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What is Time Management?

Time management refers to the way that you organise and plan how long you spend on specific activities.

It may seem counter-intuitive to dedicate precious time to learning about time management, instead of using it to get on with your work, but the benefits are enormous:

  • Greater productivity and efficiency.
  • A better professional reputation.
  • Less stress.
  • Increased opportunities for advancement.
  • Greater opportunities to achieve important life and career goals.

Failing to manage your time effectively can have some very undesirable consequences:

  • Missed deadlines.
  • Inefficient work flow.
  • Poor work quality.
  • A poor professional reputation and a stalled career.
  • Higher stress levels.

Spending a little time learning about time-management techniques will have huge benefits now – and throughout your career.

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Thank You Notes

Thank you notes are a sign that you are interested in building a long-term relationship with a client. They show clients that you value their business and that your interest in them did not end when you closed the sale. We often hear in this day and age of lack of politeness and many decry the cursory way that transactions are carried out. Although almost all companies make a greater play of offering “excellent customer service” there is a world of difference saying that you offer something and offering it every time.

The effect of a thank you note is to make a customer feel that they have been more than just a number. They will read the thank you note and feel positive about their purchase. Taking time out to write a thank you note that shows you remember the customer may well be what it takes to encourage them to come back to you when they need something else, and pass your details onto anyone they know who is planning to buy in the same niche. Pitching a note on the right level is important.

To learn more about effective selling tips, click here Sales Fundamentals.

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Do Not Exist, Live!

Dare to be … When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.

When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.

When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.

When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway.

When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.

When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some.

When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going.

When times are tough, dare to be tougher.

When love hurts you, dare to love again.

When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.

When another is lost, dare to help them find the way.

When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand.

When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.

When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.

When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best.

Dare to be the best you can – At all times, Dare to be!”

For more information on personal development and psychometrics, visit us on Delivery Skills

 

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Staying Energised

We all experience low points during the course of the day, and if you are speaking to customers, this could have a negative effect. There are ways however to boost your energy when it is lagging:

  • Take a walk, even if it’s just to the bathroom.
  • Drink a glass of cold water.
  • Be sure to eat a good breakfast and lunch.
  • Plug into others- being with energized people, keeps you energized!
  • Listen to up-beat music.
  • Try to stay humorous.

The typical structure of a staff timetable is 8 hours of working, with some short breaks in between times. We all know that it can be difficult to maintain a positive demeanour for eight hours straight! It is essential therefore that anyone in a customer-facing job approaches their day in sensible, structured fashion which allows them to get the most out of themselves. Staying energized is often difficult, but as long as you develop a good routine, you find a way to deal with even the dreariest day.

It is essential to find something that allows you break out of the “lows” that anyone will experience during a working day. These lows are common to all of us and we all have different ways of dealing with them. One of the most commonly used methods of shaking out this kind of torpor is a “change of scenery”. Something as simple as going to get a drink or get some fresh air is beneficial.

Making the effort to have breakfast in the morning – even if you feel as though eating is the last you want to do – can be of huge benefit, allowing you to maintain energy throughout the morning. It may be a cliché, but making sure that you don’t skip breakfast can go a very long way to keeping you energised through the day.

We believe that every working day should be enjoyable so help your team by visiting us on; www.summit-training-africa.com or call 0702 369224 to learn more.

 

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Which personalities make up your team?

MBTI is a personality preference tool that helps you understand you. It involves you taking a questionnaire which asks you a series of questions about the things you do and the way you like to think about things.

MBTI was developed by a mother and daughter: Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers back in the 1940s. Since then it has captured the world and is used across many diverse sectors, in over 70 countries and has been translated in over 20 different languages. It is now available in Kenya!

As a result of completing the MBTI profile you receive four letters. It’s these four letters that capture the essence of who you are. For example, are you someone who is highly organised or goes with the flow? Do you like to make decisions based upon logic? Are you an intuitive or do you need lots of information?

As certified trainers of MBTI in Kenya, we offer individual and full team building programmes and can make a real difference to your business. For further information call 0702369224 or email info@summit-training-africa.com

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Demystifying the multi tasking myth

We all do it: Texting while walking, sending emails during meetings, chatting on the phone while cooking dinner. In today’s society, doing just one thing at a time seems downright luxurious, even wasteful.

But chances are, you’re not doing yourself (or your boss or your friends and family) any favours by multitasking your way through the day. Research shows that it’s not nearly as efficient as we like to believe.

Task switching

What you call multitasking is really task-switching, “When it comes to attention and productivity, our brains have a finite amount. It’s like a pie chart, and whatever we’re working on is going to take up the majority of that pie. There’s not a lot left over for other things, with the exception of automatic behaviours like walking or chewing gum.’’ Moving back and forth between several tasks actually wastes productivity, because your attention is expended on the act of switching gears-plus, you never get fully “in the zone’’ for either activity.

Wastes time/slows you down

Contrary to popular belief, multi tasking doesn’t save time. In fact it will probably take you longer to finish two projects when you’re jumping back and forth than it would to finish each one separately. The same is true even for behaviours as seemingly automatic as driving: in a 2008 University study, drivers took longer to reach their destinations when they chatted on cell phones. What tends to save the most time is to do things in batches. Pay your bills all at once, and then send your emails all at once. Each task requires a specific mindset, and once you get in it you should stay there and finish.

Learn how to be the boss of your time. For more on Time Management training, visit www.summit-training-africa.com or email info@summit-training-africa.com

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Transforming your sales team

Every sales force is made up of the typical bell curve comprising A-players, B-players and C-players. 80% of the revenue is generated by the A-players (who usually represent around 20% of the sales force). They seem to figure out how to be successful, regardless of the economy, competitors, aging product or any of the other numerous excuses cited on the Monday morning sales call.

For many sales leaders, the key to significant growth is enabling the B-players to perform like A-players. While many B-players have the potential, it is unrealised because, unlike A-players, they require specific help to upgrade their performance.

In the world of complex business-to-business selling there is no such thing as a born salesperson. Everyone who excels in this space had to learn. It’s the same with golf. No one is born a natural golfer. It doesn’t matter how athletic people are: if they are given a golf club without any training or coaching, they will become frustrated and abandon the sport. On the other hand, anyone can become a decent golfer with appropriate training and coaching.

If you want to see a predictable improvement in the flow of business from your B-players, don’t focus on the transaction (the dependent variable) they have no control over. Focus their attention on variables in the selling process that they do have control over. Figure out what your A-players do before selling. Then train and coach your B players to master such basics. This will dramatically improve their performance.

Invest in your sales team. For more information on the trainings we offer visit www.summit-training-africa.com, email info@summit-training-africa.com or call 0702 369224.