Comments on: Adapting GTD to managing sales and clients

By: Jessie Haynes / JHaynesWriter

Jessie Haynes / JHaynesWriter — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:30:15 +0000

Chip, this is a fantastic blog post. I found it via the GTD LinkedIn group in your response re sales and GTD.

I love that you shared with a paper-based system (and it would definitely work with a digitally-based system if you used a !Summary file name). I tweeted about this article (@JHaynesWriter).

It is good to see that you can use the standard / classic GTD contexts for most everything. I really, really like this. Color me implementing this immediately!!!!

Gah, there is some excitement that my fiance can only describe as “Oh, it must be a new GTD hack.” This is one of those moments!

By: Chip Joyce

Chip Joyce — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:27:46 +0000

Hi, Brandy.

I have used SalesForce. It was not customized at all the way that I wanted it to be. But I imagine it has the capability.

Chip

By: Brandy

Brandy — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:05:21 +0000

Chip, Do you use Salesforce.com too? I really apreciate your post. I am a Salesforce.com administrator, and GTD newbie. I am always looking for ways to help my Sales Users be more productive. I can translate much of the system you described above into SFDC functionality. I have been thinking much in the last few months about how you could bring GTD to Salesforce.com. Its so customizable. I even toyed around with adding Contexts to Tasks, so I could generate context based task lists. Of course, it breaks down in that I dont keep my personal tasks in Salesforce.com, but only work tasks.

I would love to hear any insight you have into customizing SFDC to work with GTD.

By: Julian Castejón

Julian Castejón — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:48:47 +0000

Hello I’m interesting in know if you can change experiences on use Outlook whit Add In and software Sales Siebel.7.
If anyone is interested please contact me julian.castejon@draeger.com

By: Russell Janney

Russell Janney — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:27:15 +0000

thanks for the post Mitch. How do you manage using a tickler file for travelling? I am out on the road or via air 3 0f 5 days. I have always struggled with GTD and sales process. We use Siebel and Outlook for our corportate work. I have the GTD outlook addin. I keep project lists in Siebel for prospects and NA/s list in Outlook. Works fine if I am at my computer but when I have a block of time travelling is when I find it a challenge.

By: Siobhan

Siobhan — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:34:07 +0000

Hi:
Thanks for a great article. I wanted to save it from Google Reader into Evernote (new feature) and it says your website is set up in such a way google is unable to do so. just thought I’d let you know..

By: Mitch

Mitch — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:25:39 +0000

Thanks for all of you help and ideas Chip! Have a great weekend!!!

By: chipjoyce

chipjoyce — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:38:33 +0000

Mitch — Do you need to manage your calls in Salesforce? I suspect you do. That is one of my reasons for saying you need to handle cold calling differently than your other calls: the boss-man makes it so.

Clearly you need to keep records in Salesforce for management to run reports, forecasting, etc. If you are like me, you don’t like using for your lists, tickler, etc. If so, then keep your projects and next actions in your general GTD system, but keep the required data in Saleforce, even if it is sometimes redundant. That’s my advice.

By: Mitch

Mitch — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:59:42 +0000

Chip I work with “reactive”leads given to me through my Corp. office via a CRM (Salesforce.com), we have created excel lists of the “Big Fish” prospects that are already in my industry, these lists come from various sources. I actually enjoy working with paper more than digital. My setup that I would like to use is my Blackberry for email, calender, contacts, and @errands. I’ve been switching back and forth with my Levenger Circa notebooks both in Letter and Jr. size (still can’t decide)

By: chipjoyce

chipjoyce — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:39:12 +0000

Mitch,
Are you cold calling from a list you have already? Please explain in more detail your present situation and I will give you some ideas.

If you want to “touch” the big prospect regularly, I would keep dropping their name into your Tickler. Again, pretend you use paper. I call John Bigfish, he said keep in touch, call in a month. So move that Next Action to a date one month out. Maybe you want to remember to send him relevant news articles you think he would appreciate, but that is sporadic and not scheduled? Make a separate list, say, @VIP Prospects. Regularly review it – maybe in your weekly review – to trigger ideas on what you can do to keep in touch. As you read the trade journals, capture interesting articles, put them in your reference files, and on your @online or whatever list, write “send Bigfish the new gidget regulations article.”

By: Mitch

Mitch — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:00:46 +0000

Hi Chip,
Thanks for helping out us salespeople! I was curious how you handle new “cold calls”? Would you put them on your @Call Prospects list as well and just follow the process as if they were the same as a lead given to you from marketing? If they are a big prospect and they say no thanks for now, but I want to keep my name in front of them with direct mail, email follow up etc. How would you handle? Thanks

By: Lynn O'Connor

Lynn O'Connor — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:21:31 +0000

What a great description of your GTD system! it somewhat matches my own, although you may be ahead of me. In my work, the clients are doctoral students or patients. It took a few years before work with patients/students began to have that well-organized, systematic GTD approach and feeling. Now, I don’t know how I functioned in these two major areas of my life, without GTD. Today I have systematic notes on all of my work, and they are always easy to find, because they have a real home.

I never tire of hearing the specifics, of how people use GTD, the mechanisms and methods they use. Your post is inspirational, thanks.