Unbreakable Laws of Sales-18th Law: Time is a Major Denominator

pharmacy

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin. Mother Teresa

My son, Giovanni, who is in Basic Four, got me laughing during my conversation with him about the concept of Time recently. Our conversation went thus:

Giovanni: Daddy, Why is the clock always moving without stopping?

Me: Because Time moves towards its destination and waits for no one; it can’t stop.

Giovanni: Where is Time going to; why would Time not wait for any one?

Me: Because Time is designed to work that way. It moves to its destination. It waits for no one.

Giovanni: But Time should learn how to wait for people.

Me: No, Time can’t wait for anybody; people wait for Time.

Giovanni: I will make Time to wait for me.

Me: What will you do to achieve that?

Giovanni: I will remove the battery!

Me: Oh my God! (I couldn’t stop laughing).

We all know that no one can stop time, but Giovanni’s position is what some folks try to apply today when it comes to time. They want to stop time. They want time to wait for them. They come to business meetings late, even when crucial matters are expected to be discussed. These individuals start assignments late and get confused sometimes when they can’t meet up with deadlines. They also come to work late and want to go home early. No one cheats the clock! Think about this.

Efficiency leads to excellence

In business or in personal life, effective use of time is everything. Time determines what happens next. Greatness is measured by how you utilise your time.

Benjamin Franklin said, ‘‘You may delay, but time will not.’’ Time ticks steadily without pausing. Time is not interested in your programmes. Time follows its own design without thinking about anyone. You either organise yourself and fit into the ever moving time and get things done, or you ignore the importance of this vital factor and have yourself to blame.

The importance of time cannot be overemphasised. We are all appraised by our ability to utilise our time effectively and efficiently. Businesspeople want to achieve their targets easier and faster. They want to achieve a lot within the shortest possible time. Individuals desire to do more and get more in good time. They want to be effective and efficient as well. Salespeople wish their targets were met before the set time. They celebrate when they achieve their sales targets before the end of the appraisal period.

I once met Joy, a smart medical sales representative in the pharmaceutical industry. I met her in my friend’s pharmacy where she supplied her company’s products. When I got talking with her, she informed me that she had already met her sales target for the month. It was one week before the end of the month. I consider that a good performance because many salespeople struggle to reach their sales target at the end of the month. Such performance will naturally give her the opportunity to prepare for the subsequent month. She works at her pace without any form of anxiety; achieving results and making her employers happy. This is the environment successful sales folks create for themselves. You too can work this way.

Be strategic

In sales, time is everything. Attaining your goals is measured by your ability to utilise your time properly. Successful people utilise every second in their day properly. They do this because no one manufactures time. Time is scarce. Smart people utilise theirs properly because any wasted time is gone forever.

Your goals should be measured and broken down on monthly, weekly, hourly, per minute and even per second basis. You must know where your time goes. Every time you have must be assigned to something useful.

You should plan your time in a way that you apportion time for the least things. Plan your events properly and follow through with actions. Make out time to pray. Create time for work. Allocate time for resting, leisure and to socialise. Assign time for family, for health and fitness. Every time must be planned and used appropriately because no one produces time. You just have to use the time you have efficiently because time is expensive. Use it judiciously.

Stephen R. Covey said, ‘‘The key is not in spending time, but in investing it.’’ A lot of people are busy like the bee but the question is: what are they busy for? Are you busy chasing your targets or are you busy engaging in motion without movement? Your time must be put in valuable causes that will bring results.

Be alert to where your time goes. Be attentive to your activities. Be a good life manager because when you manage your life properly – doing the right things at the right time – the issue of time will be sorted out. Set a personal guide for yourself to know if what you are doing at any given time fits into your vision and mission. This is how to make time your ‘friend.’