The last few months I’ve been overwhelmed, and it’s calling to my attention the struggle of staying focused. I know you’ve been there before or you’re dealing with the same issue now, too.
It’s impossible to be focused until you know what to be focused on, and that’s the problem most people suffer from. The number of priorities and the number of people demanding attention never seems to stop. When you combine the priorities you have with existing accounts and the need to prospect, it feels as if the hamster wheel is in overdrive.
Everyone is quick to say how it is a time management issue, which is totally incorrect. The issue is a priority management problem. It’s the objective you have of wanting to view everything as a top priority. Becoming focused is about narrowing the list of priorities and realizing success is far more achievable by accomplishing one or two major things well than by plodding through many.
The customer you’re talking to today has the same issue, and the fellow employee you just talked to has the same issue. Let’s be real and admit everyone has too many priorities.
What is the answer as a sales leader? It comes down to one thing and that is a determination of singling out who is the biggest priority for you and how can you help them achieve their priority.
If you’re an account manager, it might mean helping your biggest account with the biggest priority they have that you can impact. If your focus is prospecting, it might be the new prospect you uncovered last week — dedicates some focused time to them. It’s not about quantity of priorities; it’s about the quality of the priorities. By this I mean the impact you will make on this person by focusing on them.
Narrow your focus by narrowing your priorities. By doing so you will achieve more and do it better. Make it your goal to not just complete something, but to complete things by making a difference. I see this as being 100% congruent with my definition of sales leader, as their job is to help others see and achieve what they didn’t think was possible.
And don’t forget that a coach can help you excel in your sales career! Invest in yourself by checking out my coaching program today!
Copyright 2018, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results
