Because of the wide range of activities, most selling positions allow salespeople to be in control of how they use their time, decide what activities they will prioritize in their work schedules, and interact with a wide range of people. This is in contrast to many careers where one is confined to a particular location and team of people, assigned very specific tasks, and directly supervised by others. This freedom to plan activities and prioritize the use of time, not unlike that of an entrepreneur, is high on the list of why many successful people have chosen sales as a career.

However, the ability to manage one’s time, set priorities, and execute successfully on these priorities is critical to success in selling. More on this subject of opportunity management will be presented in Chapter 16.