This can't possibly be...

Last week in our RAB Leadership MasterClass, we discussed the topic of time/attention management. In preparation for the session, I did some research on sales effectiveness and uncovered statistics that, depending on the study, say the average salesperson spends only between 33% and 37% of their time actually selling. Shocking, and not in a good way...

Here's another startling statistic: 61.3% of sales reps report they have some kind of time management system or tool, however, only 23% say they actually follow it. That means that over 70% of sales reps are not using any kind of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool or any kind of time management software.

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In his book, The Ultimate Sales Machine, author Chet Holmes says, "Building a sales machine is not going to be about doing 4,000 things; it's going to be about doing 12 things 4,000 times each." Holmes asserts that the single most important skill in successful selling is time management. He offers six steps to great time management:

Touch it once — If you touch it, take action, don't revisit. Revisiting things you have already touched can waste 97 hours per year.

Make lists — Lists help you stay focused on high priorities.

Plan how much time it will take — Don't think about when you'll do each task yet, just determine how much time it will take.

Plan the day — Now that you have allocated the time for each task, plan specific time slots for everything.

Prioritize — Put the most important tasks first.

Throw it away — Studies show that 80% of all filed or stored information will never be referred to again. Physical clutter is a distraction and takes up mental space.

The evidence is clear; great salespeople who actively manage their time spend almost 20% more time selling than a seller who simply reacts to the activities in their day.

You've heard the saying, "Time is money." Nowhere is this truer than our ability to manage our time/attention effectively so we can prioritize more time in front of client's helping them solve their problems. It's so important that Holmes asserts if you can't get time management right, you can't get anything right.

I'm going to double down on the six steps, how about you?

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com. You can all so connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.