How Elite Salespeople Use Time to Their Advantage

In sales, time is money. The more effectively you manage your time, the more deals you close. But with so many tasks on your plate, how do you stay productive and on track?

This issue dives into proven time management strategies that will help you maximize every minute.

Whether it’s optimizing your daily routine, setting smart goals, or eliminating distractions, these tips will help you work smarter, not harder.

This issue is brought to you by:

Double your reply rate by landing in the inbox, not spam! Mailshake helps you connect with more prospects and book more meetings. Automate personalized campaigns across all channels and manage everything in one place.

→ Get started today!

Work on What Matters Most

Brian Tracy points out that time management is about focusing on tasks with significant consequences and long-term impact. He explains that top performers prioritize high-value activities and eliminate distractions that lead to wasted time.

1. Focus on tasks with big consequences

• Identify activities that produce the most significant outcomes for your sales pipeline.
• Avoid spending time on tasks with low or no consequences, like excessive admin work or unnecessary meetings.

2. Think long-term, act today

• Plan your actions today based on the results you want to achieve in the future.
• Invest time in building skills and relationships that will pay off over years, not just days.

3. Prioritize value creation and sales generation

• Spend your time creating value for clients and closing deals.
• Eliminate tasks that don’t directly support these goals.

4. Apply the law of three

• Write down everything you do in a week.
• Identify the top three activities that generate 90% of your sales success.
• Dedicate most of your time to these “big three” and cut out or delegate the rest.

5. Break fear-driven procrastination

• Fear of rejection often leads to avoiding sales calls or key actions.
• Take immediate action on high-impact tasks rather than overthinking them.

6. Stop busy work

• Avoid activities that feel productive but don’t move the needle, like endless CRM updates or over-preparing for calls.
• Focus on actions that open doors and create opportunities.

7. Challenge every task's necessity

• Before starting a task, ask: Does this contribute directly to sales?
• If not, skip it or delegate it to someone else.

8. Eliminate perfectionism

• Don’t aim for perfect execution—progress beats perfection.
• Start tasks immediately and refine as you go.

9. Analyze weekly results

• At the end of each week, assess which activities created the most value.
• Double down on these tasks the following week.

10. Build momentum through action

• Take bold, immediate steps to reach out to prospects, close deals, or follow up with leads.
• Success in sales comes from consistently taking actions that matter.

Gain 2+ Hours With This Method

Keith Weightman shares how sellers can save over two hours weekly by streamlining recurring meetings.

Here’s a practical way to declutter your calendar and reclaim time for high-priority work:

? Audit your meetings

Create a simple tracker in Excel or Google Sheets.

Include columns for meeting name, frequency, your role, duration, and whether it can be shortened, delegated, moved to email, or eliminated. This helps visualize how much time your meetings consume.

? Question every meeting

For each meeting, ask if it truly needs to happen.

Could it be shorter? Could someone else attend? Could the discussion be handled over email or Slack? Mark these decisions in your tracker.

? Use speedy meetings

Enable the "speedy meetings" feature in Google Calendar or Outlook.

This ends 30-minute meetings 5 minutes early and longer ones 10 minutes early, creating space between calls.

? Cancel and reset

Cancel meetings you own that can be shortened or restructured.

Send updated invites with the revised duration and focus.

? Reclaim time for selling

With the time saved, focus on revenue-driving tasks like prospecting and closing deals.

Use your reclaimed hours to work smarter, not harder.

Prioritize High-Return Activities

In his newsletter, Mark Hunter emphasizes that salespeople often waste time on tasks that don’t contribute to their success.

He suggests focusing only on what truly matters to improve productivity by just 10%, which can lead to meaningful results like an extra half-day per week or five additional weeks per year.

1. Stop unnecessary work Many tasks salespeople do, like writing detailed reports or handling admin work, don’t directly drive sales.

Challenge whether these tasks are necessary. If they aren’t, stop doing them or find faster ways to complete them.

2. Tackle high-impact tasks first Salespeople often avoid tasks like prospecting or following up because they feel hard or unpleasant. These are the tasks that generate results.

Prioritize them and make them a non-negotiable part of your daily routine.

3. Question customer-facing tasks If you manage large accounts, review what you’re doing for clients. Ask them what value they get from the reports or processes you deliver.

