An Intense Focus Window

Let’s look Inside the Sales Conversation for the week of June 20, 2022

Working in a bubble as many of us do, we sometimes ask, "What are others thinking? Am I unique in my sales challenges?" If these issues are your issues, why not join the conversation? Here's a few recent discussions found in The Sales Vault and our free Slack sales community.

1. “I need more focus in my day.”

My wife sent me a fascinating article regarding productivity. Since that’s an offshoot of time management and I am a time management nerd, I devoured it. One key take away had to do with focus and, more importantly, the best use of your limited “focus window” each day.

It is not reasonable to think you’re going to be able to maintain 8 hours of intense concentration. The article says we get one to three hours a day where we are able to intensely focus on an activity. I’ve been thinking on that fact/opinion and I’ve come to the conclusion that it is spot on. You can argue with the numbers, if you like (for example, someone who is not 61 years old like me might be able to go four hours), but the point is, you need to plan ahead so that tomorrow’s 1 to 3 hours is used in the best possible way. I’ve been applying this lesson lately and it has made a HUGE difference in the quality of my work. How will you spend your focus window time tomorrow?

Check out the full article here.

2. “I get that I need LinkedIn. But, what should I post?”

I am probably not the right Farquharson to comment (my youngest daughter, Madeline*, is the expert), but I know good material when I see it and this group is doing it right. It’s proof positive you don’t need an elaborate video, a professional set up, or any more than about 20 seconds to deliver a powerful brand-building message. Alphagraphics in Franklin, Tennessee, has produced a series of quick, clever videos which get the point across. Click here to watch one of them.

*Madeline does a monthly workshop for Vault members and delivered this terrific soundbite recently: “If you only have 15 minutes a day to spend on LinkedIn, spend it engaging on someone else’s content.” Check out her recent, How to use LinkedIn to make prospects feel like they know you” workshop for free. Click here.

3. “Story: What the client said when a rep called five times.”

Let me end this week’s sales tips with a story about diligence and a shocking surprise one sales rep received when a big prospect called him back…

I first heard the story on a conference call many years ago. One participant, a sales rep, said he had tried over and over again to reach this very important Buyer. Following one such attempt, he went into a sales meeting but was interrupted by his CSR who said, “That guy you’ve been trying to reach has called back. Pick up line one.” In his words: “I ran to the phone and sure enough, the buyer had called me back, saying, ‘I don’t want to think I’ve been ignoring your messages. My company has a policy whereby we only return the phone call from new vendors if they’ve left five messages. This morning was your fifth. Do you have your calendar in front of you to set up an appointment?’”

"Diligence is omnipotent."

- Calvin Coolidge

Want more? Join the conversation and be a part of our sales community in The Sales Vault. Learn more at SalesVault.pro or call Bill Farquharson at 781-934-7036.