Specific and actionable advice you can implement to see immediate results
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“You do not rise to the level of your goals.
– James Clear in his book “Atomic Habits”
You fall to the level of your systems.”
As crucial as this is for individuals, it is even more so for organizations. On an organizational level, systems encompass individual behaviors, group routines, processes, procedures, and technology for automation.
If your goal is to reach 200,000 customers, a supporting system could be your prospecting process and the consistent commitment of at least 2 hours a day to it. Our ability to achieve our goals hinges on our compliance with the systems we establish. It’s crucial to ensure we implement correct, effective, and user-friendly systems everyone is willing to adopt.
James even says “True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement.” Systems will keep us on the right path, especially when results are not immediately attainable or observable.
Systems vs. Flow
The Flow State theory, also known as being “in the zone”, is a state where you’re fully immersed, focused, and thoroughly enjoying what you’re doing. “Writer’s block” is the term creatives use to describe this lack of flow. I believe many people hold a misconception that flow and systems cannot coexist: structure, routine, or a schedule limits creativity and productivity. You may believe that getting into flow is difficult, and once you’re in it, interruptions should be avoided, as who knows when you’ll be able to regain it again! However, that’s not true. If used correctly, systems can help you more readily enter flow.
Work with, not against your schedule
Your schedule doesn’t have to look like a typical 9am-5pm morning schedule. If you’re a night owl, tailor your schedule to suit yourself and maximize productivity during the late hours.
Scheduling Tip: It may sound obvious, but tackle tasks that require the most energy (such as making important decisions, drafting proposals, or contacting key prospects) when you have the most energy. For most people, this is at the beginning of the day or their working routine, but for others, it could also be later in the day if they feel more refreshed after a nap or exercise.
Systems can help build focus
A requirement for entering the flow is focus. Don’t burn the midnight oil because you’re in the flow; the crash that follows isn’t worth it. When you’re mentally fatigued, it becomes a lot harder to re-enter the flow.
Following a schedule might mean you’ll have to cut your productivity short to get the rest you need, but the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term interruption. When you consistently follow a schedule, your biological and mental clock will start to recognize when it’s the scheduled time to do work, and you’ll more readily enter the flow. To take it a step further, you can build a routine like taking a cold shower or drinking a cup of coffee to prime yourself. These actions will act as cues to trigger the flow state.
Pareto Principle
The 80-20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, is a widely recognized concept:
BUT! It’s not universally true. In some instances, the mix might be closer to 95% / 5%, or in others, we might not even see this effect. However, I do want to raise it here because it encourages you to be more mindful of your activities and ensure you’re working on the things that really matter.
Especially so in sales. Because selling is naturally uncomfortable for most, it’s easy to avoid doing uncomfortable tasks and instead focus on the less confrontational activities to fool yourself into thinking you’re being productive when instead you’re merely preoccupying yourself with busywork.
This applies not only to your activities but also to your prospects and customers. Some prospects will require a disproportionate amount of time and effort to convert; ultimately, it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it or if you might want to redefine your target customers. You might even want to fire certain high-maintenance customers, depending on your personal situation.
What and who are most important will differ depending on your business, solution, customers, and process. The point here is to take an occasional pause to reflect and ensure the proportion of resources and attention you give them is related to the return on investment.
ASSIGNMENT
Review your routines, SOPs, or regular sales activities.
- How much time or effort are they consuming?
- Are the results (both short-term, long-term, and possibly indirect) worth the investment?