by Will Rotondi
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At one time or another, we’ve all been guilty of procrastination. Why? Fast Company yields some insight: We’re afraid we’ll fail. We’re overwhelmed because we see the mountain instead of the first few steps. Or, we’ve gotten away with grace-under-pressure work at the last minute, so we’ve come to expect that’s how we’ll always see success.
Salespeople are not immune to this, particularly with their early stage prospecting. You might be in the same boat. The problem is when you let this procrastination grow to the point that you simply give up.
The good news? You can break this Sisyphean cycle.
Accept failure. It will happen, a lot. There will also be moments of immediate or long-term success that come from putting in the extra effort to find and qualify the right prospects now.
Break down your workload. Make time every day to prospect. 30 minutes when you get in, 30 minutes before you leave – at minimum. If you dig your heels in and do it, it becomes habit, and it’s easier.
Don’t rely on what you think you’ll make. If you set your goals too high, you’ll be prompted to view anything less as failure rather than success.
Last, but not least – don’t lie to yourself. If you say “I’ll prospect later,” schedule the time. Do the research. Send emails. Call. Every little bit helps.
