Time is a precious resource, especially for sales managers who are tasked with exceeding sales targets, nurturing their teams, and juggling various responsibilities. With the challenge of managing underperforming districts and the demands of a dynamic role, effective time management becomes paramount. As a sales manager, you need to strategically allocate your time to drive business growth and develop your team. In this blog post, we’ll explore key strategies to help you optimize your time and excel in your role.
Prioritize Your Tasks:
The Eisenhower Matrix – many know this from Covey – when you’re managing a sales team, it’s crucial to identify and prioritize tasks that yield the most significant impact. The Eisenhower Matrix is a powerful tool that helps you categorize tasks into four quadrants:
- Urgent and Important: These are your top priorities that require immediate attention. This includes field time for coaching and feedback to guide your team’s growth.
- Important but Not Urgent: Focus on tasks that contribute to long-term success, such as team meetings and individual one-on-ones. These activities foster team cohesion and individual development.
- Urgent but Not Important: Delegate tasks that can be handled by others. This frees up your time for more critical responsibilities.
- Neither Urgent nor Important: Minimize or eliminate tasks that don’t add significant value to your goals.
Identifying what should go into each quadrant is equally important. I would recommend taking your job description and placing items in the matrix to determine if tasks classified as urgent and important revolve around driving sales. Managers spend too much time on unproductive calls rather than crucial items like coaching, feedback, development, and improving district sales and performance.
What Gets Scheduled Gets Done
In the past, productivity experts endorsed prioritizing to-do lists to determine their urgency and importance. Now schedule the items on this list into your calendar.
David Allen, in his book, Getting Things Done, suggests defining what “done” means (outcome) and what “doing” looks like (action). He highlights the challenges people have with clarity and the associated action steps.
You can also Utilize time management techniques like the Pomodoro Method to maintain focus and productivity. Break your work into intervals, typically 25-50 minutes of focused work followed by a 5–10-minute break. This approach can help you maintain high energy levels throughout the day. Here is a video clip on YouTube, from Med School Insiders.
Delegate for Efficiency and Development
Delegation isn’t just about offloading tasks; it’s a powerful tool for time management and team development. Identify tasks that can be assigned to team members based on their strengths and skill sets. Delegating empowers your team while freeing you to concentrate on high-impact tasks. Pushing work down in the organization increases productivity and reduces costs.
Harnessing Technology for Time Management
Embrace technology to enhance your time management efforts:
Time Management Apps: Explore apps designed to streamline your tasks, track progress, and set reminders. Trello, Asana, and Todoist are excellent options.
- Computer Shortcuts: Learn keyboard shortcuts for software you use regularly. These shortcuts can save significant time in the long run.
- SharePoint and OneDrive: Utilize these tools for easy document sharing, collaboration, and organization.
- Internal Tools: Make the most of tools specific to your organization’s processes, such as CRM systems or analytics platforms.
Mandate the team’s use of these tools to streamline processes, save time, and be more efficient. There is nothing worse than getting too many emails when slides, reports, and other tools are housed in a collaboration tool that team members refuse to use.
Mastering time management as a sales manager is a continuous journey. By prioritizing tasks, adopting effective scheduling techniques, delegating wisely, and leveraging technology, you can create a more efficient and productive work environment. Remember that effective time management isn’t just about getting more done; it’s about achieving meaningful results, exceeding sales targets, and nurturing the growth of your team.
In the fast-paced world of sales management, your ability to manage time effectively will set you apart as a successful leader. Embrace these strategies and watch your productivity soar as you guide your team to new heights of achievement.
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