• Productivity in Selling
  

  Tim Ferriss does an excellent job in addressing the habits or "to dos' that we do that kill one's productivity. In sales, the temptation is that if you are not answering emails, then you are not being customer focused. Unfortunately, that is not true. Emails start controlling you  and you lose focus, become inefficient, and decline in your ability to truly meet your customer's and prospect's needs.

  Your mind needs protecting. Following these rule will keep your mind refreshed, your time more productive, and your life in a much better balance.

• http://fourhourworkweek.com/2007/08/16/the-not-to-do-list-9-habits-to-stop-now/

Rule number 8 is very freeing. Don't carry your cell phone with you all the time. Have some cell/smart phone free time. Put it down at 9 PM and don't touch it again until the morning. Free your mind to think, read, or just relax.  Too much smart phone overloads your thinking and it begins to rule you. Your mind becomes overwhelmed and cluttered with too much electronics.

Use your down time to actually build personal relationships, face to face, not online. A refreshed sales rep makes a happier, calmer, and more productive rep. Digital reading comprehension research conducted by the Coast Guard Leadership Development Center states that there is higher retention in reading if reading from paper versus reading on screen. So, buy that book or print the article versus reading on line.

I just returned from vacation and applied the rule of little to no electronics. I checked email twice a day and that was it. I did not even try to get a blog written. I freed my mind for a whole week. I am now refreshed and ready for work.

Other ways to use your down time is to practice asking effective questions. Most people don't think of sales scenarios and how to effectively handle them through questions. Use no electronic time to think of new questions to ask and how they might impact your prospect or customer.  http://info.billhartbizgrowth.com/no-questions-no-sale-improving-the-sales-process

CONCLUSION:

Electronics rule our lives but they don't have to. Practice discipline and the freedom of being untethered from your electronics at different times during the day. This will enable your mind to be free and your sales productivity to actually go up. Your sales processes will be more effecient and effective. Read from paper, not always online.