STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

Tell us about it

• What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
• Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
• Upload photos & videos
• More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.

More Business

• Workplace winners, part 1
• The difference an education can make
• Junk money and subtrusts

Share and Enjoy [?]

In A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin says, “Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it’s not all mixed up.”

To maximize your self-management, the following ideas, questions, quotations and suggestions were created to help you, like they’ve helped me and countless others. Here’s to your triumph of time and self!

Please circle yes or no to the following 46 questions:

1. Are you in control of your environment?

2. Do you effectively plan your travel time?

3. Do you quickly and efficiently handle your paperwork?

4. Do you have the time to prospect regularly and consistently?

5. Is your income commensurate to your potential?

6. Are you prepared mentally for each call or appointment?

7. Are you prepared physically for each call or appointment?

8. Do you normally arrive on time or early?

9. Do you have a goal or objective for each call?

10. Do you initiate or return phone calls on time?

11. Are you a better “time manager” now than one year ago?

12. Do you establish a “time agenda” with a customer or prospect before a “meeting?”

13. Do you have quarterly sales goals?

14. Do you have quarterly income goals?

15. When with a prospect or customer, do you concentrate on their needs versus what you left behind, your long to-do list or your immediate crisis?

16. Do you ever make a “date with yourself” to creatively prioritize and strategize?

17. When “waiting/holding” on the telephone, do you have stuff to do, (i.e., reading, reviewing mail, etc.)?

18. Are your customers categorized by profitability, volume, potential, etc.?

19. Do you ask for referrals on a consistent basis?

20. Do you invest in your on-going education (i.e., reading books, attending courses, listening to CDs, etc.)?

21. Do you have a stack of newspapers, magazines or newsletters resembling Mt. Everest?

22. Do you have time to correspond with customers?

23. Have you developed a list of targeted or top priority customers for future business?

24. Have you carefully examined your “portfolio” or “book of business” to best determine how to optimize results?

25. Do you have a “process” or an organized approach to staying in touch with customers and prospects?

26. Have you ever exclaimed, “Why does management send me all this junk!?

27. Do you limit your availability?

28. Do you concentrate your phone calls?

29. Do you confirm appointments via phone or e-mail?

30. Do you plan your day the night before?

31. Do you use a cellular phone to improve your productivity?

32. Do you standardize your letters and e-mails?

33. When you plan your “to do” list, do you allot the amount of time each activity should take?

34. Do you listen to CDs while exercising or driving?

35. Do you make time for “personal” activities or hobbies?

36. Do you make time to exercise on a regular basis?

37. Are your professional goals written down and prioritized with due dates?

38. Are your personal goals written down and prioritized with due dates?

39. Do you have a written list, featuring at least 12 “power probes” or open-ended need-development questions, plus at least two open-ended referral-seeking questions?

40. Are you working as “smart” as you can?

41. Do you have a written list of your most commonly-heard objections, obstacles or decision-delayers, and most important, the language you would use to overcome them?

42. Do you initiate or return e-mails on time?

43. Do you devote time each day to surf the Web, to learn more about your industry, competition, trends, business and life or to read i.e., a book on the best-seller list, a magazine related to your industry, a publication that has nothing to do with your business, a local or national newspaper, etc.?

44. Do you make time for “family” activities?

45. Do your actions speak louder than your words?

46. Will the Chicago Cubs finally win a pennant and World Series championship?!

As a result of your answers to the preceding questions: What have you learned about yourself? What surprised you? What obstacles are standing in your way? Where are there opportunities for improvement? What will you do differently? When will you take action?

---

Jeff Blackman is a speaker, author, success coach, broadcaster and lawyer who lives part-time on Marco Island. His clients call him a “business-growth specialist.” Send an e-mail to jeff@jeffblackman.com or go to www.jeffblackman.com to subscribe to his free e-letter.