What do you, Oprah, Channing Tatum and you biggest competitor have in common? Your looks?! Maybe. But the better answer is time. Time is the ONLY thing in this world that is equal. What sets people apart is how they use it.
I have to admit, for a long time I fell victim to the mindset that being busy was being productive. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The fact is there is always going to be something new demanding my time and attention. I had to find a better way to manage everything.
I started to look around at top producers and I noticed that they didn’t seem as busy, but they did seem more productive. They aren’t productive by chance. It takes deliberate effort- and time saving tools for sales to get to the top.
So, over the years I have taken the time to discover and utilize some really great, how-did-I-ever-live without, tools. I want to share some of them with you today.
Now, these tools aren’t magic. You still gotta make the calls, go on appointments and close deals, but they will help you get more done in less time and make your life easier.
Let’s dive in.
CAMCARD
In sales, you get bucketloads of business cards. Some are beautifully designed, some are not- but all need to be added to your contacts. But what a time suck that is! Luckily, I found CamCard.
CamCard is an app that uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to detect and analyze text on business cards to instantly generate new contacts. Game changer! It a great tool for scanning, syncing and organizing all those business cards. Bonus: It is a FREE App.
IFTTT
Bet you haven’t heard anyone talking about automation these days. JK- it’s EVERYWHERE, but for good reason. Automation can make your life easier. IFTT (If This Then That) is an easy to learn, desktop and mobile app that can automate your workflow and your life for FREE.
Want an email reminder for your missed calls? Email attachments automatically saved to Dropbox? How about saving email receipts to your accounting software? If a user joins your Facebook group, want it saved it to a spreadsheet in your Google Drive? IFTT can do it and more. Really the possibilities are endless.
SLYDIAL
This one is probably the sneakiest of all the time saving tools for sales on the list. Slydial is a ringless voicemail service that connects you directly to someone’s voicemail. Okay, great…why would you want need this?
I have used Slydial when I need to call someone and give them an update but am limited on time and I know they are going to want to talk and talk and talk. I LOVE talking to my clients but when I am in a pinch this is a great tool to get them the info they need quickly and still provide a personal touch.
It is also great for when what you want to say is just too long for a text, or for leaving birthday messages.
While this is a great app, use it sparingly- nothing is a substitute for an actual call. The app is free with ads but there is also a premium version with no ads and more features.
BONUS: Another great alternative to this is simply using Voice Text. It’s a little more unexpected and instead of going into a voicemail box your voice message goes to someone as a text message. If you have an iPhone go into you text message app and act like you are going to send a text as normal, but then notice the little microphone to the right of the text box. Just tap and hold the microphone and talk away!
The nice thing about this is that you can preview the message before you send. And, if you’re like me you will probably re-record it at least once, but again faster than having to type it out or potentially ending up in a long winded conversation.
G SUITE
So, this is really a bunch of tools rolled into one. It is basically a tech burrito. Aside from having a professional domain based email (Yes, you should have one!) (i.e. @tiffanycolvert.com vs @gmail.com is so much more legit), G Suite has a ton of tools that speed up workflow and collaboration.
For instance, Google Docs is a dream when it comes to redlining and marking up documents to send to a client. Samesies for Google Sheets. If Google Sheets had legs it would karate kick Excel in the face.
Another feature I recently started using and love is Keep. It is like Evernote. If you have a bajillion sticky notes around your office, Keep is for you. Great for organizing to-dos, saving things from around the web to read later and setting reminders.
Plus, you get Google Drive Storage with cloud search capacities. There is even an App builder with G Suite- I haven’t used it but I am tempted to try it.
Note: I am a referral partner for G Suite (all the above options are my own) and I do make some extra change if you sign up, it cost you nothing, in fact I can get you 20% your first year. Use code this code for basic plan: qanmlc9lgrv67gf OR use this code for business plan: 349a34lu477gygj to snag the discount.
FIVERR
I used to be the type of person that believed that I needed to do everything myself to have it done right. Again, I was dead wrong. My husband was actually the one that helped me being to believe in the power of delegating. That is where Fiverr comes in. It is one of the top time saving tools for sales.
Fiverr is a tremendous resource for saving time and for very little cost. From virtual assistants to brochure design to voice over to, they have a solution. There is a plethora of lead generation services that can save countless hours that you could better spend selling and working with clients. Most starting at $5- about the same cost as a latte. Go on now, get your delegating on!
SCHEDULEONCE
How much time do you spend with back-and-forth emails arranging meetings, phone calls and other appointments? My guess is a lot. ScheduleOnce eliminates that.
Basically, you sync your calendar to ScheduleOnce and then you share that calendar with others, and they select a time that works for them. You set the rules and can block of times you don’t want people booking. There are a ton of other customizable features but that’s the gist of it. Not only does it save you time it helps to keep your schedule organized with easy G Suite integration.
There is a monthly cost for the service (less than $10 a month) but overall worth it. If you want something similar for free checkout Calendly, they have a free basic package.
LISTEN ON 1.5X OR HIGHER
Oh boy- this changed everything for me. I love listening to audiobooks and when I learned that you can change the narrator’s speed up to 3x, I now can devour a 9-hour book in 3 hours! It is speed-reading for your ears!
By playing audiobooks and podcasts at 1.5x, 2x, or even 3x their recorded pace you can zip through with maximum efficiency. It takes a little getting used to so start on the lower end, but before long listening at normal speed will seem soooo slooooow. My sweet spot is 1.5x.
While this certainly saves time and gets more info in your brain faster it is also been said to change how you learn. Rewiring your brain to retain more. This might be debatable, but I have read more articles on the benefits. Try it for yourself and see.
That is the arsenal. Remember, it is not so much a matter of finding more time, it’s a matter of having the right tools in your toolbox. What are your favorite time saving tools for sales? Have you tried out any I mentioned?
