What do you do when you find time on your hands?
Clean the files?
Drink coffee?
Chat with fellow workers?
Complain?
Take a smoke-break?
Just yesterday I think I was reminded of wasted down time when I rented a device from Home Depot. It was not until I returned home that I discovered that the man responsible for renting me the gizmo gave me two parts which where not meant to operate together.
I had wasted a good hour of my Sunday morning thanks to this “”oversight”” and I was not pleased. I felt that this man should have known better. After all, he was the “”pro”” when it came to renting gizmos.
I found myself (right or wrong) questioning the proper use of his down-time. How could he have been so careless? His mistake/error/oversight certainly did not make my life easier, and after all, isn’t that what we sales people are all about … making life easier for clients.
How do you use your downtime? By improving your skills? Or are you simply apologetic once you make a mistake and foul up somebody’s day? How many mistakes can you avoid by using the time throughout each day learning more about what you do for a living? How can you save your customers time and needless “”do-overs”” by being just a little better at what you do for a living?
Becoming the best won’t come easily. Studying is not a common trait. Being good at what you do takes concentrated effort. It is time we all make a little more effort.
Down-time. Look for it. Cherish it. Use it.