EFFICIENCY: One Major Key in Building a Seven-Figure Distributorship Efficiency

by Kay Kotan
Published by Corporate Logo Magazine

Efficiency

It’s one of those words we hear dropped around so freely. It’s one of those words we give lip service to frequently. But, how many of us actually examine efficiencies (or the lack thereof) in our promotional product distributorships?

We all know that if we want more money in our lives, we need to either make more money or do things that require less of our money. If only making more time was an option! Unfortunately, we can’t make more time. So, we must learn how to do things in less time! So what are some of the time eaters in our businesses?

E-Mail

Although e-mail serves a great purpose, many people do not use it for the purpose intended - especially in a place of business. Use e-mail for business purposes only. If you choose to read jokes and stories from friends and families, have a separate e-mail address for those types of messages and read them on your own time – not during working hours. People can lose up to two hours each day reading junk e-mail!

Only check e-mail a couple of times a day. Don’t be attached at the hip to your e-mail. It is much more efficient to check your e-mail in bulk each day than to start and stop your current tasks to read e-mails as you hear the chime go off reminding you, “You’ve got mail.” Turn off your chime and stay on task.

Keep your in-box cleaned out each day. Treat your in-box like a loading dock. In order for things to transition smoothly, keep your in-box primarily as “white space.” Respond immediately if it will take less than a minute or two. File for reference immediately if no action is required on your part. If the e-mail needs your attention, treat it as a project and plan time to work that project. Move it into a file named, “Projects Pending.”

No Priorities

Answer this question early and often: “What can I do, and only I do, to enhance my business today?” Work daily on the business not in the business. Look at big picture business ideas so you won’t get stuck in the mundane tasks that do not create revenue nor build your business. Concentrate on the things you do best and delegate the rest. If it takes you hours to create artwork, outsource it! If you spend hours on bookkeeping each week, outsource it. If you can’t get customer’s proposals out promptly, hire someone to do it for you! Nothing happens until a sale is made. If you don’t have time to be out there selling, nothing else will happen. If once you make the sale, you can’t get the order placed with the vendor on a timely basis; find someone to help you, pronto! Learn what you love to do and what you can do efficiently and either delegate or hire out the rest!

Hanging Out With Your Favorite Customers

Now most you are thinking I must be nuts. If they are a customer, why is it wrong to hang out with them? The problem lies when we hang out there too much. We like to hang out where’s it’s comfortable, right? So what better place? Wrong! That customer already likes you and is doing business with you. Keep in touch with that customer, but don’t just hang there in your comfort zone. Give them the same attention you would any good customer, but don’t waste your time doing too much socializing on business time. Get out there and find some new customers (and friends)!

No Goals

This is another one of those things we all talk about, but don’t necessarily take any action around. Some of you may have an annual sales figure goal. But, do you know what you have to do on a monthly, weekly or daily basis to reach that goal? Have you decided where you are going to find those additional sales and customers? What is your plan of action to find those new customers? What is your closing ration? How many customers do you need to call on to be able to make a proposal? How many proposals do you need to present before you close? What is your average profit percentage? Is your annual goal really about sales or income? Break down your annual goals into very bite-size pieces so you can stay on track on a daily and weekly basis. Bottom line is, if you have no goals, you have no idea what your priorities are each day – and without working your top priorities, you will never building your business.

Efficiency is not something you look at once every year or two. Efficiency is an on-going, daily process. With each task you perform, always ask yourself whether you are the right person for the job, if it is the best use of your time, and whether this task is getting you closer to the goals of your business.

Kay Kotan (www.KayKotan.com) is a Coach to Promotional Products Distributors, author, speaker, and trainer. Is your distributorship in need of some help? Discover the answer by taking a FREE ASSESSMENT at www.ppdassessment.com.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it:  Kay Kotan is a Coach, Author & Speaker serving the Promotional Products Industry.  Are you having trouble honing in on your target market?  Claim your FR*EE gift - a free special report detailing the hottest niches in the promotional products industry, go to her site at www.kaykotan.com/niches.html! Ask Kay a Promotional Product Distributor business question at  kay@kaykotan.com.

Kay Kotan is a Success Coach serving the Promotional Products Industry.  If you would like to know if you are on the road to success, take a FREE ASSESSMENT of your promotional products business on-line at www.ppdassessment.com.