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For those who’re in area gross sales, you understand the truth: You spend hours each week sitting behind the windshield, looking at visitors that’s transferring on the velocity of molasses. Whether or not you’re coping with Atlanta’s infamous I-285 parking zone or some other main metropolis’s rush hour nightmare, that windshield time is both making you higher or making you bitter.
Not too long ago on the Ask Jeb section of the Gross sales Gravy podcast, Jacob Kimrey requested about serving to his area gross sales group maximize their productiveness whereas caught in visitors. However right here’s the factor—this recommendation isn’t only for managers to present their reps. It’s for YOU, the sphere rep, to take management of your personal success.
Let me let you know how one can flip these irritating hours in visitors into your secret weapon.
Driving Isn’t an Accomplishment
First, let’s get one thing straight: Driving just isn’t an accomplishment. I don’t care in the event you put 200 miles in your automotive right this moment—that doesn’t imply you completed something significant for your corporation.
Too many area reps confuse exercise with productiveness. They assume that as a result of they drove throughout creation, that they had a productive day. Fallacious.
The purpose is to attenuate your windshield time and maximize your face-to-face time. However if you ARE caught in visitors, you higher make rattling certain you’re utilizing that point to get higher.
Good Territory Administration Saves Windshield Time
Earlier than we speak about maximizing windshield time, let’s speak about minimizing it by sensible territory planning.
Map your territory into quadrants: Monday territory, Tuesday territory, Wednesday territory, Thursday territory, and Friday territory. For those who’re alleged to be in your Monday quadrant however you’re driving to your Friday space, you higher have a rattling good cause.
Whenever you’re planning your area time:
- Group your appointments geographically: Don’t hopscotch throughout your territory in at some point.
- Plan your route prematurely: Use your CRM to map out essentially the most environment friendly route.
- Use the T-calling approach: Whenever you arrive someplace for an appointment, look left, look proper, look behind you—are you able to make extra calls in that speedy space?
The tighter your route planning, the extra promoting time you create and the much less windshield time you waste.
Prospecting from the Highway (Safely)
Now, right here’s the place it will get fascinating. That windshield time can truly change into prospecting time—in the event you do it safely and legally.
There are apps and dialers that allow you to load telephone numbers and dial hands-free whilst you’re caught in visitors. You may also arrange your telephone so contact numbers are simply accessible with voice instructions.
Security first: Solely do that if you’re fully stopped in visitors or pulled over. By no means compromise security for a gross sales name.
Arms-free follow-up calls: Use voice-to-text options to ship follow-up messages to prospects or clients.
Planning calls: Name forward to verify appointments or reschedule conferences.
Buyer check-ins: These relationship-building calls that maintain you top-of-mind with present clients.
The secret is preparation. Have your name lists prepared, know who you’re calling and why, and maintain it easy and protected.
Voice Know-how Is Your Buddy
At present’s smartphones have unbelievable voice capabilities that area reps ought to be leveraging:
- Voice-to-text for fast CRM updates
- Voice memos to seize necessary ideas or follow-up reminders
- Arms-free scheduling and calendar administration
- Voice-activated analysis on prospects or firms
Study to make use of these instruments, and also you’ll be amazed how far more productive your windshield time turns into.
Welcome to Vehicle College
The primary factor you ought to be doing whereas caught in visitors is attending what the nice Zig Ziglar known as “Vehicle College.”
Whenever you’re sitting in your automotive, looking at brake lights, what’s coming by your audio system? Is it the information (which is able to simply make you offended)? Music (which received’t make you any cash)? Or are you investing in content material that makes you higher at your job?
Right here’s your Vehicle College curriculum:
Gross sales audiobooks: There are tons of of wonderful gross sales books obtainable in audio format. Begin with the classics and work your method by fashionable gross sales methodology.
Podcasts: The Gross sales Gravy podcast runs three days every week. That’s hours of free gross sales coaching each week. However don’t cease there—discover different high quality gross sales and enterprise podcasts that problem your considering.
Audio programs: We’ve created particular audio programs on Gross sales Gravy College designed for individuals precisely such as you who spend time of their vehicles. Push a button and be taught whilst you drive.
Trade-specific content material: Hearken to podcasts and audiobooks particular to your business. The extra you perceive your prospects’ world, the higher conversations you’ll have.
The Compound Impact of Vehicle College
Right here’s what most reps don’t perceive: The compound impact of persistently investing in your self throughout windshield time is big.
For those who spend simply half-hour a day listening to gross sales coaching content material, that’s 2.5 hours per week, 10 hours per thirty days, 120 hours per 12 months {of professional} improvement. That’s the equal of three full work weeks of coaching yearly—simply out of your commute time.
Elite athletes within the enterprise world continually put money into themselves. We’re in talent positions. The higher your abilities, the higher your outcomes. Whenever you’re all the time studying, you:
- Have higher conversations with prospects
- Ask extra insightful questions
- Assume extra strategically about your territory
- Keep present with business developments
- Develop a aggressive edge over reps who waste their windshield time
Make It a Non-Negotiable Behavior
The distinction between profitable area reps and mediocre ones usually comes right down to how they use their “lifeless time.”
Site visitors jams are going to occur. Development zones are unavoidable. Rush hour is inevitable. You’ll be able to both let these conditions frustrate you, or you’ll be able to flip them into alternatives to get higher.
Make Vehicle College a non-negotiable a part of your day by day routine. Each time you get in your automotive, one thing academic ought to be enjoying by these audio system.
Your Windshield Time Motion Plan
Beginning tomorrow:
- Audit your present windshield time habits: What are you listening to proper now? Is it making you higher or simply killing time?
- Create your studying playlist: Obtain gross sales audiobooks, subscribe to related podcasts, join audio programs.
- Plan your territory extra effectively: Map out your weekly quadrants and decide to staying in your designated areas.
- Arrange hands-free prospecting instruments: Analysis protected, authorized methods to make calls from the street.
- Monitor your progress: Hold a log of what you’re studying and the way it’s impacting your efficiency.
Your competitors is sitting in the identical visitors you might be, listening to music or complaining about their day. Whereas they’re losing time, you’ll be getting higher, smarter, and extra ready for each gross sales dialog.
Flip that windshield time into your aggressive benefit. Your future self—and your checking account—will thanks.
Prepared to maximise your studying time? Try Gross sales Gravy College for audio programs designed particularly for reps on the street.
