All salespeople can learn more about their products and improve their selling skills. However, there is no way to expand time. Our only option is to find ways to improve in the four dimensions of opportunity management discussed in this chapter: time management, territory management, records management, and stress management.

Effective time management methods can pave the way to greater sales productivity. To achieve greater time conservation, salespeople should adopt the following time-saving strategies: develop a series of personal goals; prepare a daily “to do” list; maintain a planning calendar; organize selling tools; and save time with meetings in cyberspace and other methods of communication.

The first step in territory management is the classification of all customers according to sales volume or some other appropriate criteria. Salespeople normally should spend the most time with accounts that have the greatest sales potential. The second step requires developing a routing and scheduling plan. This plan should reduce time spent traveling between accounts. Salespeople are often guided by a sales call plan.

A good record-keeping system provides many advantages. Accurate, up-to-date records can actually save time because work is better organized. The company also benefits because sales reports provide an important communication link with members of the sales force. Computers are used to develop more efficient record-keeping systems. Common records kept by salespeople include customer and prospect files, call reports, expense records, and sales records.

There is a certain amount of stress associated with sales work. This is due in part to the nonroutine nature of personal selling. Salespeople must learn to cope with factors that upset their equilibrium. Stress management strategies include developing a stress-free home office, maintaining an optimistic outlook, practicing healthy emotional expression, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.