The first step to managing your time and tasks in pre-sales is to understand your role and value in the sales cycle. You are not just a technical expert or a product demoer, you are a trusted advisor and a problem solver for your prospects and customers. You need to align your activities and deliverables with the sales strategy, the customer needs, and the business outcomes. You also need to communicate your value and expectations clearly with your sales team, your management, and your customers, and avoid taking on tasks that are not within your scope or responsibility.
In my experience, below are the points which I prioritize: Identify high-impact tasks that directly contribute to closing deals and prioritize them. Break down complex projects into manageable milestones to ensure steady progress. Use time-blocking techniques to allocate dedicated focus time for key tasks.
Understanding when you are most productive is a game changer in a pre-sales role. For myself, I find I am far more productive in the morning, so I prioritise demo build and customer-related activities then. I then leave admin tasks to later in the day or perhaps even during my commute. Understanding the productivity period of your team is useful as it enables you to shift team meetings, 1:1's into times where productivity is not at its highest.
Entender sua produtividade e seu bloco de horários realmente muda o jogo. Costumo resolver de manhã as atividades mais difíceis e que demandam mais energia, concentrando em horários específicos para cada tipo de atividade, como ligações, emails, LinkedIn e videochamadas.
In a fast-paced pre-sales environment, effective time management is critical. Prioritize tasks by urgency and impact on the sales process. Utilize tools like time-blocking to allocate specific periods for focused work. Regularly reassess priorities as situations evolve. Streamline routine tasks with automation, freeing up time for strategic activities. Maintain open communication with the team to align on priorities. Adaptability and a proactive mindset are key in navigating the dynamic nature of pre-sales, ensuring efficiency and optimal use of time.
The second step to managing your time and tasks in pre-sales is to plan and prioritize your tasks according to their urgency, importance, and impact. You can use various tools and methods to help you organize and track your tasks, such as calendars, to-do lists, project management software, or the Eisenhower matrix. You should also review your tasks regularly and adjust your priorities based on the changing situations and feedback. You should also set realistic and achievable goals and deadlines for yourself and your customers, and communicate them clearly and proactively.
And when you do that, the key skill is the ability to distinguish between what is Important and what is not. If you are a busy with activity, then almost everything on your list is going to appear Important. But if you shift your focus to Productivity, things will start becoming a little more clear. One way to address this clutter of perceived-everything-is-important is to leave things unattended for a while, use procrastination as a tool, and things that are not important will start presenting themselves so.
The most simple way to prioritise is to establish effort and impact. High effort low impact should be considered carefully…. Do they need to happen? Does it need to be this week? Low effort, low impact are filler tasks. High effort, high impact - be wise. You realistically won’t have enough time and resource to complete however impactful these items. Consider scheduling and delegation here. Low effort, high impact - unicorns, they come along rarely and it’s important to prioritise these items to be an impactful person.
Gestão de tempo, uma tarefa nada fácil muitas vezes Como me organizo com as prioridades do dia a dia? Primeiro inicio o dia respondendo aos contatos quentes, fazendo os followups programados, depois sigo com os assuntos importantes mas não urgentes, até que consigo avançar para o que não é urgente e nem importante mas que merecem atenção, exemplo, criar conteúdo, listas de contato, entre outros
The third step to managing your time and tasks in pre-sales is to delegate and collaborate with others when necessary. You don't have to do everything by yourself, especially when you have limited resources, time, or expertise. You can leverage the skills and knowledge of your colleagues, partners, or vendors to help you with some tasks, such as preparing proposals, conducting research, or providing technical support. You can also collaborate with your sales team, your management, and your customers to share information, feedback, and best practices, and to align your expectations and actions.
However, when it comes to delegation, one thing you should be armed with is a team who you can depend on. You need to know who can you delegate this current thing at hand. Delegate to the wrong hand, and the priority will reappear on your list but with higher importance, and in with increased urgency with little time to act. Thus the key is to build a team of skilled people that you can depend on, and develop a culture of accountability.
