What do you do if you're an IT Sales professional struggling with procrastination and missed deadlines?
Procrastination and missed deadlines are common challenges for IT sales professionals. You have to juggle multiple tasks, clients, and projects, while staying on top of the latest trends and technologies. But if you let these challenges get the best of you, you risk losing sales opportunities, damaging your reputation, and hurting your career. How can you overcome procrastination and meet your deadlines as an IT sales professional? Here are some tips to help you out.
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Kris DolovenkayaBusiness Development Manager at Mainsoft | Custom Software Solutions☀ Java, Angular, React, JS, C#/.Net
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Leonardo Pineda LombanaLatam Tech Sales Leader | Driving Digital Transformation & Cybersecurity with Customer-Centric Growth Strategies | Top…
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Caio César MagnaniSales e Marketing na DBAOnline | Levando serviços em Banco de Dados, Infraestrutura Cloud e Integração de Sistemas |…
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These are the criteria that make your goals clear, realistic, and motivating. For example, instead of saying "I want to sell more software this month", you can say "I want to sell 10 licenses of Software X to Company Y by the end of this month". This way, you know exactly what you need to do, how to measure your progress, and when to complete your task.
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Com metas claras, processos definidos e objetivos alcançáveis, fica mais fácil entender onde concentrar sua energia, identificar suas prioridades e evitar a procrastinação.
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Um exemplo perfeito é a utilização de um CRM de controle, planilhas pessoais de performance ou de leads com forte tendência de fechamento para organizar as prioridades e focar energia corretamente!
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🗺️🌟 Start by setting Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals for yourself. 🎯 Define clear objectives that motivate and guide your actions. SMART goals provide a roadmap for success and keep you focused on what matters most. 🗺️🌟
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To overcome procrastination and missed deadlines as an IT Sales professional, set SMART goals. Specific goals clearly define what needs to be accomplished. Measurable goals allow tracking progress and success. Achievable goals are realistic and within reach. Relevant goals align with your overall objectives and priorities. Time-bound goals have clear deadlines for completion.
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Track Your Progress: Use a planner or to-do list app to track your progress and hold yourself accountable. Seek Support: Talk to a productivity coach or therapist for personalized strategies to overcome procrastination.
Sometimes, procrastination is caused by feeling overwhelmed by the complexity or size of a task. To avoid this, you can break down your tasks into smaller and more manageable steps. For example, if your task is to prepare a sales proposal for a potential client, you can divide it into subtasks such as: research the client's needs, create an outline, write the main sections, proofread and edit, and send the proposal. This will help you focus on one thing at a time, and feel more accomplished as you finish each subtask.
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If you're struggling with procrastination and missed deadlines as an IT Sales professional, break down your tasks into smaller, manageable steps. This approach helps combat feeling overwhelmed and allows you to focus on one thing at a time, boosting productivity and reducing procrastination.
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🔄🔍 Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable chunks to avoid feeling overwhelmed. 📝 Focus on one task at a time and tackle them systematically. Breaking tasks down makes them less daunting and easier to approach. 🔄🔍
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Por exemplo, se estiver preparando uma proposta de vendas para um cliente em potencial, pode dividi-la em subtarefas como: pesquisar as necessidades do cliente, criar um esboço, escrever as seções principais, revisar e editar, e finalmente enviar a proposta. Isso permite focar em uma etapa de cada vez, aumentando a sensação de realização ao completar cada parte do processo.
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Breaking down large tasks into smaller subtasks is a fundamental strategy that applies not only in the workplace, but also in various areas of life. In the realm of work, large tasks often seem overwhelming, leading to procrastination and decreased productivity. Moreover, breaking down tasks into smaller components promotes better time management. It helps people allocate resources efficiently, prioritize and set realistic deadlines for each subtask. This prevents people from feeling overwhelmed by an overwhelming workload and allows for a more balanced distribution of effort over time
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Metodologia, faço uso de um método para avaliar o meu processo de vendas, assim tenho como analisar o desvio de resultados sobre as minhas atividades e corrigir falhas do processo. Criei um modelo com base no PDCA - Plan, Do, Check Act, vou alimentando-o constantemente, para ajustar possíveis desvios sobre metas, inclusão ou mudança de ofertas.
