How to Conquer Time Management Issues With a Simple Daily Task List
How on earth can you keep track of everything you need to do? If your life is like that of a typical person at a printing company, you always have 101 things on the go at any one time. Trying to keep all those balls spinning in the air can seem like an impossible task. I used to fail to keep track of what I had to do. Important tasks were left undone. That always caused me problems. So I started using a task list to keep track of what I had to do. It literally changed my life. Suddenly I felt in control. Forgotten jobs became a thing of the past.
What is the daily task list?
This is a simple system for making sure you know exactly what you should be doing every day. Your information is instantly accessible. I love my apps. So I use an electronic system. But the system works just as well for those who prefer pen and paper.
In my experience, sales people who use daily task lists achieve far more than those who do not. They are in control of their day. They know what they should be doing. They can spend their time creating great relationships with prospects and customers.
It is important to understand what you should put on your task list.
A daily task list is for the many tasks that need to be done, but are not big enough to justify an entry on your calendar. A task list item can be achieved quickly. A calendar entry is for a task that needs some time spent on it. Here are some of the things that go onto my task list:
- sales calls
- callbacks
- social media activity
- regular administrative tasks, such as doing my expenses
- behavioral reminders, such as my daily task to be nice to someone on social media
- production tasks, such as chasing quotes or artwork
- personal tasks (this doesn’t have to be all about work)
So how do you set up a daily task list? Personally, I use an app called Todoist. I like this app because I can access it from anywhere. I can use it on any device and my list is up in the cloud. However, many people work successfully with Apple Notes or the android equivalent.
If you prefer using pen and paper, you simply need a page a day diary. Other people may be encouraged to use their CRM or MIS systems. This is fine as long as it will generate a list of reminders based on when you should carry out tasks. Some CRM systems also have a mobile app that you may find useful.
A list is all very well, but when do you find time to carry out all these tasks?
I use my calendar to set out blocks of time. These can be for meetings or larger projects. However, I also set up blocks of time for my tasks. I’ll set aside an hour in the morning before things get busy. And I’ll set aside one or two other blocks during the day.
Treat these blocks of time just as you would a meeting. Meetings don’t get cancelled unless there is an emergency.
P.S. Find out more ideas on how to increase sales with today’s buyers: download my free e-book “Ten Common Print Selling Errors and What To Do About Them” right now. You’ll also receive my regular “Views from the print buyer” bulletin, full of ideas on how to sell print effectively. Also, if you want to find out more about chaos planning and other ways to improve your sales results, check out my recently launched book, "How To Succeed At Print Sales: Setting targets, planning the right activities and making sure goals are met."
Many printing companies are frustrated how hard it is to engage buyers in today’s world. That’s where Matthew Parker can help. He is a gamekeeper turned poacher. Parker has bought print for more than 20 years and received over 1,400 print sales pitches. He now uses his buyer’s point of view to give practical advice to printers. He helps them engage with prospects and customers to create profitable relationships.
Download his free e-book, "Ten Common Print Selling Errors And What To Do About Them" and check out his recently launched book, "How To Succeed At Print Sales: Setting targets, planning the right activities and making sure goals are met."
