Summary:

Most of us have the choice to allocate our Time more effectively.  To let you know, I said most of what I know better, but I still fall victim to the same time misallocation as others. For instance, spending too much Time on unproductive meetings or getting caught up in non-urgent tasks can be a common pitfall. However, one key to mastering this is prioritizing our daily activities.  This not only ensures we are always in control and organized but also reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed by many tasks, giving us a sense of empowerment and capability.

Effective time management applies almost universally, whether we organize our daily tasks, manage family activities, plan social events, plan special occasions, shop for a date or someone to marry, or engage in a money-profit-generating enterprise.

Time is a precious, limited resource that is non-renewable; once it is gone or wasted, it is gone forever.  Resources, including hardware and software programs, are designed to magnify the value of Time through others or are technology-driven.  There are more brilliant programs than anyone could ever dream possible, but the same applies to training.

Article:

Planning time and the relative importance of each daily activity have been used for thousands of years. Organizing daily actions and choices, whether personal planning or technology-driven, allows us to accomplish more. More importantly, it empowers us to manage our Time and resources, instilling a profound sense of capability and empowerment.

A platform for change:

For a loan agent, a written plan is not just a suggestion; it’s a necessity.  This plan, which should include a daily list of activities, prioritized importance, and a schedule to accomplish each goal, serves as a roadmap for success.  For instance, a loan agent who solicits prospective borrowers for financing, usually secured by real property, should have a preplanned written daily action plan and outbound call system with a weekly activity schedule.  Following this plan can lead to a profound sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

The loan agent or other salesperson has multiple tasks:

• Identifying a qualified lead.
• Pursuing the possibility of getting an appointment.
• Making the presentation.
• Could you explain the benefits?
• Answering questions.
• Handling the objections.
• Asking for the order (closing)
• Closing the transaction.
• Repeating 2 through 6 again.

Motivation to produce many closed loan transactions to satisfy customers, employers, and oneself is necessary to earn commissions and sustain a decent standard of living for one’s family.

I have some suggestions for creating an action plan.

• Have I defined my universe of possibilities?  That number represents the total number of potential leads interested in my products, goods, or services at some point.
• Have I included my relationships with their extensive networks of other professionals for possible referrals in my defined universe of possibilities? Leveraging these relationships can make you feel more connected and supported.
• How many prospects can I manage to contact daily and weekly?
• How frequently should I follow up with prospects? Is the answer 30, 60, 90, or more days?
• Do you know if I have a written script for verbal conversations and email mmarketing (The language script may be formal or informal based on your product, personality, and past relationship with the person.)
• Asking questions and allowing people to talk about themselves, their feelings, and their families goes a long way toward establishing a lasting relationship. The answers also help build a History.
• Do I have a formalized written marketing plan?
• What action habits should be expected daily, weekly, and monthly?  For instance, daily habits include reviewing active leads, weekly habits involve setting new goals, and monthly habits focus on evaluating overall performance.
• Do I start organizing my day each morning by reviewing my active leads and focusing on transactions nearing completion?  Am I prioritizing the follow-up of my daily active leads?  These are the highest-quality leads that should be a priority in your daily actions, as they are more likely to result in successful transactions. Active leads are potential customers who have demonstrated a genuine interest in your product or service, making them more likely to convert into a sale.  I think it’s essential to identify and focus on these leads to maximize your Time and resources.
• Will I practice great tenacity in daily follow-ups of active leads (this concept is critical)?
• Am I giving it my all, including energy, focus, and a determined pursuit?  Am I executing my efforts to the best of my abilities?
• My responsibility is to assist customers in making informed decisions that meet their financial needs and objectives.
• Professionally, completing transactions is our responsibility.  Fiduciary duty is ever-present.
• Setting and achieving these goals can provide a sense of accomplishment and motivation.  It’s not just about the number of tasks completed, but also the quality of the transactions and the satisfaction of the customers that truly matter. A clearly defined and quantified amount of gross revenue anticipated to be gained over a specified period, such as a month or a quarter, could prove helpful.  Am I working effectively with coworkers, superiors, subordinates, and independent contractor vendors, maintaining mutual respect and dignity, while ensuring a clear understanding of objectives to close transactions?  Mutual respect in professional relationships is not only crucial, but it is also a cornerstone that fosters a positive work environment and encourages open communication, ultimately leading to more successful transactions.
• Do I have the best office technology, phone technology, email marketing systems, customer relations management system (CRM), network marketing, and industry-specific software to do the most professional job?
• Do the people around me, including support staff and other like-minded individuals, share my values regarding business, loyalty, relationships, and customer follow-up?  Values in a professional context include honesty, integrity, and a strong work ethic.  Surrounding yourself with people who share these values fosters a positive work environment and encourages open communication, leading to more successful transactions.
• Do I associate with other people who share kindred values and also strive for success, self-motivation, and tenacity?

