Top Time Wasters in Sales: How To Boost Your Productivity Now

In Sales, time is more than money.

It's the difference between hitting targets and falling short.

Yet, many sales professionals find themselves bogged down by tasks that don't directly contribute to closing deals.

Here are the top common time wasters in sales and how to overcome them:

The CRM Challenge

One of the worst time wasters is updating the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

Many sales professionals spend 1-2 hours daily on data entry and call summaries.

Maintaining accurate records is important.

But it shouldn't come at the expense of actual selling time.

According to Salesforce, sales reps spend only 34% of their time actually selling, with administrative tasks like data entry taking up a significant portion of their day.

💡Solution: Consider using AI-powered tools that can automate note-taking and data entry. Some advanced systems can even listen to calls and automatically populate CRM fields, saving precious time.

"The future of CRM is autonomous tools that capture your emails, calls, and enter them and details into SFDC for you," says a sales technology expert.

"Minutes editing is better than hours writing."

Unproductive Meetings

Internal meetings, especially those that run longer than necessary or could have been emails, are another significant time sink.

Many sales professionals complain about daily stand-ups or team meetings that eat into prime selling hours.

A study by Atlassian found that the average employee attends 62 meetings per month, with half of those considered a waste of time.

💡Solution: Be selective about which meetings you attend. For essential meetings, stick to a strict agenda and time limit. Consider asynchronous updates for routine check-ins.

Jeb Blount, author of "Fanatical Prospecting," suggests: "Ruthlessly guard your selling time. Every minute spent in an unnecessary meeting is a minute you're not moving deals forward."

Chasing Dead Leads

Following up on opportunities that have fizzled out is a common frustration.

Many salespeople feel pressured to keep chasing leads long after they've gone cold.

The rise of intent data and predictive analytics is helping sales teams identify which leads are most likely to convert, allowing for more efficient time allocation.

💡Solution: Develop a clear system for qualifying leads and know when to cut your losses. Focus your energy on high-potential prospects rather than trying to resurrect dead leads.

For a complete guide on powerful prospecting, check out "The Ultimate Sales Prospecting Checklist".

Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter," advises: "Time spent chasing a dead lead is time stolen from a hot prospect. Be ruthless in your lead qualification process."

Administrative Tasks

Expense reports, mileage logging, and other administrative tasks can eat up a significant portion of a salesperson's day.

A study by InsideSales .com found that salespeople spend just 35.2% of their time actually selling, with administrative tasks taking up 14.8% of their time.

💡Solution: Batch these tasks together and set aside specific times for them. Delegate some of these tasks to support staff if possible.

Trish Bertuzzi, author of "The Sales Development Playbook," recommends: "Invest in tools that automate repetitive tasks. The ROI in terms of freed-up selling time is immense."

Dealing with Non-Decision Makers

Spending excessive time with contacts who don't have purchasing authority can be a major time waster.

The average B2B purchase now involves 6.8 stakeholders, making it more fundamental than ever to identify and engage key decision-makers early.

💡Solution: Always aim to identify and engage with key decision-makers early in the sales process. Develop strategies to politely but firmly move past gatekeepers.

Anthony Iannarino, author of "Eat Their Lunch," states: "Your time is too valuable to spend with non-decision makers. Always be asking, 'Who else needs to be involved in this decision?'"

Inefficient Prospecting

Cold calling or emailing without proper research and targeting can lead to a lot of wasted time.

According to Rain Group, 58% of buyers say they currently find cold calls useless.

Solution: Invest in good prospecting tools and take the time to properly qualify leads before reaching out. Quality over quantity is key here.

To ace your cold outreach and close more deals, check out "Cold Email Mastery: Write Emails That Convert".

Koka Sexton, a social selling expert, suggests: "Use social selling techniques to warm up cold prospects. Engage with their content, understand their pain points, and then reach out with a personalized message."

And That’s It

Some administrative tasks are unavoidable in sales.

But the key is to minimize their impact on your selling time.

Use technology, prioritize effectively, and always keep your focus on revenue-generating activities.

Identifying and eliminating these common time wasters will help you boost your productivity and, ultimately, your sales performance.

As sales legend Zig Ziglar once said, "Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four-hour days."

The most successful salespeople are those who spend the majority of their time actually selling.

Everything else should be streamlined, automated, or delegated wherever possible.

So, implement these strategies.

Refer to the advice of sales experts and resources like "The Ultimate Sales Prospecting Checklist" and "Cold Email Mastery".

These will help you reclaim your time and focus on what truly matters: closing deals and driving revenue!

I hope that helps,

-Hakan.

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