Do you feel that there are not enough hours in the day to do what you want to do? If you would like to manage your time more effectively, try incorporating these techniques into your everyday routine:
Set and prioritize all goals regarding family, career and health.
Delegate minor tasks to others, so that you can focus on more important goals and responsibilities.
Keep a journal of everything you do for two days to see what activities can be eliminated.
Assess your peak hours of productivity and do your most important work then.
Do constructive tasks, such as reading reports and/or books or writing business letters, while waiting to see the doctor or boarding a plane.
Use your relaxation time wisely by reading, exercising or spending time with family or friends.
All of us can be focused, determined, and organized. It’s your choice!
Moral of the story: Time can be on your side.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to tell others how busy you are. It seems that everyone uses the “I’m so busy” routine as the way to avoid responsibility. People use e-mails, voice messages, and cell phones to detail all of the activities that prevent them from accomplishing the task at hand. Little do they know that when they use the “I’m so busy” excuse, they are making a huge mistake. By doing so, they run the risk of making themselves appear more important than the person with whom they are dealing. Really important people don’t have to tell you how busy they are; it’s understood. So why make yourself look like a “small timer?”
Moral of the story: Think about others before you act.
Many distributors have asked us a variety of questions about DistributorCentral. People want to know if the service is free, if its search capability is as good as the paid services, and exactly how the order processing system works. Instead of trying to answer all these questions ourselves, we have asked DistributorCentral to explain their full range of services in the following article. On a personal note, we have found DistributorCentral to be a reliable and valuable resource.
What is DistributorCentral?
DistributorCentral offers Distributors in the promotional products industry a complete set of FREE business-building tools. Whether you use DistributorCentral for product searches or for designing your company’s Web site, you will find solutions that will change the way you do business.
The best thing about DistributorCentral is that it is paid for by Suppliers, so it’s free for every Distributor in the industry.
Tell me about the Online Product Catalog.
The DistributorCentral product search catalog is different from other online catalogs, because it gives Suppliers control over their own products. You’ll find complete product information (oftentimes more than what is shown in a paper catalog) as well as accurate pricing.
More than 600 Suppliers currently list products with DistributorCentral (May, 2004). A powerful search tool allows you to find products based on keywords, categories, prices, quantities, country of manufacture and other detailed criteria. Theme catalogs like Real Estate Products, Health Care Products or Union Made Products and others help you serve your niche markets. Marketing catalogs like Quarterly Specials or New Products are also available to you. You can even make your own custom catalogs in which you select the products yourself.
Do I get a Free Web site?
There’s no excuse for not having a website for your customers to use. When you get your DistributorCentral Online Office account, you also get a free Web site. There is no limit to how many pages you can have or what you can put on your site. DistributorCentral provides free online training seminars and support to help you build your site, but the design work is up to you and your imagination. DistributorCentral will also host your domain name and your e-mail at no charge.
With the customer-friendly version of the DistributorCentral product catalog, your customers can search for products and place orders on your Web site. They see only retail pricing; no Supplier names or discount codes show. If a customer orders through your Web site, the order comes straight to you.
You can use this customer catalog whether or not you use the free Web site from DistributorCentral. If you already have a Web site of your own, it’s simple to link the catalog to your site.
Can you help me with Order Management?
Ordering from DistributorCentral Suppliers is easy and error-free. Every product is broken down into a series of questions and answers; ordering is like an easy multiple-choice quiz. All your setup charges and decoration options are spelled out for you as you go along.
You can also use DistributorCentral Order Management to order from Suppliers who are not yet listing their products with DistributorCentral.
When you use DistributorCentral Online Office to place orders, you have a permanent record of them in your account. That makes reports and reorders a cinch. You can also create detailed Proposals and Quotes and send Invoices to your customers.
Sign up for your free DistributorCentral Online Office account today. Visit www.DistributorCentral.com and apply for your free PromoPass username and password.
How much time do you waste chasing loose fax sheets around the office? In order to better control them, you need a consistent place to keep both the ones you receive and the ones you must send out. One of the best ways to keep them organized so that you can readily see them is to clip them onto old chip racks that once held Fritos, Cheetos, potato chips and the like. You can find these nostalgic items at flea markets, garage sales, etc. So each time a new fax that you think you will need arrives, attach it to one of the clips on the rack. That way you will know exactly where it is and you can easily retrieve it when the time comes to send back a reply.
