Before we get into home office essentials, I found some interesting research detailing how left-handed folks make better sales reps. Lefties make up about 11% of the population and about 70% of southpaws process body language subconsciously allowing them an edge in reading buying signals. We all heard the Patriot’s coach uses left-footed punters as the ball spirals asymmetrically and returners often fumble. And left-handed pitchers are harder for righties to hit. Same with sales… the left-handed rep tends to engage in more divergent thinking. They are quicker to explore more options to solve a problem, ergo they enjoy another huge competitive advantage over right-handed reps.
Be careful where you use this info on lefties. April Fools… I made it all up!
Now, let’s examine your home office to determine if it sets you up to Heat Up Your Sales. The core items include desk, chair, side table or credenza. I worked out of my home office for 20 years and learned a large desk-top and side table allow for multi-tasking with plenty of room to move one project to the side when the boss or a customer calls with an urgent item you need to take care of immediately. The file drawer under the desk gives quick access to all your current projects saving time by eliminating the need to go to a file cabinet.
If you have a company laptop, use a docking station enabling a quick hook up to a second monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and high-capacity color printer. If you are using a desktop, like I do, make sure it is powerful enough to do many tasks, and update files frequently to ensure fast start up and shut down.
Using two monitors will more than double your productivity. You will have several projects open and can easily move data back and forth. Wireless keyboard and mouse combo from Logitech is what I use. The keyboard is huge and has buttons for quick access to programs.
Speakers should be high quality for the ever-increasing virtual meetings and background music from your favorite playlists. I have some eight-inch Bose speakers and can hear the grass grow at some attendees back yards. Round out your equipment with a quality web-cam, a decent mic, and a white board to track your progress. Always keep your planner handy for setting appointments, journal entries and tracking daily successes.
Using this proven home office setup, both righty and southpaw sales pros will Heat Up Your Sales!
