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Inspiration

Small things make a big difference

ometimes when focused on our latest big initia- Green advised that merchant level salespeople find out
tives or dazzling new products, we can forget when the decision maker will return. "Then don't call on
the positive effects small actions can have on the prospect that day," he stated. "It's likely that the traveler
S our overall business success. Often these are will return to a mountain of paperwork and a logjam
tasks that don't take much time and can become healthy of messages requiring action." If you wait several days,
habits without much effort involved. Green suggested, you'll have a better chance of reaching
the decision maker "after he has had time to crawl out
Prioritize daily from under the accumulated correspondence and catch-
The practice of identifying and prioritizing tasks for the up, after the 'dust has settled.'" And the prospect will be in
following day is at least a century old. According to the a better position to spend quality time with you, he added.
business magazine Fast Company, Ivy Lee, a successful Use effective tools
businessman, consultant and pioneer in the filed of
public relations, came up with a method of attaining peak There are many other small things you can do that
productivity as follows: will offer attractive return on investment. In our Feb.
1. At the end of each workday, write down the six 23, 2015, issue we published a story on SendOutCards
most important things you need to accomplish (www.greensheet.com/emagazine.php?story_id=4314&search_
tomorrow. Do not write down more than six tasks. string=SendOutCards). The service has an extensive library
of greeting cards, as well as gifts, designed to appeal to
2. Prioritize those six items in order of their true a diverse audience. It also offers customer relationship
importance. management tools to help sales professionals nurture
3. When you arrive tomorrow, concentrate only on uniquely personal relationships with customers and
the first task. Work until the first task is finished prospects. Taking advantage of services like this can help
before moving on to the second task. you automate outreach while maintaining a very personal
4. Approach the rest of your list in the same fashion. touch.
At the end of the day, move any unfinished items So remember, small adjustments to habits, attitudes and
to a new list of six tasks for the following day. tools can help your business hum instead of backfire, turn
5. Repeat this process every working day. a profit instead of run into the red. And if you take small,
purposeful actions during the busy holiday season ahead,
Be considerate you're bound to benefit.
Another small thing that can make a huge difference is
to remember to be considerate of your prospects' time. In
Good Selling! SM: The Basics, Paul H. Green noted that if life
were perfect, all of our deals would be a one-call close,
but we have to live in the real world. "Sometimes not only
can't we get an answer on the spot, we can't get to the
decision makers because they're gone," he wrote. "What
do you do upon their return?" Kate Gillespie, President and CEO