks. Once you’ve created the list, ask yourself: If I didn’t do this, how would it impact me?
For producers or leaders of producers, the number one priority should always be finding opportunities. This is a critical component of effective time management strategies for sales.
Schedule and Protect Your Priorities
Once you’ve identified your priorities, the next step is to schedule them. Add them to your calendar and protect that time with great zeal and passion. These aren’t just tasks to get to if you have time — they’re essential.
Some people prefer to set recurring calendar events for their priorities. Others plan weekly, fitting them into their schedule on Friday, Sunday night, or Monday morning. Find what works for you.
For example, a producer I know, Tracy, schedules time for finding opportunities. When I asked her what happens if something gets in the way, she said, “Nothing gets in the way of me finding opportunities.” That’s the mindset to adopt for successful time management strategies in sales.
Eliminate Time-Wasting Activities
To improve priority management, you also need to identify what’s taking up your time unnecessarily. What can you stop doing? Eliminating time-wasting activities is one of the most effective time management strategies for sales professionals who want to maximize productivity.
In Atomic Habits, James Clear talks about making good habits easy and bad habits hard. I read about someone who gave their phone to their admin for two hours to avoid distractions. That’s a perfect example of making a bad habit hard to do.
Build the Habit
Building a new habit is tough, but if you stick with it, your success will increase. Identify your priorities, put them on your calendar, and guard that time fiercely. Over time, you’ll find your time management improves naturally as a result of focusing on priorities.
These time management strategies for sales are essential for increasing productivity and achieving success. Good luck with your time and priority management!
Author:
Jack Kasel, Sales Development Expert
Anthony Cole Training Group
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