Running a business in the summer holidays can be quite daunting for many of us. With the sun shining outside and temperatures rising, it can be hard to get motivated to get the work done. Sometimes we even drag out the tasks in an act of self-sabotage. We dawdle and faff about when we could be focussed and efficient.
The summer heat seems to have an effect on us, both physically and mentally. The warm air seems to slow things down. It can make life sluggish and lull us into feeling that time is going slower. Perhaps that’s why things seem to take longer than they should.
However, whether we like it or not, clients still need work finished and bills still need to be paid. Given the choice of staying inside working, or spending the day at the beach, I guarantee most of us would prefer the latter.
So, how do we fix this? We all have the same 24 hours in the day.
The answer is simple.
We must use our time twice.
We can’t magic 48 hours in a day, so therefore we must make the hours that we have count and take positive actions to be as productive as possible.
One of the key examples of using your time twice came up in a recent conversation with a client. They mentioned their frustration at losing time travelling to and from appointments. Sometimes this added up to hours at a time. Over the course of a month, it turned out that a whole day had been consumed by travelling hours.
We came back to this later in the conversation and I asked what they did while travelling, was it listening to music, or a podcast, or the radio?
I suggested using this time to connect with clients, to phone them informally and see how they are getting on. The phone call could just be to check in and see if they need anything, but also extending this to a genuine interest in them individually and personally. How is life going for them? Are they ok? Then listening with full attention and responding appropriately.
This is a great example of using the same time twice.
By making a point of scheduling these phone calls into driving time and calling existing clients on a regular basis often proves to have many far-reaching benefits.
- You’ll find chatting makes the journey seem to go faster.
- It gives a client the opportunity to compliment you on your products or services.
- Equally, it gives a client the opportunity to complain or raise their concerns.
- Chatting regularly enables you to reinforce your position as a key supplier they can trust.
- It offers a forum to discuss new projects and come up with new ways of working together.
- If they’re busy, phone calls can lead to face-to-face meetings and “coffee catch-ups”.
- If you have similar interests, it can lead to social opportunities as well.
Although the phone calls can still be carried out when travelling by bus, taxi or train, the background noise and/or client confidentiality may prevent some topics being discussed. However, this leads to a great opportunity for you to make a quick call to arrange a face-to-face meeting.
This is just one example of how doubling up your activities and using your time twice can increase your efficiency and your effectiveness. On a regular basis, using your time twice can save many hours in the long run. It can free up your day so you can spend more time with your friends and family as well.
If you’d like to find out how you could use your time twice, the answer is simple. Book a 15-minute exploration call with me and I’ll help find those extra hours to help you achieve more.
