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At High Performance Sales, one of the biggest things that we teach to people of all industries and all sales backgrounds is the importance of focus. There are dozens of reasons that you or your team may be wanting to learn how to sell better. Maybe you are making a horizontal career shift into sales from another role, or maybe you know that a six or seven-figure income is just within reach for you if you are able to build your client base and master your sales strategy. Whatever the case may be, having focus like a laser will help you rise above competitors. 

A large part of staying focused is learning how to avoid distractions. This is a skill that comes easier to some people than others. Knowing how to identify distractions that could be inhibiting your sales growth is one of the first steps in being more efficient. Here are some of the top sales distractions that we address further in our online sales training courses. 

Unqualified Deals

One of the things our students find most useful in our online sales courses is this concept — 80% of your results will come from 20% of your opportunities. Essentially what this means is to focus on the most highly qualified, highly probable opportunities for success in what leads you devote your time to. Large unqualified deals often serve as great eye candy, but if they don’t fall within the top 20% of your sales pipeline, they could end up costing you precious time. 

Eliminating distractions often involves eliminating the biggest time wasters in your day-to-day operations. It’s possible to cut loose unqualified deals without burning any bridges for future sales. Focusing on the top 20% of your opportunities will also help you manage your energy and overall well-being. 

Multitasking

You may be familiar with some of the research that has been done in regards to multitasking. The vast majority of this research concludes that multitasking, by definition, is not actually possible. Essentially, your brain is constantly shifting focus from one task to another, and is never truly devoting full attention towards more than one task at once. When you are constantly turning off the rules you were applying to one task (a sales call) and having your brain apply new rules to a second task (checking notifications on your computer), the rapid switches add up and lead to loss of focus. 

It is not hard for a potential client to notice this lack of focus, potentially even before you do. Whether you are on a sales call, typing an email, or logging tasks, staying present in every moment will greatly help your efficiency and lead to less lost time. 

Email

Email can certainly fall under the category of multi-tasking, as anyone who has ever worked in an office setting will tell you that they have often found themselves checking their email while simultaneously working on another project. Email can even be a distraction when you are devoting too much individualized time to it as well. Some positions require workers to check their email at least every 30-60 minutes, but it is valuable to be aware of how distracting this can be to working on other important sales. 

If you find that you are checking your email dozens of times per day, try to schedule three times throughout the workday that are dedicated to only answering emails. Outside of those times, it can be helpful to devote yourself to your other important tasks. 

Neglecting To Delegate

As a salesperson, generating new leads and converting those leads is of utmost importance. Oftentimes, administrative tasks can get in the way of that. Delegating tasks is a fine line that is negotiated differently across various positions and industries, but is a useful skill that all salespeople should be able to utilize in some capacity. Whenever possible, delegating some administrative tasks can help you be more laser-focused on the consultative sales process and closing a deal.

Online Sales Training at High Performance Sales 

At High Performance Sales, Karl Uselman provides classes and consultations that take an in-depth look at how you can adopt a more laser-focused approach to your consultative selling, along with much more. Visit our site to learn more about the programs, and how they can help you deliver your high-end services!