A plan tells you what to do while a schedule merely tells you when to do it. And there is a big, big difference between the two. Here are some tips on planning:

Ask yourself these questions as you begin to plan:

• What must happen?
• What is the sequence in which each must be accomplished?
• How long will each take?

An example:

I)

I need to open five new accounts in my territory.

II)

#1 Identify likely prospects.
#2 Conduct research on prospects.
#3 Determine method for contacting them.
#4 Execute contact plan.
#5 Make appropriate sales calls on qualified prospect.
#6 Execute sales process/close sales.
#7 Invoice, service and vertically integrate new accounts.

III)

#1 3 Days
#2 4 Days
#3 1 Day
#4 3 Weeks+
#5 1 Week
#6 6-12 Months
#7 1 Month Following Sale

Now, you are prepared to fill in your schedule as to exactly when you will implement each phase of your plan. The problem? Lots of people simply schedule a whole series of events – day-by-day, minute-by-minute, and unfortunately, the activities never tie into any longer range strategy. Learn to “invert” your thinking and you’ll be much better off for it.

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Time is life. In fact, it is perhaps, the only inventory of anything that any of us have. Productivity is simply this: The amount of output per hour of work. Sounds simple doesn’t it?
But let me ask you 5 simple questions. In an hour:

• How often do you check your email?
• How often are you interrupted by drop-in visitors or unnecessary phone calls?
• How frequently does your attention wander?
• How much face-to-face selling time do you get (or client time, or patient time, or editing time – based on what your job is)?
• At the end of the day, each and every day, what have you really accomplished?

Here’s the problem. Time is elusive, intangible, invisible and finite. It is our most valuable resource. One day will be your last, won’t it? Someone once said that time is the space between eternities. Maybe they were right.

Time, to be managed, requires you to “invert your thinking.” To think from forward, back. Most people think from today, forward. Perhaps that is why so many people lead what Thoreau called, “lives of quiet desperation.”

To be more productive, realize that we’re talking about “work product” whether it is an idea, a strategy, a document, a sale, a widget or anything else. How “many” of “what you do” are you able to produce minute-by-minute or day-by-day.

That’s the bottom line. The next Productivity Pointer will be all about the secrets to better planning. Look for it.

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According to the US Labor Department and reported in the 2/7/07 issue of USA Today, productivity in the U.S. ended 2006 by edging up 2.1%, the weakest performance since a 1.6% rise in 1997. Couple this with another headline in the same paper that says, “Developing nations poised to challenge USA as king of kill,” and you have a problem!

Whether it is because of the global economy or some other macro-trend, the real bottom line is this: unless U.S. workers get back on track, it’s going to be a long and painful ride down, down, down.

What does that mean to you – no matter what your job or profession? It’s really simple. Old fashioned Time Management. Call it self-management, goal setting, planning, organizing, scheduling better, delegating more effectively or even handling paperwork or interruptions more adeptly, we’ve got to improve.

The classic model to follow is this:

• Understand time and value it
• Plan better
• Schedule activities correctly
• Organize more effectively
• Handle interruptions better
• Delegate with skill

Keep your eyes peeled for future postings as we take a look at what I’ll call “Productivity Pointers.” Real-world strategies and tips to improve your personal productivity. And, maybe the entire nation’s future. See you there!

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1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 tips to help you planning more effectively not just for your selling career but you can use these tips for any career.

Click the green play button above to play the audio

This and other podcasts are available to download at itunes to help your selling career. If you have never used itunes and need help to download and install it click here for a tutorial.

You can click the “itunes” icon on the sidebar to take you directly to our podcast site.

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According to a recent study completed and reported in the Psychological Bulletin, procrastination is getting worse. The result? Being fat, broke, sad and unfulfilled. Apparently the reason for this increase in procrastination starts with the plethora of temptation that each of us faces.

The study found that in the past 25 years the average self-score for procrastination (using a 1 to 5 scale with 1 being no-delaying) has increased by a whopping 39 percent!

Men are worse than women. Young people worse than older people. The report even estimates that the US gross national product could increase by $50 billion if just the icon and sound that notifies people of new email would disappear!

The cause of all this? Temptations are the leader. Life is just too easy and too diverting. The others? A sense of choosing immediacy over deferred payback, whether doing the job provides value, and whether a person believes they can get the job done.

How do you overcome procrastination? The study’s authors, Pier Steel and William Knaus (author of Overcoming Procrastination, 1977) say:

• Precommitment - Force yourself to get something done.
• Do unpleasant tasks first and when you are at your best.
• Set goals and break them down into doable tasks.
• Unplug distractions (televisions, computers, games, etc.).
• Commit to doing something for 5 minutes. At the end of 5 – go on to something else.
• Ask yourself why you procrastinate and defeat it.

Procrastination can derail your best efforts and entire career. It can also become a habit. Avoid it at all costs – but don’t procrastinate in taking action. You too, could end up fat, broke, sad and unfulfilled.

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