The work you do as a sales professional can be divided into two categories: what’s fun and what isn’t. The tasks that are fun get done right away, even sooner than needed. The drudgery gets put on the back burner, and too often you forget to turn the gas on. In other words, you procrastinate --- sometimes endlessly. How do you beat procrastination:?

1. Do what you hate first. Start your workday by first doing the task you most dread. Schedule the least enjoyable tasks to be done during the time of the day when you are most energetic. Never put them at the end of the day; it’s too easy at five o’clock to say, “Oh well, I can always do that tomorrow.”
2. .Make an accountability contract. Find a friend who’ll do this with you until you’re both cured of procrastination. Every morning one of you calls the other. You each name the one thing you least want to do that day. Before the end of the day, each of you must report back that you have accomplished that task.
3. Follow the 24-hour rule. Within one day of receiving any new communication requiring action ---mail, e-mail, phone calls, requests, and so on --- take at least one step toward responding to it. Better yet, do one thing on each new task the minute you learn of it.
4. Visualize completion. Instead of thinking about how bad you feel that you have to do something, think about how great you’ll feel when you get it done. The more real you can make the feeling of accomplishment, the quicker you’ll start making it happen.
5. Announce you deadlines. Make public commitments to starting and finishing unpleasant tasks. You’re less likely to accept embarrassment in front of others than you are to let yourself down. For instance, tell your boss each morning how many cold calls you plan to make.
6. Divide and conquer. Break especially difficult or complex jobs into manageable pieces. Work on one piece each day.
7. Ask for clarification. If you’re putting off a task for your boss or a client, a lack of information may be your major stumbling block. Do you need more explanation of the nature of the assignment or the purpose behind it? Ask for it.

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Attend a Class on Friday September 22nd from 9 to 11 am. Call 347-385-8500.

Jeremy Rawitz