Scheduling tools, on the other hand, make life much easier. They have tons of convenient features like media libraries and hashtag suggestions, and they allow you to schedule the same post on multiple platforms.
2. Do your hashtag research beforehand Nothing’s worse than almost being ready to hit the “schedule” button on your posts, only to realize you forgot about hashtags. Find hashtags that fly slightly under the radar – the more popular the hashtag, the bigger the competition. Keep a list of your go-to hashtags and use them in tandem with post-specific ones. You’ll cut down on research time while keeping your hashtag strategy fresh. 3. Work in batches Bouncing around from task to task is a great way to hurt your overall productivity. When you focus on one task at a time, it’s easier to get “in the zone.” Break the process down into batches. Take one day to write your social media posts. Take a break, then create all your graphics. Then do your hashtag research. Once you’re done, it will take no time at all to pop everything into your scheduling tool. 4. Have a folder of go-to images Whether you’re scavenging through a messy Google Drive folder or searching for images on stock photo sites, organization is the key. Clean up that photo folder ASAP. Spend an hour or two creating a photo library with shots from your favorite stock photo site. Don’t waste time scrambling for photos at the last minute; have a robust folder of ready-to-go photo options to simplify your scheduling process. 5. Post at the best possible times If you’re going to schedule social media content, you better schedule it to go out at the best possible time. That’s another benefit of scheduling tools – many of them suggest the best times to post on each platform. If you’re looking to boost your social media engagement stats, this is one easy step that could make a huge impact. Of course, the easiest (and most effective) way to schedule your social media content is to outsource it! Looking for help with your social scheduling, strategy, management and more? We’d love to hear from you.
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Successful entrepreneurs know instinctively that “time is money” and that’s why business owners hire others to do tasks they could otherwise do themselves: accounting, marketing, phone sales, etc. However, not everyone in the world of business is adept at time management. They procrastinate, squander time on trivial tasks, and have long conversations without an objective. What’s worse is some of us are not only susceptible to time wasters — we’re also enablers.
Enablers are generally very caring, thoughtful individuals and they don’t like to hurt others’ feelings. Even business people who are laser-focused and get things done can be ”time waster enablers.” While it seems completely counterintuitive, you don’t really know a person’s qualities until you get to know him or her through your work together. Someone might appear to be just as focused and enthusiastic but appearances can be misleading. We’re all too busy, spending our days in back-to-back meetings and our nights feverishly responding to emails. That’s why people who waste our time have become the “scourge of modern business life, hampering our productivity and annoying us in the process.”--Harvard Business Review You contract and hire individuals based on their previous work but it isn’t until you really begin to interact with them you learn their true character traits. While you might be impressed with their body of work, you probably aren’t at all eager to become a victim of someone who wastes your time. The really big problem to overcome is to spot time wasters and that’s very difficult because it could be anybody, not just an employee or contractor, but also a partner, vendor, customer or client. The trick is to identify those who are most likely to waste your time from those who get things done. You can do this by looking for certain personality extremes: Negative individuals. Head down, slumped shoulders, a scowl or frown, negative people tend to broadcast their misery physically with body language. Even those who manage to look composed will definitely show their true colors when speaking. They portray themselves as victims, bring you and others down, and worst of all, waste your time. Super happy people. Happy-go-lucky, big smile, with enthusiastic stride, super happy individuals might be fun, but these people can be a bit too exuberant. These can easily be signs of immaturity and even though jubilant, they’re not serious about much of anything. These individuals will definitely liven up a room, but they’ll also waste