How Are You Managing Your Time?

Procrastination is NOT a time management problem. However, if you're procrastinating, chances are you're managing your time very poorly. Why? It's because you haven't established what's important in your life - your purpose and meaning.

The figure below is Stephen Covey's now quite famous "Time Management Matrix." His "7 habits" book has sold over 15 million copies. I'll bet this is familiar to you.

Of course, academics are typically suspicious of anyone who can simplify things and make a lot of money with their ideas. ☺ It's the academic criticism of the "self-help" genre. That said, Stephen Covey says a lot of important things. He gained me as a fan by revealing his existentialist roots with his reference back to Victor Frankl at the outset of his book. I think his overall focus is clear and right on the mark.

Given how popular his work is, I won't summarize it at length. I'll just begin by noting that his focus on the time-management matrix is part of Habit #3 - Put first things first. In sum, he argues that we need to spend our time and effort with the type of tasks listed in the second quadrant (Important and Not Urgent), as these are truly important to us and are not done, ineffectively, at the last minute.

Most importantly, this habit, as with many "step-like" programs, will only be successful if you first achieve the earlier habits. In this case, both Habit #1 - Be Proactive, and Habit #2 - Begin with the end in mind, must be established.

Habit 1 and Habit 2 build a base of agency and purpose, respectively. First, by acknowledging our responsibility in life to make and own our choices, Habit #1 establishes us as responsible, active agents in the world. With this established, Habit #2 provides the focus for this agentic action. With Habit 2, we answer the question, "What is my purpose?" We establish a mission statement, a vision for our lives.

Habits 1 and 2 establish our active agency in the world and the vision that will guide our goal setting. Once this is done, the Time-Management Matrix is a "no brainer" as they say. With my purpose clearly in mind and my deep commitment to self as an active agent in the world, I know that I must choose to be proactive with the type of activities listed in Quadrant #2.

That is, if you have done the hard work of the first two habits that Covey presents. In essence, Covey operates from an existentialist perspective by acknowledging the primacy of our existence. This entails our conscious awareness of our agency and our need to create purpose in our lives through our choices. To the extent that we do this, we will authentically engage in life in a way that simplifies.

It's easy to know when we haven't established Habits 1 & 2. If you look at the matrix and lament the fact that you're always caught up in the activities in the other Quadrants, particularly 3 and 4, you haven't developed your own vision of what's important. And, you're probably not taking responsibility for your choices. You're blaming others when you continue to say yes to "urgent" issues which, often as not, are not even that important.

Everyone in the time-management consulting business will tell you the same thing - "learn to say no." It is very difficult to say no until you have established your own sense of agency and purpose.

 Procrastination is NOT about time management. Procrastinating less is not about schedules or time-management matrices. At its heart, it's about conscious awareness of existence as expressed in our agency, choice and purpose.

Do you want to procrastinate less? Spend time working on the first two habits. The rest will flow from this very authentic base of being in the world.

10 Essential Selling Principles Most Salespeople Get Wrong

1.       Assuming the problem that the prospect communicates is the real problem. It’s normal and natural to assume this; however, it’s important to look deeper into each scenario. Like a physician, we must ask ourselves “is this the prospect’s real problem or is it just a symptom?” Before diagnosing and offering how we can address their challenges, we have to ask more questions to make sure we’ll be getting at the root of their problem, and bringing value to the prospect by supporting their true goals. (Sandler Rule #38)

 2.    Thinking that your sales “presentation” will seal the deal. You should always be helping the prospect discover the best reasons to buy from you – not telling them why they should. The prospect should know that they’ll be buying from you long before you present your final pitch or proposal.  (Sandler Rule #15)

 3.    Talking too much. One of the oldest Sandler philosophies is the 70/30 rule. So often and especially in the beginning of a relationship, salespeople think they need to be doing all the talking, when they should be listening and asking questions. Keep in mind, if a prospect wanted a rundown of your products or services, he or she could just visit your website. The sales process is a conversation, and an honest and open one at that. (Sandler Rule #14)

 4.    Believing that you can sell anybody anything.  People don’t buy simply on your say-so. A prospect must go through a period of self-discovery before making the decision that your product or service is the right solution. Resistance is pre-programmed and people don’t like to be told what to do (or buy). A better approach than “selling by telling” is to ask key questions or relate third-party stories that allow the prospect to discover the benefits and advantages of your product or services.  When you ask questions that lead to a discovery, the prospect then “owns” the discovery and the resistance disappears. After all, people don’t tend to argue with their own data. (Sandler Rule #27)

