20/20

Friday, after 3 years, I had an annual eye exam. (Hmmmm? Is that a guy thing - to wait a long time between annual health stuff?).

I'm extremely happy to report that I still have 20/20 vision. Well, there is one small catch... seems like my 20/20 is only on things in the distance. Can I stake a claim on being a visionary then?

Unfortunately, age is the one great equalizer we all must face. Reading, my passion, has become a little more difficult over the past few years.

 

 

Over-the-counter reading glasses have become my friend each night as I read before going to sleep. One day, recently, I really stepped out and took them to work with me. Wow! The computer screen just about jumped out at me. It was a pleasant and welcomed surprise.

 

And... It always seems to happen to me. Some normal life function sparks an idea that cries out to be shared.

 

Ask the sales reps that are, or have been, a part of my immediate sales team and they'll be the first to confirm my passion for planning and organization. Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about daily planning, the number of customer appointments per day that have a purpose, and the use of electronic tools (iPad, iPhone, CRM, & laptop).

 

Planning and organization is sort of like my 20/20 distance vision. Being organized and having a plan for your day, week, month, and year helps you to see clearly. It is your pathway to success. Without a plan, the day blurs like my eyesight when I'm trying to read up close.

 

Without a plan, you lose control of everything. You start to react like Henny Penny and suddenly the sky is falling. Yet, you thrive because you feel like you do your best customer service work in emergency mode. However, you forget to remember that every little emergency is remembered like a gunfighter adding a scratch to his gun handle for every gun battle he's won. Suddenly, the customer fires you because they have more important things to do than to fight fires with you each week. Most of those emergencies could have been avoided by carefully working your daily plan.

 

"So, Superhero", you ask, "how do I get started?" I'm glad you asked. Here are my answers:

 

1. Discipline: You have to choose to plan your day and you have to set aside time to complete your day. If you tell yourself that you'll do it tomorrow. You won't. Sorry. Human nature wins. So learn to exercise daily discipline
2. Prioritize: If your goal and expectation is to have 3-4 customer appointments that have purpose per day, make that your priority. If you have important Tasks to complete that day, set aside time on your calendar, treat that time as important as you would a customer appointment, and complete the Tasks.
3. Review: At the end of each day, review what you did and schedule Tasks & Reminders to make sure you do the one thing that is the the differentiator between good and great sales reps: "Do What You Told Them You Would Do" - Promptly!

Once you get the system rolling it starts to take on a life of its own. Now you have a true System for Success. It all starts with Discipline.

 

Do you have what it takes? 20% do. 80% don't. Who are you going to be?

 

Be a visionary! Be 20/20.