We’ve all been there. Ever have the feeling you’re expending more energy and time avoiding a task instead of actually diving in and doing it?
I usually can get a lot done, but I can also be a master of putting certain things off. I have an email sitting in my inbox about an offer for lead generation that I’m keep telling myself I will look into. Oh, wait, it’s from June. I get to it today, maybe.
Procrastination is an ailment that debilitates salespeople. Not only does it create guilt and anxiety about not getting things done, it obviously pulls down our sales results.
So what causes procrastination?
Fear of failure, and/or of success, says Jane Burka, author of “Procrastination: Why You Do It; What to Do About It,”(Yes, its available on Audible) Regarding the fear of failure, she says that it’s more acceptable to believe you’ve failed to reach a goal by putting it off, than to believe you lacked the ability to reach it.
Also, there’s the fear of success. Some salespeople put off prospecting, since they feel that by reaching and beating sales goals, they’ll be expected to exceed higher ones each month. They’d rather not face the new demands success can bring.
Here are some ways to deal with procrastination:
Use power-blocking. Break your prospecting day into 45-minute, one-hour, or other segments that work for you. Take breaks in between and do nothing during your power blocks but prospect.
Break huge tasks into manageable chunks. Prospecting an entire day could seem like a Goliath-sized task. But slicing it down into a series of bite-sized morsels makes the mountain easier to scale. ex. 3-5 cold calls per hour, till you reach 25.
Schedule unpleasant duties for your own “up time. Those parts of the day when your energy level is the highest. It’s easy to procrastinate when your energy is dragging, so find easy, mundane tasks to do during those times.
Don’t anticipate how prospects will respond. Often, procrastination is a result of saying, “Oh, this person won’t buy. I know they’re from someone else who is cheaper than us. They wouldn’t be interested, I won’t call them. Most successful merchant salespeople realize that by simply calling instead, they’re pleasantly surprised.
Schedule a specific time for tasks you’d usually rather avoid. For example, setting aside a certain day or morning can provide the motivation to dive right in.
Don’t let unpleasant jobs age and pile up. Just like rotten food, the longer it sets, the more foul it becomes, and the more you avoid it. Do these tasks the first thing in the morning. You’ll feel better knowing that you’ll quickly get them out of the way. Just get them done.
Make tasks you avoid more pleasant. If you fear prospecting, learn more and better ways of doing it. You’ll boost your confidence, and won’t avoid it.
Avoid procrastination, do it now, and you’ll watch your sales production skyrocket!
Are you a procrastinator?
In what ways do you deal with procrastination? Let me know.
Happy Selling,
David
