Our days are filled with distractions. Some are welcome, several are urgent, many are self-imposed, and others are merely annoying. Consequently, it’s a relentless challenge to determine how to best allocate your precious time and still maintain your sales focus.
Author, educator and management consultant Peter Drucker, had much to say about managing time effectively. For instance, he emphasized the importance of focus and concentration in achieving economic success. He advised targeting areas of high-value impact, rather than spreading resources thinly or randomly.
There are many moving parts in B2B sales and mini emergencies pop up everywhere. However, keeping too many plates spinning will eventually lead to collapse.
Analyzing sales results, feeding the pipeline and finishing a proposal are unrelated, yet necessary tasks. Add in building those trusted relationships and you have too many tasks and too little time.
Drucker advocated working on just one thing at a time. His advice was to work methodically on one task and concentrate deeply. He argues for reducing the number of things you must do. In addition, he suggests decreasing the amount of time you spend on them.
To Get More Done, Do Less
Author, Cal Newport, writes in Deep Work that focus is like a mental muscle. By integrating deliberate training you can resist distractions, strengthen your sales focus and expand your mental capacity. Newport explains why this skill is important and explores ways to eliminate distractions.
When you focus on one thing at a time, you get more done because you get each thing done faster. You also do better work, which strengthens your contribution to your overall performance.
Interestingly, focusing may be easier for introverts than for extroverts. That’s because introverts’ preferred style is to work methodically on one task at a time and concentrate deeply.
Managing Your Attention
It may help to think of sales focus as attention management. Andres Ruiz brings forth insight from Pipedrive executives in this article on achieving focus. In essence, the message is that we are the result of our efforts generated by our undivided concentration.
If you are distracted, you accomplish nothing. Likewise, if you pursue the wrong thing, you fail. Drucker says: “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently something that should not have been done at all.”
Multitasking wastes time and creates stress. When you bounce between activities you lose time as your brain reorients. Moreover, when you multitask, you make more mistakes and bad decisions.
Therefore, your goal should be to find the most advantageous task that deserves your attention, then go all in.
From This Day Forward, What Deserves Your Attention?
Deciding top priorities is a demanding task, yet it deserves your urgent attention. As we successfully close fiscal 2024 and look to a new year, sales focus becomes an imperative. Here are a few subjects to consider:
Urgency and timing
- What time sensitive issues are most critical for your prospect?
- Study your prospects’ budget cycles for the coming period.
- Rank broad business goals by those you can impact effectively.
Leverage technology, data and training
Customer behavior and engagement
- Prioritize your leads and referrals based on active interest.
- Leverage your social listening skills and personal brand with SalesCred PRO.
- Prioritize those prospects sending strong buying signals or who are closer to making a decision.
By single tasking and managing your attention you can improve your sales focus and impact productivity in your work environment. Remember that improving concentration is a discipline that requires practice and consistency.
Photo by Noelle Otto on Pexels.com
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