 5.    Over-educating the prospect when you should be selling. The initial goal in selling is to find out why, and under what circumstances, the prospect will buy from you. Asking questions is first, and sharing your materials and specifics comes next. Sell today, educate tomorrow. (Sandler Rule #21)

 6.    Failing to remember that salespeople are decision makers, too. Every step of the way through the sales cycle, a salesperson must make critical decision as to whether to continue investing time in the relationship with the prospect. If you as the salesperson are a poor decision-maker, your lack of clarity and decisive action will be mirrored in your prospect’s behavior. Remember, the shorter your selling cycle, the more leads you close over time. (Sandler Rule #36)

 7.    Reading minds. Always get the facts from your prospect about what they need and why. When your prospect is vague, politely ask for clarity. Veteran sales people are often the culprits of “reading minds” because they think they’ve seen it all. But when they jump to conclusions, they make erroneous assumptions that lead to wasted time at best, lost opportunities at worst.  As the old adage goes, “to assume is to make an ass out of you and me.”  (Sandler Rule #13)

 8.    Working as an “unpaid consultant” in an attempt to close a deal. Sandler advises salespeople to play “Let’s Pretend” when a prospect asks for additional work and information before making a buying decision. Ask your prospect to picture a scenario where you complete the additional groundwork and provide a solution that fits everything the prospect needs – then what happens, will they buy from you? If they can’t envision pulling the trigger even after you’ve done the additional work, or if they’d still need another step in the process, it may be time to walk away or you may ask to move directly to this second step.  When you want to know the future, bring it back to the present. (Sandler Rule #25)

 9.    Being your own worst enemy. Never blame the prospect for stalling the process. Instead, look inward. It’s the job of the salespeople to assure the prospect and address detours. The only way to streamline the process is to continue to refine your own sales approach and technique. (Sandler Rule #44)

 10.  Keeping your fingers crossed that a prospect doesn’t notice a problem. Sandler teaches that the only way to avoid a potential disaster is to address it before it erupts.  Always come clean and be open and transparent if something problematic comes up along the selling cycle. The prospect will respect that you “came clean” and shared it, and together you can problem-solve, building a solidifying team approach to the issue.

Songwriter Contracts

When a person speaks of a “songwriter agreement” or “songwriter contract” they are referring to a contract entered into between a songwriter and a music publisher. Music publishers, as many of you know, act on behalf of songwriters to get their written songs “cut” (i.e., recorded on an album). This is known as “plugging.” Publishers also take care of all the administrative work related to plugging. This can include registering songs with the U.S. Copyright Office, issuing licenses, and accounting for royalties.

There are several types of songwriter agreements. Generally they are
1. Single Song Agreements
2. Exclusive Songwriting Agreements
3. Co-Publishing Agreements and
4. Administration Agreements

Single Song Agreements
Under a Single-Song Agreement, the songwriter transfers copyright ownership of specifically identified song(s) to the publisher. These are “non-exclusive” agreements because there is no term. In other words, these agreements are simply a one-time “sale” where the copyright is transferred from the Songwriter to the Publisher. The songs must already be in existence and are specifically identified in the contract.

Exclusive Songwriter Agreements
The main difference between exclusive songwriter agreements and single song agreements is that in an exclusive songwriter agreement the songwriter is transferring to the publisher copyright ownership of all songs written during the duration of the contract. Further distinguishing these types of agreements from single song agreements is that under an exclusive songwriter agreement the songwriter usually receives an advance that is recoupable from future royalties.

Co-Publishing Agreements
Under a co-publishing agreement, two or more parties (usually the songwriter and their publisher) share ownership of songs. In the typical co-publishing agreement, the songwriter transfers partial copyright ownership to the publisher and retain part ownership either in themselves or in their own publishing company. The songwriter’s independent publisher will have administration duties under this type of contract. The provisions of co-publishing agreements are usually very similar to those of exclusive songwriting agreements.
The main difference is that the songwriter will receive both the songwriter’s share of royalties (usually 50% of net royalties) and a cut of the publisher’s share the royalties (usually 25% of the net royalties).

Administration Agreements
Administration agreements are service contracts between the songwriter (or writer’s publishing company) and a publisher or administrator. These type of agreements are usually, although not always, reserved for established songwriters. In an administrative agreement a songwriter will pay up to 25% of net royalties for the administrative services of a music publisher. The important distinction between this type of agreement and the other types above is that the songwriter does not transfer any copyright ownership to the publisher.