Cejih’s 30 calls or no lunch rule

Good morning. Cejih here 👋

Last week I shared some thoughts on creating momentum to get started. Recently I was talking to a fellow business owner and I shared this story from early in my sales career. 

At one of my first sales jobs, long before CG Sports, my typical morning routine was pretty relaxed. After a 45 minute commute, I’d arrive at the office, grab a coffee, use the restroom and then finally sit down. 

At my desk, after booting up the computer, chatting with colleagues, and clearing emails, I'd inevitably face the looming task of cold calls. Despite thinking that clearing tasks would prep me, the opposite occurred. The longer I waited, the heavier the phone felt. Distractions only begot more distractions (who saw that coming). 

By 10 am, the board showed zero cold calls or meetings. I felt guilty and needed to implement a better system to help me rip off the band aid. 

A game-changer arrived after a meeting with one of our VP’s. She gave me a quote that flipped my perspective: "You don't have to feel good to get started, but you do need to get started to feel good."

The first cold call of the day was always the toughest, especially early in the morning. But pushing through that initial resistance created momentum. 

The 30 Dials or No Lunch Rule

I created the "30 Dials No Lunch Rule" for myself. No lunch breaks until the first 30 cold calls were done. 

Bursting into the office, I launched into dialing, motivated by the prospect of eating lunch by noon after hitting the target. On many days I would double my expected output. 

Despite office distractions, riding the wave of positive momentum let me finish the remaining cold calls before others even made their first attempt. This quirky rule turned the countdown to lunch into a metaphor for a full pipeline, transforming a routine into a secret approach to productivity. Recognizing that delaying action only prolonged challenges, I embraced the idea that kicking off work early was the true key to success in sales. 

I didn’t know it at the time, but I was instilling techniques and discipline that would one day help me start CG Sports from the ground up. And we’re still at it today!

Remember, the key is to get started on that first 5-minute stretch. 

Let's finish the month strong. 

-- Cejih

OTHER BIG NEWS THIS WEEK:

• Lilly King joined the Unfiltered Waters podcast. Listen to her discuss her greatest setback, love for Taylor Swift, and more! 

P.S. Nervous about missing upcoming news from CG Sports? Follow us on Instagram (@cgsportsco), Facebook (CG Sports Management), and, of course, our weekly newsletter.

Team USA Men's Foil team has officially qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics! The Men's Foil team is the first fencing squad to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The squad will include three team members, who can compete in both the team and individual events, plus one alternate athlete for the team event. At this time, the athletes have not been selected, but will continued to be evaluated based upon performances at the upcoming USA Fencing April NAC/Division I Championships in Salt Lake City, as well as FIE World Cup and Grand Prix tournaments.

Team USA will now look to qualify the Women's Foil, Women's Saber, Women's Epee, and Men's Saber.

ICYMI: Nevada State Bank announced their sponsorship of 2x-Olympian Katie Grimes! Terry Shirey, President and CEO of Nevada State Bank, said, “I can’t think of anyone who represents our brand – our focus on our community, relationship, and the values we all try to live every day with our clients and amongst each other, like Katie and her family do.” 

“I really appreciate the one-on-one service I receive at Nevada State Bank,” Katie Grimes summed up.  “My bankers keep track of how I am doing—professionally and financially—and congratulate me when I hit my goals, in the pool and with my finances. Our family has been a client of Nevada State Bank for as long as I can remember. Having them help sponsor my dream feels very natural.”

The World Cup continued this past weekend with a stop in Oberhof, Germany. Rosie Brennan maintained her third place standing in the Overall rankings with a Top Ten finish in the Women's 20-kilometer Classic Skiing race. 

Read the full race report from Faster Skier online. 

How to manage multiple deals without letting things slip

Effectively navigating the sales realm necessitates a well-thought-out strategy for handling tasks, managing the pipeline, and dealing with miscellaneous items. But how do you manage everything without letting things slip through the cracks!

