How to Sell More in Less Time. With Jill Konrath. #331
Joining me on this episode of Accelerate! is my friend Jill Konrath. Jill is a speaker, sales expert, and author of multiple bestselling books, including Selling to Big Companies, Snap Selling, Agile Selling, and her latest book, More Sales, Less Time. Among the many topics that Jill and I discuss are how she came to focus on selling more in less time, what she learned from her research about concentration, focus and how to eliminate distraction that waste selling time, how to make the most of the limited hours available each, and how you can take the More Sales, Less Time Challenge.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[2:19] After Jill wrote SNAP Selling, about selling to frazzled customers, readers asked her how to simplify their own lives. She had no idea how to help them, so she researched it.
[6:37] Research shows multitasking is an illusion. Learn what happens when you try to jump between two tasks and refocus your attention.
[8:20] How often the average sales person checks their cell phone each day. And how each interruption reduces productivity.
[8:40] To write More Sales, Less Time, Jill used herself as a test subject for the before and after metrics for each new strategy she tried.
[10:44] Jill shares how using your willpower impacts your ability to make decisions.
[14:20] Jill’s Time Master Manifesto sets rules to manage time, starting with getting seven-and-a-half hours of sleep nightly.
[17:28] How you should start each business day before turning on your computer and checking your email.
[20:12] Two books to assist salespeople in learning how to prioritize are Essentialism, and The One Thing.
[24:03] Challenge the status quo at all times, looking for a better way to achieve the end result.
[25:00] Jill shares the value of scheduling your activities into blocks of time. You are most productive while focusing on one activity.
MORE ABOUT JILL KONRATH
What’s your most powerful sales attribute?
The quality of my questions. They’re penetrating; they’re insightful; they make people think; and I get a lot of good information that I can then translate into what I share later.
Who is your sales role model?
Neil Rackham, when I started, but today it’s new territory, and I scan a lot of people, and pick and choose what I need.
What’s one book that every salesperson should read?
There are so many. It depends on what you’re selling, and what you need at a particular time.
What music is on your playlist right now?
Podcasts only, but when I write, the Focus@Will app.