Is being early on-time? Or is being on-time late? Let me know what you think...

One of our sales training programs recently sparked an interesting debate. I made the point that being 5 minutes early for an appointment was on time, being on time was late, and being late...well that, I said, was unacceptable.

It was a premise drilled into my head by my late father -- and The Brooks Group’s founder -- Bill Brooks.

Some of our participants disagreed with the premise.

They believed that arriving early for an appointment could be awkward and uncomfortable for your prospect or customer. What do you think?

Let me know by commenting or tweeting @JebBrooks

@JebBrooks

We write a lot about pre-call planning here on the Sales Evolution Blog. The reasons are many, but mostly because there’s immediate payoff. Put simply, if you prepare for a sales call, you increase your chance of success.

There’s an equally important component to successful planning as it relates to sales. That’s the post-call planning. Before you end a meeting (or a phone call), it’s important to identify a definitive next step.

How brutal is the sense that..."The meeting went so well! But, I don’t know what to do next.”?

Preventing that sinking feeling is as simple as planning your next step while you’re in this one.

• “Do you mind if we go ahead and schedule a time for me to follow up?”
• “If I don’t hear from you by next week, may I follow-up?”

That sounds fairly straightforward, Doesn’t it? But you would be surprised by the number of very talented salespeople who sometimes forget to take this extra step. However, High IMPACT Salespeople always leave with a definitive next step.

It's crucial for time management, too. You’re a lot more likely to follow-up on something that’s scheduled than something that’s not. To increase your chance of winning a sale, design a definitive plan. People are always more likely to follow a definitive plan than one that’s nebulous.

This goes a little deeper than simply asking, “May I follow-up with you?” Compare these two follow-up statements:

1. “Will it be okay if I call back on Tuesday at 3:00? Or, is there a better time?” versus
2. “May I just check back in a couple of weeks?”

Which is more likely to wind up on your prospect’s calendar? Which are you more likely to do?

The answer is clear. Always shoot for a definitive next step. It’s part of post-call planning.

Of course, there’s a lot that can happen between today and next Tuesday at 3:00, and that’s the art to selling.

@JebBrooks

This is a more personal post than we usually publish here at Sales Evolution. But I'm probably not alone in my admission that...

My name is Jeb Brooks and I’m a phone-aholic.

This morning, I checked my phone five times. Before leaving my house. I checked it again on the way to my car.

I was looking for anything that required my immediate attention. Maybe an email, a missed call, an urgent tweet? Anything.

You and I both know there won't be anything like that between 5:30 and 6:00 in the morning. But I'm still driven to check. Almost obsessively.

My first mistake is using my phone as an alarm clock. It gives me an excuse to check my email even before I’m out of bed .

My addiction is a problem because it’s unhealthy. It's unhealthy because it increases my stress. I rarely relax. And that’s unnecessary. Admittedly, there’s a sliver of a chance that a client will contact between the time I shut off my alarm clock and finish brushing my teeth. But - just in case - I can't stop thinking I need to respond.

I check it when I'm waiting in line. I check it while I'm eating lunch. I check it while I'm at a stoplight. In short, if I'm not (1) actively working or (2) physically with another person, I'm probably checking my phone. With access to the web on airplanes, I'm even accessible at 30,000 feet.

We've conditioned ourselves (and, more importantly, our clients) to expect immediate responses. That means we can't take the chance to "unplug." What if we unplug at the wrong time?!

But we should unplug. I should.

When the Blackberry first came on the scene, many complained that it prevented them from "getting away." I took the opposite stance, saying that it freed us from the confines of our desks. We could be in Bermuda, for example, and respond just as if we were in the office. I was wrong.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not advocating disconnecting from our clients. But we should take breaks.

What's the worst thing that will happen if I respond to that email at 8:00 the next morning instead of 11:00 the night before?

@JebBrooks

How much is an hour of your time worth?

If you sit down and think about it, it's probably more than you think.

Check out this tool that's over on the "main" part of The Brooks Group's website. It also tells you how much it costs to waste an hour a day for one year.

Also, since we're talking about time management, check out this audio called "15 concepts to maximize your time."

Use your time wisely. It's your most valuable resource.

@JebBrooks

Thanks for participating!

Tick tock goes the clock. How are you using your time? Bill explains in this audio time management with prospecting tips.

Download audio file (056-Time_Based_Prospecting.mp3)
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.

Tick tock goes the clock. How are you using your time? Bill explains in this audio time management with prospecting tips.

Download audio file (056-Time_Based_Prospecting.mp3)
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.

[ratings]

Get your pens and pencils out and write these down. Bill gives us 12 ways to manage our prospecting time.

Download audio file (050-Manage_Prospecting_Time.mp3)
Click the green play button above to play the audio

Stop cold calling and start prospecting. Bill tells you how to prospect the best way to save your time in selling.

Download audio file (049-Maximum_Time.mp3)
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.

[ratings]

Bill talks about how you can use your time to be a better salesperson or professional.

Download audio file (044-9_Tips_Time_More_Effectively.mp3)
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.

[ratings]