your time and do so with a big grin and bellowing laugh. You’ll be trying to get things done while they’re cracking jokes and carrying-on. There is nothing wrong with having fun and being joyous while working, however, these people take it to a new level. Gossip spreaders. People who can’t wait to tell you the latest about this or that are to be avoided at all costs because they’re involving you in the drama as well, even if you don’t know it. Individuals that take gossip to a whole new level aren’t interested in getting things done, they are only interested in spreading rumors and stirring-up drama to justify their agenda. Emotional people. Speaking of drama, those who revel in spreading rumors and gossiping can also be very prone to being emotional. They go from one extreme to another and never seem to be on an even keel. These individuals do little else than waste their own time, as well as others. They tend to be irrational and irritable and ought to be completely avoided. Another two personality types who can be total time wasters are attention seekers and self-centered individuals. The former will always want to be the center of attention, no matter where they might be, while the latter will step on toes and cross lines in a self-serving manner. This is why it’s imperative to surround yourself with positive, focused individuals who get things done and share your enthusiasm so that you can achieve your goals.  The best sales teams are most often led by someone who is more like a sales coach than a sales manager. The dedication to developing inside sales skills ultimately creates a sales team that not only hits its short-term goals but instills a culture of learning and self-improvement in order to achieve its long-term goals as well. But it’s not always so easy. Superb inside sales skills don’t always come naturally to young reps, and sales leaders often feel like they don’t have the time or mastery to adequately coach. I know how important the process is and have concentrated it to this list every salesperson should master. Product/Service Knowledge
A salesperson who doesn’t perfectly understand the product or service they’re selling is completely ineffective. Training should be one of the very first things you teach – they should be able to explain in detail how each product/service works, what business value it offers, and the reasons it appeals to your company’s ideal customers. This will help craft the sales pitch effectively and ensure the strongest features are highlighted. Deep product knowledge is honestly one of the few things that separate the top 1 percent from the rest. Strategic Prospecting Skills While many sales leaders have their reps do early cold-calling, I actually never suggest cold calling. From an economics perspective, it is obviously considerably more cost-effective to do sophisticated prospecting or “strategic prospecting.” This means searching for referrals through existing connections that fit the target buyer or ideal customer profile. It also means thinking about new and original marketing ideas that are proven to work in your industry. It’s also important to go back to closed and lost opportunities with whom you’ve already had previous conversations and try to revive them. Building Rapport on the Call Some people already have a natural ability to create instant rapport and only have to finesse it. Others can learn to research prospects in advance and find common ground to empathize with the person on the other end of the line. Whether you’re chatting about sports, attending the same college, or just the weather, rapport should not be underestimated. Buyer-Seller Agreement In order to set mutual expectations and to make your prospects more comfortable, you should learn how to create an agreement that sets the tone for all calls or sales meetings. These are verbal agreements at the beginning of the sales process that outline expectations for both sides. For example, “Let me ask a few questions about your business and then I will be able to show you exactly how we can help you to ensure this is this best fit for all of us.” It allows the prospect to feel comfortable and understand what is coming next, so no one feels ambushed by the next step. It also allows a two-way street in the selling process so that both parties get to a win-win conclusion.  When agriculture was the secret to survive, farmers understood the value of sunlight. You could only work while the sun was shining so a typical day was from sun up to sun down. When the sun went down, you stopped working. Whether you wanted to keep working or not, you had to stop. You were forced to stop.
