I am an early riser which means that I am normally the first one in the office. I am also a lurker. Every so often I watch a rep as they come into the office and get settled for the day. What have I noticed? The poorest performing reps have the following habits

• they sit down (normally for a minute or two) and then turn on their computer
• they get up and get a cup of coffee
• once back to their desk, they check their personal email account
• from there, they check out ESPN, MSN or Yahoo to find out what's going on in the world (News flash - companies are reducing staff and the stock market is in the toilet)
• and finally, an hour after they walked through the door, they pull up their CRM and gaze at their screen with a very perplexed look.

Why the perplexed look?  Simple - they have no plan.

Lists. It's all about lists. There are a few that you need, including a ‘to-do' list, a lead list, and a success list.  First, I don't care if it is scribbled on a sheet of paper or filed neatly in Outlook. You need to have a "to do" list for each and everyday that has all the things you require to get done in order to drive revenue. The following things should not be on this list:

• Cleaning your desk
• Checking out a myriad of websites including ESPN and MySpace
• Worrying about cups for the water cooler
• Arranging Happy Hour

Now, don't get me wrong - these things are all important (especially the Happy Hour); however, none of them are going to help make you successful in your quest to drive revenue.

Second, you need a lead list. It can come from your CRM, it can come from a leads resource like Hoovers or Jigsaw. Doesn't matter where it comes from, what format it is in or where it is stored - just make sure you have one.   From here, create or refine the list to include the most difficult people to get in touch with. You should cycle through that list every day without leaving a voicemail message.  You should do this relentlessly until you get in touch with them.

Finally, you need a list of all the activities that make you successful. This list should be a list you create from your experiences, it should be on your wall and you should look at it multiple times a day.

Why the lists you ask?  Because they help to keep you focused I say. The world is full of distractions and it is easy to wander off the path to success into the worlds of ESPN.com, social media or desk cleaning. Don't get me wrong - all of these things have their time and place. Just make sure it is not during selling hours.

And as important, build the list for tomorrow at the close of business today. It will be sitting on your desk waiting for you at start time tomorrow, you will have a plan, and you will be a far more productive sales professional.