Another reason for procrastination is not knowing where to start or what to do next. To solve this, you can prioritize your tasks according to their urgency and importance. You can use the Eisenhower matrix, which divides your tasks into four categories: do first, schedule, delegate, and eliminate. Do first tasks are urgent and important, such as meeting a deadline or closing a deal. Schedule tasks are important but not urgent, such as planning a strategy or following up with a lead. Delegate tasks are urgent but not important, such as answering emails or making calls. Eliminate tasks are neither urgent nor important, such as browsing social media or checking the news.
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Utilizando a matriz de Eisenhower, você pode direcionar seu tempo e esforço para atividades que oferecem o maior retorno, como resolver problemas críticos de clientes existentes (importante e urgente), desenvolver propostas para leads qualificados (importante, mas não urgente), delegar tarefas de suporte genérico (urgente, mas não importante) e minimizar atividades não relacionadas às vendas imediatas (não urgente e não importante). Essa abordagem estratégica permite que você mantenha o foco nas ações que impulsionam os resultados de vendas de TI, evitando a procrastinação e aumentando a eficiência.
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📊🚀 Identify the most important tasks and prioritize them based on urgency and importance. ⏳ Use techniques like the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks into quadrants and focus on high-priority activities first. Prioritization helps you allocate your time and energy effectively. 📊🚀
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Prioritize Ruthlessly: Not all tasks are created equal. Identify the most important activities that move the sales needle and focus on those first.
Technology can be your ally in fighting procrastination and meeting deadlines. There are many tools and apps that can help you organize your tasks, track your time, set reminders, and stay focused. For example, you can use a project management tool like Trello or Asana to create boards and lists for your tasks and subtasks. You can use a time tracking tool like RescueTime or Toggl to monitor how much time you spend on each task and activity. You can use a reminder tool like Google Calendar or Todoist to schedule your tasks and deadlines. And you can use a distraction blocker tool like Freedom or Cold Turkey to block websites and apps that tempt you to procrastinate.
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O uso de ferramentas e aplicativos pode ser muito abrangente e adaptável às necessidades específicas de cada pessoa. Além da automação de tarefas e do gerenciamento de projetos, também existem aplicativos que ajudam a bloquear distrações e manter o foco, que limitam o tempo gasto em sites não produtivos durante determinados períodos. Essas ferramentas são ótimas para evitar a procrastinação e aumentar a produtividade.
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💻⏰ Leverage productivity tools and apps to help you stay organized and on track with your tasks and deadlines. 🛠️ Utilize task management apps, calendar reminders, and time-tracking tools to stay accountable and manage your workload efficiently. Technology can be your ally in combating procrastination. 💻⏰
Finally, one of the best ways to overcome procrastination and meet your deadlines is to reward yourself for your achievements. Rewards can be anything that makes you happy and satisfied, such as a treat, a break, a compliment, or a celebration. Rewards can also motivate you to start and finish your tasks, as you have something to look forward to. For example, you can reward yourself with a coffee after finishing a subtask, a movie after completing a task, or a vacation after closing a sale.
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🎉🌟 Create a system of rewards to incentivize yourself for completing tasks and meeting deadlines. 🏆 Treat yourself to something enjoyable or relaxing once you've accomplished a goal or milestone. Rewards provide positive reinforcement and motivate you to stay on track. 🎉🌟
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I have found these strategies to be helpful. Breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable objectives and setting realistic goals for each can make them more achievable. The brain can translate these into something easily executable. I have utilized the Pomodoro Technique, which involves working for 20-30 minutes followed by a short break (5 mins), it's particularly effective in managing time and maintaining productivity. Alternating between focused work and brief breaks can help combat procrastination and keep motivation high. Additionally, using a prioritization matrix to categorize tasks based on importance and urgency can streamline decision-making and ensure that critical deadlines are met first. I recommend Eisenhower's matrix.
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