Ten years ago Daniel Harkavy wrote an article that hit home for me, and many other sales professionals who read it. The title was “Get Out of the Back Seat” and it hit home on so may, important levels…
Today, in the spirit of translating his article into a blog for a new audience to read, reflect, and take action, I share with you the original article and at the end I hope you will join me in a brand new action plan for 2014.
It is Monday morning at 7:00 and you’re looking forward to making today a very productive day. This will be the week that you finally do IT, no excuses. Then you make the choice. As you walk out your front door there sits your 4-door sedan. Will you get in and drive or just ride along? You choose to get into the backseat and go for a ride.
The first driver of the day is your new realtor prospect calling on the cell phone. He is telling you he needs you to run some numbers for one of his clients. He takes you down this road for approximately 20 minutes. Then the next driver enters; she is your processor. She has a problem on the Smith loan and needs your help now. You sense her urgency so you help her instead of working on IT.
It is now 9:15 and you’re sitting at your desk in the office hurriedly going through any weekend mail and memos when the next driver arrives on the scene. It is Katie the escrow lady and she wants some information. She takes you down the road for about 10 minutes and then scoots over and gives the wheel to that listing agent who closes 4 transactions a year and she is angry. She gets in, slams the door and takes you across town for 45 minutes.
Then it hits you, that Title Rep who wants your business is going to drive your car during lunch and you’re 15 minutes late to meet him. You scoot across town and listen to his theories on driving until you agree to throw him the keys once or twice a month. It is now 2:00 and you’re behind, not even close to your original destination, the IT.
This may sound ridiculous, yet so many originators and managers make the decision every day to give the controls of their day and their success to anyone and everyone else by not making and sticking to a daily plan, a road map for today’s success. They don’t get in the drivers’ seat and control the route and outcome of their day.
What is your IT? Is IT setting up your database, making those prospecting calls, writing and practicing the so needed scripts or is IT researching that new program. Is IT spending the time with your spouse, your kids or a friend. Is IT going to the gym, or having your daily quiet time. Whatever IT is, you know getting IT done will enable you to be more focused, productive, profitable and successful.
As a Coach, I hear producers and managers struggle with their day getting away from them regularly. They have tried time blocking before but get thrown off track when the first crisis hits.
My questions for you today are simple:
- Would time blocking allow you to focus on what matters most, when it matters most?
- What would your business look like 6 months from now if you had a routine?
- Are you ready to re-think the value of time blocking?
Coach Michael Regan 