GTD for Sales, Learning to Get Simple and Get Focused

Getting Things Done (GTD) is David Allen‘s revolutionarily simple concept for personal productivity. It makes a great framework for your sales process too.

I won’t get into explaining all of the nuances of the GTD concept, but rather will focus on some of the key elements that I find useful.

Yellow Pad TO DOs

There are tons of task list applications, methods, and systems. However, I have always found the tactile process of paper and pen to be the most effective. Something about writing out tasks and crossing them off works best for me.

I have a very specific way of implementing this approach.

My GTD task pad starts with a line drawn down the middle and is only good for one day. On the left are tasks that I want to accomplish for the day. On the right are names and numbers of people I want to call for the day.

Things that don’t get done get recopied to a new sheet at the end of the day to start fresh.

Time for Processing

In addition to having a solid task list, I think it is critical to allocate specific time for processing TO DOs, inboxes, and projects. I like to slot this for the beginning and end of each day. It allows you to get your files and priorities in order-minimizing the amount of time you need to waste figuring out what to do next.

Everyday should be organized and planned. Your sales day should be predictable and flow smoothly, transitioning from one task to the next.

Discipline

Finally, the cornerstone of GTD is discipline. Avoiding distractions and staying in control of tasks is the key.

Reacting to interruptions and holding tasks in you head are the sources of stress and unproductive days. Try GTD to manage your sales day.

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