Time Management
Time management…when I asked Google the question, “How many books have been written on time management?” the reply today was 16,700,000. I am humbled to be asked to chime in on this topic.
One of the reasons I have been asked to write about this is my practice focuses on measuring and managing all we do in business. As I have grown my business I have observed that some people use different measuring tools for time management.
Some use the Join Every Group I Can tool. Recently I was told by one gentleman who is in direct sales that he goes to 14 networking meetings per week. That means that he is having one or two meals each day with a networking group. His philosophy is that the more people he meets the greater likelihood that he will make a sale. When asked, “Where does your business come from?” he answers, “Everywhere!”
Others are using the tool Do Everything Known to Man. Frequently realtors are known to use this tool. Those are the ones you hear say, “I work 24/7 in my business.” Most are very proud and financially successful. When asked, “Where does your business come from?” they answer, “Everywhere!”
A few use the Sit by the Telephone or in some cases it is the Sit Behind the Desk tool. They find every reason known to do something other than create business. When asked, “Where does your business come from?” they answer, “The economy is bad. I have no business.”
To manage time you need to:
- be clear on who is your target market
- know what results you offer that target market
- budget time to deliver your product/service to that target market
Once that is clear you need to develop the steps to get in front of that target market with time expectations that surrounds the gathering of business, delivery of business, and creating marketing strategies for new business.
Applying this to the Join Every Group I Can tool, one might join a handful of groups that include the identified target market or includes people who can refer you to your target market. Before going to a networking meeting you would develop a time expectation and a number of expectations. For example, when I go to a networking meeting I expect to invest one hour, and for every hour I invest I expect to meet two people that can either become clients or refer me clients.
Before employing Do Everything Known to Man tool you might select three to five things you LIKE to do. Apply values for time invested and decide before you begin what results you expect. Using real estate as the example, when having an open house, how many prospective buyers are you expecting, and how long will you keep the house open are both important to know in advance of scheduling/holding the open house.
Some might say to those who use the Sit by the Telephone or Sit Behind the Desk tool that these folks are just lazy. I say they need to develop a strategy to create warm referrals. To do this set aside an hour per day to call only people who know you. Say this, “The reason for my call is I have a question and a favor. The question is, ‘Who do you know here is where you name your target market? Can you introduce me to the name of your target market?’” We want the person who knows you to call the other person to make the introduction. Make ten dials a day to only people you know. Following this procedure will yield, for every 10 contacts, a minimum of two introductions to a maximum of eight introductions.
Time management is simple when there is a method in place for measuring and managing our time.
Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Oceanside, CA. He works with people in business who want to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals. More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Riverside, and Orange Counties.
Gerry’s stimulating presentation Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability. Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops.
His book series, Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, are available on the website, www.integritysd.com.
Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses. He is a networking dynamo. Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started IntegritY.
Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a member of Toastmaster International, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.
Are you truly committed to attracting the right prospects and generate more referrals? If so then contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information. You can contact Gerry by mail at 1610 Quiet Hills Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056. Direct dial (760) 439-4623; e-mail to gerry@integritysd.com. For more information, go to www.integritysd.com
