Today I want to talk about how I utilize technology to help me stay organized.
As a sales person, you know that increasing your production and being more efficient with your time can lead to a lot more business. So how do you accomplish that? It starts with getting organized.
There are many different technology tools available to help you do that. Let me share with you what I use and see if it will help you. For me it starts with three things. A calendar. A simple to do list. The ability to take notes throughout the day from phone conversations or face to face meetings.
Step #1 Start with a good calendar system for scheduling appointments. By the way, do you schedule appointments with yourself to prospect? If you don't schedule an appointment to prospect, it usually ends up at the end of your to do list and gets put off until the next day.
How often do you try to schedule a phone call or meeting with a prospecting or a client with email? How many times do you go back and forth? I use a great web based app called, TimeTrade. It's a wonderful app and it has eliminated all of the back and forth with email.
Step #2 Have a simple to do list. The problem with most “to do” lists is there are too many items each day to accomplish. What happens to your confidence when you go home at the end of the day and there are still too many things you have not checked off your list? I typically have between five to six items on my list each day that are critical and need to be accomplished.
For my to do list, I use a great app called Nozbe. It works well for me because I manage many projects and people. It may be a little robust for the type of work you do. The app is cross platform and they have a great mobile app as well. You can learn more at Nozbe.
There are many other “to do” apps on the market. You can go to Google and search “to do apps” or you can check out this post by Mashable, 6 Fantastic To-Do Apps for Getting Organized.
Step #3 Be able to take and store notes. You could use a simple note pad for phone conversations throughout the day or when you are out on appointments. I use a desktop application called Evernote. Evernote is cross platform. You can take notes on your phone, computer or tablet and everything syncs across all of your devices. You can also scan or take pictures of your notes, it is an amazing app that is simple to use and it just works.
Last week I was in San Francisco for the 2-day Evernote Conference. It was truly amazing. They made some major announcements about their new partnerships with Post-it Notes, ScanSnap and SalesForce.com. You can learn more at Evernote.
These tools have helped me stay organized and be more productive.
Here is your Sales Nugget: Explore and find the right technology tools that will help you get organized and be more productive.
What tools do you use to help you stay organized?
Would love to hear your thoughts below.