Manage Your Windshield Time

Tuesday Telephone Tip: Manage Your Windshield Time

When you have to take a long drive, be sure to plan those valuable minutes you are looking out the windshield:

1. Have a list of prospects and clients you need to follow up with to answer questions or schedule appointments. Since writing and driving is not a good idea, during that planning, jot down the possible outcomes and circle the correct response.
2. Follow up with the people that talk a lot. We all have someone on our team that is long winded. Heck, I can go on and on sometimes. You can complete your business with them and even listen to them as the miles go by. You also have an easy way to cut the call short due to a number of driving situations requiring full attention.
3. Reconnect with your past. Pull out your mobile device (didn’t we used to say ‘cell phone’) and pick a letter and a number. For example: M 22. Then call the 22^nd name from the M’s in your address book. Chances are they will be surprised but happy you re-connected. They may even be in a new position where you both can help each other.
4. Complete your 7-day-developmental-goal.  Listen to audio books on sales techniques, leadership or some other skill you want to improve. There are also dozens of pod-casts available on any subject. According to the University of Southern California, if you drive 12,000 miles a year and listen to instructional CD’s, at the end of 3 years you will have the equivalent of a 2 year degree. (from the Sales Playbook)
5. Call a relative. It’s a nice way to catch up with Dad or Mom, Grandparents, Aunts or Uncles, Sisters, Brothers or Cousins.   I frequently call my brother, Billy. If I get his voice mail, I’ll ask a dozen questions or crank the radio and sing along until his voice mail times out…His favorite question on my voice mail, “Fuzzy, how YOU doin’?”
6. Practice your 30 second introduction. There’s a good chance you are networking every month. Most meetings allow time for attendees to tell their story in 30 seconds or 60 seconds. What is your story? Practice delivering your story. Make it compelling and get the other attendees excited. Your goal is to get someone to say, “Wow! I have to meet (you) before I leave this place.” There is a Naperville Chamber member, Dan Gangler, that regularly receives applause from the attendees at the Ambassador Committee meetings after delivering his 30 second introduction. Only a few people from this 50+ member group earn praise. Have you ever received applause? Practice your 30 second introduction.

There you have it… six ways to be more productive during windshield time.

What are other ways you can be productive during a long drive?