If you operate a small business, you must have sales. Right? It's a critical component to long-term prosperity (as well as existence). But, you're probably missing the single most important aspect of this vital activity.

You have to plan for sales activity in advance and set aside dedicated time for it. This might sound simple, but it's really not.

When I conducted a seminar for small manufacturers, I asked them to write down on a piece of paper the amount of time they spent on sales activity in a normal business day. Can you guess the average answer? I wouldn't have been able to guess it.

The average time spent in a normal business day on sales activity was 12%.

So, there were probably some owners in the 5%-6% range. And, odds are some lied because they were too embarrassed to say zero. When I followed that question by asking how much of their average revenue came from sales, the answer - and contrast - was clear: 100%.

Small business owners have to get wrapped up in their supply chain, their legal issues, accounting nightmares, collecting money and making payroll. It's the tyranny of the urgent or immediate over the truly important.

The lifeblood of business is sales which leads to cash flow. Put it first on your agenda. Make a daily effort to add more time to this vital activity. What's important to business; business sales.

How much time will you plan to devote to it today?

Planning your time (to sell) is part of your overall time management strategy. I'll give you a "Free Ultimate Time Management" report to help you get your sales planning jump started. Click over to my website, www.salesmagicman.com for your concise report of time management ultimate strategies. Look it over and pick one or two ideas to start with now and carve out more time for sales work.