Your time is your most valuable asset. Nobody knows that better than business owners. As a result, you should guard your time closely, investing it where it can do the most good and get the best ROI.
So do you think your time is better invested in marketing or selling?
Selling is hard work. You have to pick up the phone and call people. You have to follow up with people you haven't heard from. You have to track leads, prospect, and do other things you don't necessarily want to do to make sales you do want to make.
Marketing, on the other hand, can be fun. Who wouldn't want to spend all day designing postcards, putting together social media images, or researching ways to improve their website?
In Sandler, we have a concept called creative avoidance. When we have work we know we should do but don't necessarily enjoy doing—like sales and prospecting—we often find very creative ways to avoid doing it, like spending way too much time marketing.
Everyone has the same 24 hours each day. I'm not saying you shouldn't spend any of those hours on marketing. But ask yourself: Should I be marketing or selling right now?
Chances are good your time is better invested in selling. For marketing, either hire someone to help you or outsource your marketing to a dedicated agency. Find someone you connect with that understands your business, spend just as much time as you need to with them to help them do their job, then invest the rest of your time doing higher-value activities like selling.
Subscribe to Marketing the Sandler Way
Mike Crandall
Sandler Custom Growth Solutions
Mike Crandall is a Speaker, Consultant, Coach and Trainer focused on Sales, Management, and Leadership Development.
He's also the owner of Sandler Custom Growth Solutions, a world leader in innovative sales, management, and leadership training. They offer consulting, coaching, and training for individuals and organizations serious about professional development and growth.
Mike is the author of "Motivational Management The Sandler Way" and has written a sales column for several years.
Tim Priebe
Tim Priebe is a public speaker, author, columnist, and the owner of T&S Online Marketing. He helps businesses that are worried they don’t have the expertise or time required to invest in doing their own digital marketing. He helps them plan where and how much to invest and often helps execute the plan.
Tim’s company helps with websites, social media, blogging, email newsletters, Google rankings, and online video. Tim is the author of several online marketing books, including "102 Tweets," "Blog a Week," and "Online Marketing Mindshift."
