Over the years one of the biggest laments I hear from bankers is “how do I find the time to make calls?” Granted, as a banker in the branch, you have a multitude of tasks to complete on any given day. However, unless you block out a specific time on your calendar to make calls, I can assure you it will not get done.
We need to set an appointment to make appointments. By scheduling a specific time to make calls and adhering to your designated time you will be able to work this critical task into your daily routine.
Block out 30-45 minutes and do nothing but make calls during this time. Find an area in the branch where you will not be interrupted. Do not take inbound calls and stay focused on the task at hand.
This allocated calling time should not include doing your pre-call planning, that is something you should have done prior to your calling session.
If you are calling business prospects an excellent time to call is before 8:00 AM. If you are calling customers a good time to call is after 5:00 PM. Keeping track of your activity (calls-contacts-appointments) will allow you to gauge the best time to call for your particular market.
Remain committed to your schedule and you will be successful.
Let’s not make excuses. Let’s make some calls.
John J. Gehegan