A suggested action-filled daily work schedule.

Start time: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Maximum performance may require additional hours, some evenings, and weekends. Prolonged physical and mental effort necessitates breaks for physical and psychological sustainability.  One should take occasional breaks away from all the everyday stresses.   Doing daily walks in the sunshine will work wonders for energy, focus, and stamina.  Walk a dog, pick up his stuff, or call a friend while frolicking in the forest.

Many people believe that the input of effort and the output of results are directly related.

Many people assume the same results from each hour of active work.  Suppose you are an hourly wage earner at a fast-food establishment. That’s how it works—but technology has changed that.  But that is not how success works in most profit-making enterprises.

Input and output rarely correspond.  However, input results may be leveraged with knowledge and proper technical tools to increase output and production geometrically. Could you identify those tools?

Wow, this worked; I bet I can do better.  We cannot motivate individuals to achieve their goals.  They must develop and internalize their own desire and motivation.  Sometimes, learning to improve becomes a passion through modification.  Repeated successes always bring confidence.

Thousands of brilliant individuals could achieve more if they were both motivated and changed their time use and daily action habits.

The success of one’s action plan varies depending on one’s circumstances and stated goal. The preacher, teacher, psychologist, company Manager, supervisor, clerk, bookkeeper, accountant, prisoner in a confined environment, or salesperson relying on commissions have different success priorities.  What is most valuable in a time segment for these folks will differ.  Each person should construct a minute-by-minute account of the Time spent, Minute by Minute, on the importance, including the results received.

Historical references in explaining the concept of focusing on the essential items in time utilization:

Economists and philosophers have written about the concept known as the 80/20 rule for centuries.

Jean-Baptiste Say (1767-1832) was a French economist who first coined the term “entrepreneur.”

The entrepreneur reallocates economic resources from lower-productivity areas to higher-productivity areas, resulting in greater yields.

In 1896, Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist and sociologist, developed the concept of the 80/20 rule.

In any series of elements to be controlled, a selected small fraction of the number of elements always accounts for a significant fraction in terms of effect.  Thus, the Pareto Principle was born.

In 1949, George Zipf, a Philosophy professor at Harvard University, stated:

The input of resources (people, goods, Time, and skills) tends to be allocated in a way that a small portion of resources (20% to 30%) accounts for a larger corresponding output (70% to 80%) of results.

In 1951, Joseph Moses Juran, a management consultant and significant contributor to the quality control revolution, wrote the Quality Control Handbook.  He renamed the Pareto Principle,

Rule of the Vital Few and the Rule of the Trivial Many.

In 1957, C. Northcote Parkinson wrote two books, Parkinson’s Law and The Law and the Profit. His first Law was:

Work will expand until the Time available for its completion.

His message challenges the Time wasted and the expansion of unnecessary bureaucracies in business organizations and governments.  When people and institutions spend other people’s money, they have a natural incentive to be inefficient and waste time, as well as the Time or resources required for completion.  Consuming assets rather than getting results is generally their motive.

An official wants to multiply subordinates, not rivals. Officials do work for each other.  The number of employees will expand by 5-7% per year, irrespective of any variation in the amount of work (if any) to be done.

To sum up, most people need to allocate their daily activities better.  Eighty percent of our activities produce only 20 percent of the intended results.

• 20% of salespeople produce 80% of the income.
• Conversely, 80% of salespeople make 20% of the available income.

Most companies and bureaucracies allocate 80% of the available resources to the least effective 20% of activities. Bureaucracies, such as the government, are not motivated by performance or results, but by consuming assets, so next year’s budget is equal to or greater than this year’s.  They strive for more funding and subordinates, regardless of how trivial the jobs may be.  Make-work jobs, or otherwise, constantly grow.

• 20% of companies and 20% of salespeople control 80% of the market share.
• Conversely, 80% of companies and 80% of salespeople hold 20% of the market share.
• 80% of the profits in your organization will result from 20% of your customer base.
• Twenty % of the profits in your organization will result from eighty % of your customer base.

Satisfaction and dissatisfaction are consistent with the 80% -20% rule.

• Eighty % of our satisfaction will come from twenty % of our relationships, both in business and personal.
• Eighty % of our dissatisfaction will stem from 20% of our relationships, both in business and personal life.