Here's a breakdown of how I have learned to manage my inbox to optimize sales:

Tasks = Solely prospecting activities

Conduct your prospecting activities through tasks within your Sales Engagement Platform or CRM. At CG Sports we use a CRM called Pipedrive (it’s amazing).

I categorize tasks into:

• Prospecting Tasks: Initiating cold emails, sending text messages, making cold calls, etc.

• Follow-Up Tasks: Addressing objections, ensuring meeting confirmations, etc.

Each day or every other day I try to regularly clear my task list and establish follow-up tasks for the prospects I’m working. I generally try to get these done early in the day or have a dedicated window during the week for it.

Pipeline = Exclusively open deals

For tasks that are related to active deals I’m trying to close, I simply label these tasks as “priority”. These tasks are things like creating proposals, sending quotes, reviewing legal terms, etc. Basically anything that will help move a deal forward. I try to schedule these tasks to be done in the afternoon when things are less busy and I can focus.

I try to close out the day by updating my pipeline, preparing for scheduled meetings, and checking off necessary actions on ongoing opportunities.

My notepad = For everything else

For everything else I simply track it in my written notepad. This includes marketing, internal projects and other items outside of sales. This is where the amazing CG Sports team comes into play because they allow me to delegate effectively. I generally break my to-do’s into three segments:

- Significant Tasks Today: Things taking over 30 minutes.

- Minor Tasks Today: Things takiong less than 30 minutes.

- Backlog: Assignments to address at a later time.

Inbox Organization

The above system allows my inbox to basically flow into one of the three buckets above. This allows me to crank through it quickly and reply to things very fast. Creating your own system will surprise you in how easy managing your inbox can become.

Establishing a closed-loop system guarantees that each sales task finds its rightful place, minimizing the likelihood of overlooked follow-ups or redundant entries. This method empowers you to navigate the continual flow of sales activities with clarity and efficiency.

Hope this helps!

Surprise! 2x-Olympian Katie Grimes was the surprise guest speaker at the Nevada State Bank's Annual Officer Meeting last week!

Nevada State Bank

Nevada State Bank is a full-service bank offering a complete range of consumer, private, and business banking services, as well as wealth management services, with a robust statewide branch network. Nevada State Bank’s colleagues regularly volunteer in their communities and have been dedicated to helping make Nevada a better place to live for the last 64 years. Zions Bancorporation, N.A. is included in the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Financial 100 indices (NASDAQ: ZION). For more information on Nevada State Bank, visit www.nsbank.com.

A division of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Member FDIC

Champion's Mojo, Episode #246: "Cavalier Aquatics Head Coach Gary Taylor on Thomas Heilman, Partnerships and More" 

Head coach of Cavalier Aquatics, Gary Taylor, dives into the strategies that help lead his team to excellence among USA swim teams. In an engaging conversation with Champion's Mojo host Kelly Palace, Coach Taylor pulls back the curtain on the meticulous process of sculpting versatile, well-rounded swimmers, like USA National Team stand-out Thomas Heilman. Cavalier Aquatics swimmers are trained to be capable of excelling across various strokes and distances. Discover the underpinning philosophies that have propelled Cavalier Aquatics from gold to silver medal status, and how a city like Charlottesville has become an unexpected hub for swimming excellence.

Take a peek inside the stunning training facilities of Cavalier Aquatics, where the natural beauty of Virginia is as much a part of the pool as the water itself. Coach Taylor shares his wisdom on the importance of fine-tuning even the smallest details in training, fostering a synergistic relationship with the University of Virginia's successful swimming program, and the value of collaboration in the coaching community. The rapport between Taylor and UVA's head coach, Todd DeSorbo, isn't just a friendship; it's a strategic alliance that's making waves in the world of swimming. For those passionate about the sport or simply intrigued by stories of ambition and achievement, this episode presents a unique narrative filled with insights from one of swimming's most innovative minds.

Catch up on EVERY episode at ChampionsMojo.com.