Moral of the story: Organization is in the “chips!”
As promised, here is the rest of the solution to the ever-expanding catalog collection. While keeping your favorite five supplier files per product category stocked with fresh material, continue to let the back-up bulk file continue to grow larger. At the end of the year, carefully look through the bulk file and pick out a couple of suppliers you really like. Make an individual file for each of them and “recycle” (throw or give away) the rest. Start the new year with seven individual supplier files, adding new catalogs to the bulk file as they come in. Repeat this organizational process again at the end of the next year. Considering the variety of industry search engines also available for your use, there is no reason to keep everything you receive.
Moral of the story: Keep paper storage to the bare minimum.
Most of us try to save time by doing two or three things at once–sending e-mail while on the phone, listening to a colleague while sorting through the mail, or making a list during a meeting. Recent research has shown that your brain will likely “crash,” because multitasking can actually make you less efficient. Trying to do two or three things at once or in quick succession can take longer overall than doing them one at a time, and may leave you with reduced brainpower to perform each task.
So what’s the answer to dealing with all the tasks in our hurried world? Tone your multitasking muscles by weeding out distractions, honing your mental skills by making a point of continuously learning about new things, and getting plenty of rest. It also helps to occasionally put on the brakes, stay in the moment, and then move on to the next thing.
Moral of the story: Patience is a virtue.
Time is wasted every day dealing with today’s new clutter–excess e-mail. People spend valuable time tabbing through old messages looking for the ones they really want. Prevent this wasteful exercise by using the “One Day” Rule. Try to respond to messages within 24 hours, then file or delete the rest. It is just as important to file and use your emails as it is your orders and invoices. The only difference is that these new electronic files are online.
Moral of the story: Self-help is the best help.
Plan your daily schedule on the night before. If you wait until the work day begins, you are wasting time. Every night prior to leaving the office, plan what you are going to do the next day. If you are making outside calls, organize all samples and catalogs according to your travel destinations. Plot your stops on a map, if necessary, and make sure you have the correct information for each new prospect. Since you cannot anticipate the opportunities or problems that will arrive with the new day, you must not risk losing valuable selling time having to get organized. Get ahead of the competition by being the most prepared!
Moral to the story:The well-organized bird also gets the worm!
Since networking is such an important aspect of building your business, it is essential that you follow up with whomever you meet.
A big mistake that salespeople often make is not reaching out to new contacts in a timely manner.
Set time limits on yourself by contacting each new person within two days of making his or her acquaintance. That way you will have a better chance of being remembered!
Moral of the story: Strike while the iron is HOT!
Successful salesmen are always selling. That doesn’t mean pounding the pavement 24 hours a day, seven days a week. What it does mean is never missing a selling opportunity. Even on Sundays. While out riding my bike today, I spotted a neighbor whom we do not know well. For a split second I wondered whether to continue on my bike, acting as though I hadn’t seen him, or stop and say hello! I chose the latter, and am I glad I did!
During our conversation, I casually mentioned what we do for a living. No pressure, just a mention! As it turns out, he said that his company had just changed names and would be needing some gift items. It took less than 30 seconds for me to tell him that we would be dropping by some materials for him to look at in the coming week. So never forget to always be selling!
Moral of the story: Opportunity can be anywhere!
Networking is the key to success and one of the easiest ways to connect with new prospects is to work on high school or college reunion committees.
I’ve never had the desire to attend any of these events, but I decided that my 40th high school reunion might be a way to re-connect with classmates who could become new business contacts. After just a few months, my plan is working since I’ve already sold two nice orders to former classmates and the actual reunion doesn’t take place for another four months.
A supplier that we recommend for your reunion selling needs is Quikey.
The main reason that some clients seem difficult is because they usually don’t know what they want or need! Since most of us are not mind readers and to avoid these scenarios, always find out the facts relevant to all inquires. The best way to do so is by asking detailed questions and repeating back to clients what they stated either verbally or in writing. If after you verbalize what they said and the person is still vague about their needs, it is time to walk away from the deal. Distributors that are confident enough to make this move are often rewarded, since after they do, many buyers are more informational and that jump starts the order hunt!
