Focus for More Sales Success: Make the 1 Thing the 1 Thing

Do you ever end the day and say to yourself, 'I did so much today, but what did I really get done?' I know there have been days that I felt like a hamster on a wheel, my head spinning from the busy day that I have finished. The bigger question to ask: was it meaningful activity I spent my time on today, to help me meet my sales goals and business objectives, or was it time wasted on frenetic activity?

In the fast-paced world of sales and business development, success often hinges on our ability to prioritize effectively and focus on what truly matters. I once heard the mantra "Make the 1 Thing the 1 Thing" and it has stuck with me over the years. To me, it emphasizes the importance of dedicating our time and energy to the tasks that align with our core goals. It can be the goals for the day, week, month, quarter, or year.

5 Tips for Prioritization:

1. Identify Your Most Important Task (MIT): Begin each day by identifying the task that will most significantly impact your success. Ensure it aligns with your long-term objectives. Each day, I write 3 'must get done' activities. I find setting too many goals sets me up for failure. If I finish the 3 goals, I can always do more and if I do not finish them, I can move them to tomorrow.

2. Time Blocking: Allocate dedicated time slots for critical tasks, choosing periods when you’re least likely to be interrupted. Sales prospecting is one of the 'must schedule' activities. Whether it is first thing in the morning, or the way to end the day, committing to a 'Prospecting Power Session' is a habit I have come to enjoy!

3. Daily Review and Planning: Dedicate a few minutes each evening to review accomplishments and plan for the next day, reducing decision fatigue. If you miss a goal, correct and continue, and always celebrate what you have accomplished, no matter how big or small the task.

4. Use Productivity Tools: Leverage calendars and task apps to keep organized and manage deadlines efficiently. A customer relationship management (CRM) system, calendar scheduling system (Calendly), my day planner, and my 'do not disturb' setting on my iPhone help me stay focused during the day.

5. Set Boundaries: Communicate availability aspects to colleagues and family to secure uninterrupted focus time. Close your office door during important meetings. Make sure your email is off during important online meetings (to eliminate the 'pop up' distraction); silence your smartphone.

Common Distractions:

- Email and Notifications: Interruptions by constant notifications can disrupt focus—check emails and messages at scheduled times. Unsubscribe from non-value-add email lists.

- Social Media: Limit social media consumption by setting specific intervals or using apps that block access during work hours. I limit my social media to stay productive during the day which also leads to less 'comparing' and a more focused mindset. The exception is making new business contacts, learning, or researching businesses.

- Multitasking: Avoid multitasking as it decreases efficiency; instead, focus on one task at a time. Research has shown that it takes you 3 times the time, energy, and focus to get back to 100% focus on 1 activity when you jump between many activities at a given time. Also, more mistakes are made when we focus on multiple tasks at once.

- Unplanned Meetings: Keep your schedule intact by declining unnecessary meetings or setting agendas for brief, focused discussions. Give yourself a 'late or no show rule,' meaning set boundaries for how long you wait for someone to come to a scheduled meeting. 5+ minutes makes sense.

Rewards of Prioritizing:

Prioritizing increases productivity and reduces stress by concentrating on key tasks. Our self confidence increases when we finish what we start and keep our commitments to ourselves. This efficiency also leads to enhanced career success and provides space for creativity and innovation.

By committing to make the "1 thing the 1 thing," sales and business professionals can transform their effectiveness and achieve meaningful results.