A Time Management Tool for Sales Managers

2,000 hours

240 days

50 weeks

4 quarters

This is how many hours, days, weeks, and quarters a sales manager has to make the yearly number. It seems like it is never enough.

Our sales consulting firm recently came across a simple time management tool while performing a time study for a client and thought you might get some value out of it.

The Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix facilitates the process of finding the proper balance between the urgent and the important.  Urgency is defined as time, as in a lot or a little.  Important is defined as consequences, as in there are none or it is a matter of life or death. It is a 2x2 matrix.

What Does an Eisenhower Matrix Do?

The Eisenhower Matrix provides visual guidance for prioritization.  For example, maybe you are trying to confront whether it is better to launch the new comp plan, or restructure rep territories to boost productivity.  The matrix allows you to simplify this decision and find a priority amongst the opposing options under consideration.

How to use the Eisenhower Matrix?

Build a list of all the items on your plate today.  Place each item into one of the 4 quadrants A/B/C/D.  Perform the following activities:

• A - Ask what needs to be done immediately? Act immediately yourself; this is the imperative.  These are the “I must do now” activities.
• B - Ask what should I preferably give my attention and tackle? Do mid-to-long range planning and make sure it happens. Focus on the “I can do” activities.
• C - Ask what shouldn’t I be doing now, or, what needs to be done that I should not be doing myself? Give it the right attention but only for a short time.  The focus is on “Verify and re-assign, delegate, standardize, rationalize, reduce, or stop doing” activities.
• D - Ask what is wasting time and is trivial, unimportant, and unnecessary?  Those things are the “I should be ignoring” activities.  Take the risk and use the waste bin.Sales Consulting

Your Action Items:

1. Use this tool to prioritize the urgent and important.  Ignore everything else.  Here is an example of a populated Eisenhower Matrix.
2. Make sure you know how your customers want you to be spending your time.  If you need help contact Mark.  He can complete a customer time benchmark for you.

If you have other ideas on time management for sales managers, please let our readers hear about them in the comment box below.

by Greg Alexander
http://www.salesbenchmarkindex.com/