Business owner’s To Do lists are endless … I mean there is so much to do all the time that it feels like a never-ending cycle of To Do lists! And they can spend all day being “busy” but at the end of the day never feel like they’ve accomplished anything…
… they still don’t have a full practice of ideal clients.
… their marketing systems are hit-or-miss.
… they do not have consistent cash flow.
But how can this be? They’ve been busy all day long!
The thing is they’ve been busy doing all the WRONG things … focusing on those things that are easy but do not relate directly to their bottom line. For example…
- Updating their website before making sales calls.
- Checking Facebook to see what everyone else is doing, before writing their newsletter.
- Checking emails instead of reaching out to potential joint venture partners or organizations to secure speaking gigs.
And let’s face it, making an update to your website is a LOT easier than having to make a sales call … but it’s the sales call that is going to directly affect your bottom line, not updating your website.
So here are my top five strategies that will help you become more successful and get more done:
1. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Yes, being a business owner is hard. And it requires us to step outside of our comfort zone. And making sales calls and putting yourself out there doesn’t come easy to many people … but you have to get used to it if you want to create a thriving and profitable business. So get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
2. Prioritize your To Do list. To Do lists are great – they help you stay focused. But only if you’re focusing on the RIGHT things. So go through that big list that you’ve got and ask yourself, “If I do this, how will it directly relate to my bottom line?” If it doesn’t, then move it to the bottom of the list, or cross it off altogether. You only want to focus on those things that are going to relate directly to your bottom line … anything else you either delegate, cross it off, or do it when you’ve got nothing better to do.
3. Get an Accountability Partner. If you can’t stay focused by yourself, team up with an accountability partner. Being held accountable does wonders for your productivity level. I go to a personal trainer twice a week because I want the accountability of working with her … if I’m left to my own devices I’m likely to give up after 15 minutes as I’m exhausted. An accountability partner will push you and make you keep going, even when the going gets tough. And reciprocate too!
4. Don’t be a slave to your emails or your phone. Plan to check your emails twice a day (morning and afternoon) and let unscheduled calls go to voicemail. Email and the phone are two of the biggest distractions for solo service professionals, so have a strategy for managing these distractions.
5. Plan your calendar. Block out specific times in your calendar for certain activities. For example, instead of having your client calls scheduled all over the place, set aside two or three batches of two hours each week for clients calls. Make Friday your Friday Follow-up day … the day when you go through your contact management database and follow-up with people. Monday can be set aside as your marketing day – Monday marketing. When you manage your calendar in this way you will find your time management issues disappear.
Follow these five simple strategies to become more successful and get more done … and watch your business grow!