Superficial relationships and unwanted opinions from people who do not matter:

Mutual respect and dignity are necessary ingredients for long-term relationships. That includes respecting the time value of others.

I love critical opinions from people with no skin in the game and don’t care. They believe that they are innately intelligent and informed!  In their minds, they must be because they watch mainstream news nightly as the source of all knowledge and wisdom for earthly beings. Therefore, they are superior to those around them.  “Follow the science" is a catch-all phrase. Their opinions are often expressed without forethought or consideration for the views of others.  No other opinions matter: they are the messiahs, the anointed ones who possess it all. Self-righteousness is their claim to moral superiority.

Acquaintances who do not share our positive attitude about life and our value system are usually negative pains in our neck (a s) and should become ex-friends.  The same goes for online (superficial friends) parasites we have never met but always express their unintelligent, emotional, and irrelevant opinions.  These parasites tend to express their ideological views and attempt to sway others to their way of thinking, which is always a 10Timeaste of Time. Of course, their knowledge is science-based, spoon-fed information, according to the propaganda on mainstream media news, ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, BBC, and coworkers. The same applies to obnoxious and opinionated coworkers and employees.  Does anyone care about their superficial opinions outside their self-subscribed microcosm?  Who cares? Not me! It is tiring to deal with the stupid.

Conversations may be of interactive interest to the participants (like a friend kibitzing with another).  ConverTimeons and Time may be about meeting company objectives, developing more business, improving systems, increasing cash flow, and achieving stated goals. Time should also be saved for family, friends, and Time off.

Eliminating cluttered relationships from both your personal and professional spheres will bring tranquility, dignity, and positive results.

Here is a suggested time-value schedule of daily activities, with variable importance assigned to each activity.

LeveTimeng your Time will create free Time.  You can eliminate, consolidate, or delegate a portion of your daily activities. You can leverage your Time, talents, and skills through others, such as associates, employees, or independent contractors.

A, B, C, D, and Time Off are subsets of the time management systems.

Time effectiveness may vary depending on your motivation, regimen, objectives, tenacity, and the use of strategic leverage. Leverage comes from delegating to others.

A. Time is the most valuable resource spent.

The key is face-to-face or one-on-one communication with your target buyer or seller. The contact may be made by phone or email, but it must explicitly express a request that the party or prospective buyer/seller work with you or purchase your products, goods, or services.  I suggest that average salespersons do not apply 10% of their workday in an A-Time mode.  They should spend more than 60% to 80% of their Time in an A-Time mode.

• B-Time is the Time spent preparing (preparation time) to move into A Time.
• A phone call, a letter, or an email request is probably involved. Time may constitute 30% of one’s daily schedule. Time your Time into A and delegate to another, B, to 20%.

Examples:

• Draft a letter, email, text, or phone call to request an appointment for a face-to-face meeting with the prospect.  A time does not start until the client is in front of you or directly on the phone.
• Once you consummate the transaction, all other follow-up activities to drive the process forward fall under C Time.
• C-Time is an administrative activity with no specific defined result.
• C-Time does have value in driving your business forward.  It most likely consumes 50% to 80% of our workday. The key is to delegate C-Time to support staff employees or independent contractors, allowing you to shift your resources to the most effective Time of your day.

Examples:

• Record keeping and regulatory compliance activities are C Time.
• I develop and maintain marketing systems and materials, including database management and web-based lead generation.  Coworkatee-Timee handles office organization and administrative duties.
• Interactions with staff and coworkers.
• Interface with third-party vendors such as escrow, title, appraisal, environmental engineers, and property-related insurance companies.
• All general activities required to maintain your business enterprise, but not directly attached to closing a transaction, are C-Time.
• Industry educational events.

D-Time is the catch-all term for activities that produce no results and have little value; in other words, it is Time wasted.

These activities may consume a large portion of our day.  D Time dTimers from Time off or away from your business or money-making activities.

Examples:

• Reading the news and engaging in conversations with friends and family.  (Some may argue that discussions with friends and family are Time wasted. )
• Maintain social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter.
• Casual conversations with employees and staff not related to business.
• The industry meets and greets with cocktails, accompanied by the boys or girls.

Summary of Tools available to get the intended results for a self-starter:

Effective time utilization:

• Focus on the most essential element at the given Time that yields minute-by-minute results, Minute by Minute, day by day.  Self-starters understand that 20% of our activities generate 80% of their intended outcomes.  Self-starters also understand that 20% of their customer base is responsible for 80% of their sales and, therefore, their income.