Sunlight was the key to success. And you only had so much of it. Thousands of years later, the science of agriculture hasn’t changed all that much. You still have a limited amount of sunlight in which to work. Despite modern inventions and automated technology, we have not figured out a way to improve the practicality of getting things done while there is still time to get them done. That truth is relevant in any industry at any time. You might be tired. You might be sore from working hard every previous day for as long as you can remember. You might be depressed, angry, or too financially strapped to focus on the task ahead of you. But as long as you have sunlight, you have an opportunity to change things. You have the possibility to do enough, fast enough to reap a harvest you could only otherwise dream about. Sunlight is all the inspiration you need to change the course of history. That’s your opportunity today. Right now. This very moment. From dusk till dawn, each moment you live is an opportunity for you to improve your harvest. But you have to work while the sun is shining. Some days the sun won’t come out. The skies will be darkened with the clouds. Storms will fill the sky, threatening your very existence. What you have done to this point will have to be enough to carry you through until the sun shines bright again. Which is why what you have to do has to be done today. While the sun is still shining. Why you still have a chance to sow seeds that can make a difference in the days to come. Does every day seem to be a mad rush from the moment you get out of bed in the morning to when you fall back in bed at night? You’re not alone. Many people say they are always in a hurry throughout their day.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could rush a little less? It seems the world operates at a frantic pace, and that it is only getting faster. More communication. More technology. More to do. More to see. Always more, more, more. Almost everyone I talk to says the same thing, “I am always in a rush. If only I could slow down during my day. There is not enough time to do everything I need to do.” So how do you stop rushing from this to that? You need to make some intentional choices about your time, and have the discipline to limit the activities during the day. After all, there is always the same amount of time in the day. You can’t infinitely add to your obligations and expect to get to all of it. Rushing through your day is a choice. You can’t endlessly fit things into your schedule. Try to practice some of these ideas and you’ll feel less rushed. Don’t Schedule Back-to-Back Meetings – When you schedule appointments or meetings back-to-back, you are scheduling your own stress. There is no way you can instantly teleport from one event to the next. Always leave gaps for adequate transition from one obligation to the next, both physically and mentally. Allow Extra Time for that “To-do “– That task that you think will only take you 30 minutes may end up needing an hour and half. Don’t underestimate the amount of time required for even simple tasks. When scheduling time for your work, always allocate a bit more than you think will be necessary. Block Your Time – Before you start your day, you should schedule your entire day. This is not about creating some rigid military itinerary. Rather, it keeps your day from all flowing together. Lay out your day intentionally. Reclaim time that would have otherwise gone unused, even if it is blocked for rest or relaxation. Get Out of the House on Time – Leaving on time makes sure you don’t start the day behind schedule. Plan ahead, even prepare the night before, but start your workday on time. (By the way, when you leave late, you are now in competition with all of the other late people who are also rushing.) Delete Things from Your List – You can’t do it all. Lessen your workload by deleting tasks that are lower priority or don’t need to be done. Just because you put it on your list doesn’t mean you must do it. If it is something you can delegate, that may be the answer. Eliminate Meetings – The majority of corporate meetings are a waste of time. Cancel or decline meetings that don’t have a clear agenda, purpose, or action. Say “No” – Saying No is one of the most important skills to keep you on task. Make sure you are putting your priorities first before taking on additional tasks. Time Shift to Save Time – Shift the time you do things in order to avoid the rush. Shifting your commute, lunch, or even errands can save substantial time in your day. Get Some Peace – To get away from the rush, take a break. Literally. Spend some time in meditation, reading, or just a few minutes of peace. Bulk your tasks – When performing similar tasks, group them together. Bulk process your email, phone calls, and more. You will be more likely to get them done and not spend multiple sessions in your day doing the same task. Avoid Errands – Running around town is the definition of rushing around. Avoid the trips, travel, and stress. Many errands can be performed online, via phone, or avoided altogether. Do Important Things First – Instead of spending your entire day stressing about “when” you are going to do your most important task, do it FIRST. Get it completed before the rush of the day can disrupt your plans. Do It the Night Before – Even better than doing things first thing in the morning is to do them the night before. Pack for your trip, pick your clothes, and prepare for the next day before you go to bed. Don’t Skip Meals – Some people think they will “make up” time in their day by skipping meals. Then they have an energy crisis and lose all momentum and productivity. Take Advantage of In-between Time – Don’t let the small times slip by. Even 5 minutes between events can be enough to get several small to-do’s done. Don’t Answer Your Phone – Your phone is there for your convenience, not the other person’s. Don’t let it be a nuisance and interruption to your day. Only answer your phone when it makes sense for you. Stay Out of Your Inbox – A common trap is to constantly check your email. Yet, most email can wait. Stay out of your inbox and instead spend your time doing intentional work. Choose Your Attitude – Your attitude determines the majority of your day. Choose a positive one. Don’t let small setbacks derail your entire day. Life Shouldn’t be a Rush It doesn’t have to be. Choose your activities intentionally, and remember you don’t have to do it all. |
Boost Your BusinessMaria NovakI have over 35 years' experience in Marketing Small Businesses. Categories
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