Much is said about how the most valuable asset a business has is its staff. Let’s break things down a little further. What is an employee’s most valuable asset? I would suggest time. It is not surprising, therefore, that shelves full of books have been written on the subject of time management and it is considered an essential component of management training.

When sales people are being pushed harder and harder to show results, they have a particular need to ensure their time is as productive as possible. It should be something that is done almost automatically. Those prospects that seem most promising on first contact will be treated as priorities when it is time to do follow-up calls. Similarly, those customers who reorder when you contact them will always get called before the guys who require reminders and follow-up calls.

One of the simplest ways to ensure that time is not wasted on customers is to spend a little longer on the first contact to find out as much as you can. Ensure you are taking all opportunities for cross selling and up selling. Finally, remember to build the relationship with customers. Don’t just call, take the order, and run. Take an interest in them. You are far more likely to get referrals.