By Bill Farquharson, Sales Vault. Read Bill’s tip below or watch Bill here.

Good morning!

One of my greatest fears is letting something slip through the cracks. I lead an appointment-driven life. My calendar is full of meetings and activities, both business and personal. So, I am constantly referring to the days and weeks ahead to gauge what’s coming up.

Another tool I employ is a simple spreadsheet. I call it my, “Opportunities and Activities” file. It is here where I keep a list of projects, both live and potential. And it is here where I head on a daily basis to check in, check up, and check to make sure everything is on track.

The layout is simple. In the far-left column, I list each company, organization, or activity I have going on. Then, every subsequent column is a new week. I’ll write the next action item, and then note its completion. By playing leapfrog with sales activities, I keep all my potential profit makers moving forward and keep up with every project in play.

The other benefit of this spreadsheet is more visual. When I achieve closure in one form or another, I move that row down to the bottom of the page and shade the entire thing gray to indicate it’s completion. Just by looking at the spreadsheet, I can instantly tell if I have enough pokers in the fire or need to get back out there and stir up some more opportunities.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about my ADD, it’s the need for structure like this. I can balance many projects at the same time, but it takes hacks like this to keep them organized.

Gotta go. There’s a speech to write and a proposal to get out and a flight to book and ….

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Bill Farquharson’s Sales Vault is the #1 sales training and coaching resource for sales reps and selling owners throughout the graphic arts. For more information, go to SalesVault.pro or call Bill at 781-934-7036.