Leverage time through delegation:

• Certain activities maximize their value, while others are important but may be delegated to support staff or third-party independent vendors. Delegated job responsibilities may be integral to overall success, but knowledgeable and well-trained individuals can handle them effectively. The Self-starter knows that each hour of delegated activities can double their productivity and value their Time.

Technology:

• The self-starter recognizes that unlimited opportunities exist to utilize software packages to manage data, market, network, and process their jobs and daily activities.
• Self-starters recognize that technology enhances their effectiveness and often multiplies their results.

Symmetrical vs. asymmetrical growth:

Personal and business growth is not accomplished on a constant U-curve trajectory.  We do not automatically receive Minuteed results by a certain number of minutes, hours, months, or years.  Variables that affect results change constantly.  For example, the real estate loan salesperson may need to catch up around holidays, whereas the retail stores do their best during the same Time. Socioeconomic or political upheavals may cause businesses to decline dramatically, while news that the economy is performing well may accelerate new business activity. Attitudes and actions may modify results.

Balance of symmetrical growth requires constant modification of activities, action habits, and growth patterns. A person’s activities differ during high-production months compared to low-production months.  A Self-starter recognizes that the high volume of inbound calls with potential new business may be followed by stagnant periods, during which outbound solicitations are necessary to bridge the gap.

Exponential growth:

Growth or success will increase in quantity over Time at an accelerating rate.  If the plan is executed efficiently, success will double or triple. Eighty percent of the results are typically completed in the last 20 percent of the Time. Focus, execution, constantly readjusting the plan, and tenacity are the keys to success.

Momentum is achieved by sticking to a plan and modifying it when necessary. The opposite of exponential growth is exponential decay, where success decreases with Time if the plan is not executed.  Loyalties, referrals, momentum, and results quickly cease when the person stops executing their plan.  Catching infectious diseases, such as a bad attitude, bad habits, or procrastination, can easily cause a downward trajectory in success.

All plans and their execution must be constantly evaluated and modified. Tagnation will cause a downward trajectory.

Organizational bureaucracy:

A bureaucracy is a work organization that refers to a body of personnel executing the organization’s directives. The term bureaucracy means rule by the desk. As staff members multiply, inefficiencies diminish intended results.  Each staff Member’s Agenda may differ from the organizational intention.  The more each staff Member deviates, the more inefficiency sets in.  Inefficiencies drag on goals and profits. Suppose it is directed to particular staff members due in two weeks. In that case, the use of Time, procrastination, spending time on trivial matters, and delegating to subordinate support staff may be counterproductive and a drag on profits.  Many staff only care if they go through the motions and get paid.  This is an example of a process-driven approach rather than a results-driven one.

Many companies tolerate inefficiencies and hire more staff, which in turn drags down production and, consequently, bottom-line profits. Governments actively encourage the multiplication of personnel, no matter how inefficient they become. Multiplying personnel and consuming public tax receipts become the primary goals rather than achieving results. Trencheducracies can become cancer.

Time Off:

Time is ot ‘Time me, but rather Time away from work, work-related emotional pressure, and clutter.

Everyone needs to recharge their (mental, emotional, and physical) batteries.  Avoid any semblance of work pressures, including turning off the phone and computer.  Avoid burnout by scheduling focused Time away from all work-related activities.  Hopefully, these will be full days, unencumbered, away from the business environment altogether.

Most people have developed a place to escape from their business life or activities that helps them transition from a frantic hustle and bustle into peacefulness, tranquility, serenity, and resolve. A personal tune-up comes to mind.

The escapee can take a break from work and, regardless of how temporary, figure out how to spend free Time away from societal pressure. And there are ma. If you would like a copy of my article, ‘Escape from the Jungle,’ please email me, and I will forward it to you.  I refer to this location as my Mental Hobby Shop.

Why do people misallocate their Time and resources?

One prominent reason is the fear of ejection.  Far from rejection is the unconscious reason people move into B-C-D time’s safe space or comfort zone.   When we request that someone work with us, they may say ‘no‘, ’yes ‘, maybe’, or ‘maybe later.’ They could also totally disregard us.

The most challenging learning curve in any salesperson’s career is understanding that a prospective buyer is not rejecting you personally but merely your request.  The salesperson must locate someone who needs their products, goods, or services. Training on how to handle rejection then comes into question. That is for another article.

This time management system and becoming a self-starter are learned processes, not events, and their use should become a lifelong habit.  However, everyone occasionally needs a tune-up or reminder.