Time Mastery – Tip #3
Today’s Time Mastery Tip #3 sounds easy, but is often easier said that done.
Last week we talked about finding ways to eliminate our low value activities (instead of working to make them more efficient). Today we are talking about our high value or high effort activities … and THIS is where you want to focus your time on finding easier and faster ways to do them.
What is a high value or high effort activity? These are things that are the absolute best use of your time and net you the highest return and/or require the most effort.
Listing Appointments
Buyer Showings/Appointments
Prospecting
Face to Face Appointments with Clients or Vendor Partners (coffees, lunches, etc)
Or how about …
Driving your Kids to School
Date Night with your Partner
Exercise
Find ways to make THESE activities more efficient.
For your listing and buyer appointments, develop a system for what you will do prior to the appointment and what you will do after. I have this set up as a campaign in my Referral Maker CRM or this could be a checklist. Streamline as much as you can with prep. For example, at any given time I make sure to have on hand 5-10 listing packages (my focus) ready to go at my office and at my home office. I still need to add some personalized components, but parts of the package are consistent and those are ready to go.
For Face to Face appointments with your clients or vendor partners like lunches or coffees, maybe you have set dates blocked on your calendar so these are easy to fill in. For me, I know that 9:30 am or 3 pm are my best times for coffee appointments, so I try to keep those in mind. I also have a preferred spot that is near my office which saves time for scheduling and travel time.
At my house, my husband and I do date night on Wednesdays around 4:30-5 pm when we meet for dinner. Yes, it’s early, but having a standing date on the calendar helps us to make it happen and we get home early enough to still enjoy the evening with the kids. We also alternate weeks for whose turn it is to pick the restaurant. This may sound silly but how many times do you go back and forth with, “where do you want to go”, “I don’t care, where do you want to go”. When it is your turn to pick, you pick period. Time saved, argument solved.
What are some of your high value and high effort activities and how can you make them more efficient?
(These Time Mastery Tips all came from my presentation at the Virginia Women’s Business Conference last Fall. You can watch my full 30 minute talk on our Empowering Women In Real Estate YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/hC5UZfO685U.)