One thing I have learnt - especially working in larger companies - is that there is almost certainly someone who is better at you at some specific tasks. Understanding where you can delegate and collaborate task around your team is the sign of a great Solution Engineer who cares about quality of work, efficiency and sharing ideas. For managers; building a competency matrix may be useful for mapping out SMEs in your team both technical and business-related.
The fourth step to managing your time and tasks in pre-sales is to automate and streamline your processes and workflows as much as possible. You can use various tools and technologies to help you automate and streamline some tasks, such as creating templates, scripts, or demos, generating reports or documents, or scheduling meetings or follow-ups. You can also use standard processes and procedures to help you reduce errors, inconsistencies, or redundancies in your work. You should also review and optimize your processes and workflows regularly and seek feedback and improvement opportunities.
Reducing manual repetitive tasks is quite important in sales. One area that can take time but is critical is admin. Looking at recording notes and leveraging AI to speed up the process to keep CRM systems up to date can save hours of time especially if you have an 8-10 meeting week. Another area is demos. Looking at short demo clips that can be leveraged for post meeting sharing is a quick way to focus on more discovery vs introduction demos. For example, product tour solutions for presales allow your customers and you to learn in a low touch environment. This improves their knowledge and your ability to relate to their business for higher impact demos.
The fifth step to managing your time and tasks in pre-sales is to balance and recharge your energy and well-being. You can't perform well in pre-sales if you are stressed, burned out, or overwhelmed. You need to balance your work and personal life, and set boundaries and limits for yourself and others. You also need to recharge your energy and well-being by taking breaks, exercising, sleeping, or doing something you enjoy. You should also seek support and guidance from your peers, mentors, or coaches when you need it.
In a high-pressure role like Presales, it's crucial not only to manage your professional tasks but also to maintain personal well-being. The balance between work and rest is fundamental, as it sustains long-term productivity and creativity. Understanding your own work rhythms and stress signals is key to managing workload effectively. Embrace productivity and wellness technologies. Tools like time tracking apps (e.g., Clockwise) can provide insights into where your time goes, helping you identify inefficiencies. Additionally, integrating mindfulness and wellness apps (like Headspace or Calm) into your daily routine can improve focus and reduce burnout.
The sixth step to managing your time and tasks in pre-sales is to learn and grow from your experiences and feedback. You can't succeed in pre-sales if you are stagnant, complacent, or resistant to change. You need to learn and grow from your successes and failures, and from the feedback and insights of your customers, colleagues, and managers. You also need to keep up with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in your industry, domain, and product. You should also seek opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge, and competencies in pre-sales.
Continuous learning is crucial in a fast-evolving field like Presales. Prioritising tasks means not only focusing on immediate goals but also dedicating time to develop skills and knowledge that will be valuable in the long term. Set aside regular time each week for learning and professional development. This could involve participating in webinars, attending industry conferences, or even informal learning sessions with colleagues. Applying new skills or insights to your work not only contributes to personal growth but also enhances the quality of your Presales engagements.
Staying relevant is non-negotiable. Continual learning is the only way. Here are a few things I do to stay current: 1. Learn about what's new in my industry, like trends, tech, and market changes. 2. Be ready to adjust to what my clients need and how the market is shifting. 3. Team up with sales, marketing, and product folks to make sure our pre-sales work matches our business goals.
Now there are many tools available for tracking tasks. The digital world provides you the ability on the go. But one of the most effective way is the time tested orthodox practice of keeping Year Book. Write your tasks, follow up tasks for delegated ones, reminders for dates that you need it. Review the task list on each page every Monday. Tick mark each page which has no-to-do-left, carry forward a pending To-Do to current or future weeks, and once all tasks for previous are checked or crossed and each page is ticked off (in the top right corner), tick off Friday page 4-5 times reminding you "this week is done", enjoy small sense of achievement. Many use this technique so effectively that nothing falls off crack. Try it to be amazed.