You may find tasks that can be eliminated or delegated to free up time.

4. Focus on improving by 10% Don’t aim for perfection or massive changes. Instead, focus on becoming 10% more productive by eliminating one or two big inefficiencies or speeding up smaller tasks.

This modest improvement can create significant time savings.

5. Prioritize high-return activities Take the time you save and invest it into activities that directly lead to sales, like closing deals, meeting with prospects, or improving customer relationships.

Focus your energy on actions that build revenue and momentum.

6. Evaluate your habits Some organization systems or routines feel productive but don’t actually contribute to sales.

Review your personal processes and stop anything that doesn’t lead to better results.

7. Ask “why” for every task Before committing to a task, ask why it’s necessary. If the answer isn’t clear, challenge whether it needs to be done.

Apply this thinking to tasks requested by your boss or your company.

8. Reduce pointless reporting Weekly recap emails or similar reports often waste time. If you’re required to provide them, suggest alternative ways to share the same information more efficiently.

This benefits not just you but the entire sales team.

9. Build sales motivation through action Completing impactful tasks builds momentum and boosts motivation. Focus on what matters most to feel more productive and achieve better results.

10. Apply freed time to selling The time you save from eliminating unnecessary work should go toward prospecting, following up, and closing deals.

Use every minute gained to maximize your sales performance.

3 Sales Productivity Techniques

Will Barron explains that productivity in sales isn’t just about skills—it’s about focus, energy, and action.

Here’s how salespeople can apply his techniques to achieve better results:

1. Map your path to success

? Start with a clear goal and define the steps to get there.

? Avoid scattering your efforts across unproductive tasks like unnecessary admin or poorly qualified prospects.

? Focus on staying on a straight path from no revenue to hitting your sales target.

2. Focus energy on fewer tasks

? Limit the number of activities you take on to conserve energy.

? Dedicate your energy to one or two priorities each day.

? Avoid spreading yourself too thin with distractions or excessive commitments.

3. Take action immediately

? Don’t delay important tasks—procrastination slows progress and increases stress.

? Commit to addressing each task as it comes up to maintain momentum.

? This approach reduces pressure and keeps you moving toward your goals.

How to Master Energy and Time in Sales

Chris Orlob emphasizes that mastering time and energy management is key to making significant progress in sales.

Here’s his breakdown of practical methods to help you achieve better results without burning out:

1. Start with high-value tasks

? Begin your day with 90 minutes of focused work on the most critical task.

? Block out distractions: silence notifications, ignore emails, and focus completely.

? Completing one impactful task early sets the tone for the rest of your day.

2. Work in focused sprints

? Follow a 90/30 work rhythm: 90 minutes of deep focus, then a 30-minute break.

? Avoid working for hours on end—long sessions lead to shallow results.

? This cycle helps maintain energy and encourages high-quality work.

3. Prioritize recovery time

? Schedule three recovery periods: morning, lunch, and afternoon.

? Take time to refresh with activities like walking, exercising, or hobbies.

? Most creative ideas come when you’re away from your desk, not staring at your screen.

4. Build habits one at a time

? Focus on establishing one new habit every 30 days.

? Avoid trying to implement too many changes at once—it overwhelms willpower.

? Over a year, mastering one habit at a time can lead to transformational growth.

5. Get eight hours of sleep

? Sleep improves performance, mood, and health—don’t sacrifice it for work.

? Success doesn’t come from hustling through exhaustion.

? Being well-rested helps you work smarter, not harder.

Further Reading

Haris Halkic: 10 time management rules

Jason Bay: Simple ways to crush your week

Mark Colgan: Make your sales time count

Brandon Fluharty: Don’t plan in the morning

Ian Koniak: Working does not equal productive

Amber Deibert: I’ve always hated SMART goals

Marcus Chan: 8 productivity tools to get sh*t done

Ora O. Sort your calendar by tasks

Keith Weightman: The three inbox setup that saved my sanity

Logan Tucker: Could your Monday mornings be more productive?

Scott Finden: How do you ensure you focus your time?

I hope these time management strategies help you make the most of your day and get closer to your sales goals.

If you found these insights useful, don’t miss out on future tips and strategies. Subscribe to my SalesDaily newsletter for more actionable advice to level up your sales game.

Click here to subscribe now and join over 15,000 sales professionals who are already making the most of their time!