Episode 120, The story behind walking 10,000 steps a day!

Simplify Your Sales meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.  She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience.

 

Episode 120, The story behind walking 10,000 steps a day and how you can apply the same principal to your business.

 

I was at work and saw a co-worker walking by my office. I said hello, how are you? She replied, getting my 10,000 steps in today. Then the next day, I played golf and asked Anne whom I playing with you riding or walking? Anne said, let's walk the course; I need to get my 10,000 steps in today. 

 

Well, my curiosity got the best of me, and I had to find out the story or who invented the term 10,000 steps? I am guessing many of you listening can relate to finding a way to hit that magical number. Or those over-achievers are listening who find a way to exceed 10,000 steps! 

 

The premise behind walking 10,000 steps is to focus on a goal to achieve each day.

 

So who invented the term 10,000 steps?

 

The 10,000 steps a day target seems to have come about from a trade name pedometer sold in 1965 by Yamasa Clock in Japan. The device was called "Manpo-key," which translates to "10,000 steps meter". 

 

It was a marketing tool for the device; you got to love great marketing! Fifty-six years later, it appears to become a way of life for many. It's even included in daily activity targets by popular smartwatches, like Fitbit, Garmin, or Apple watches.

 

Research has since investigated the 10,000 steps a day target. The fact that study has shown this step target improves heart health, mental health, and even lowers diabetes risk, may, to some extent, explain why we have stuck with this arbitrary number.

 

But while some research has shown health benefits at 10,000 steps, research from Harvard Medical School has shown that, on average, approximately 4,400 steps a day is enough to lower the risk of death and improve your overall health. 

 

So what do the 10,000 steps have to do with your business? It sets a daily goal for you. 

 

What steps and how many do you need to take to ensure you have a productive day—a day that you are mentally engaged and feel good about your efforts. Build momentum and consistency for your business.

 

I was thinking about how we could apply the same principal to our business. Most people don't walk the 10,000 steps at one time. They break it up throughout the entire day. What if you did the same. Break your day into four focuses: 8am-10am;     10 am-Noon: 2pm-4pm and 4pm-5pm.

 

Here are a few steps you can take to stay focused on each day!

 

Beginning of your day. Set Priorities for your day!

To some people, just showing up every day is a success! It's crucial that you take a few minutes to establish the main priorities in your day. 

 

But it is vital that you set your expectations for yourself.

 

Here are some good questions to ask yourself when setting your priorities:

 

*What would I need to accomplish today to make it a great day? Set an appointment with a new client? Convert a pending account? Renew a contract from a current client?

 

*How can I maximize my time today to have a productive day? Limit my distractions so I can focus on prospecting and growing my current accounts?

 

Taking a few minutes to clarify your priorities will significantly help you plan a prosperous day because you will know exactly where you should spend your time.

 

Do it every day! Drink Coffee - yes- but also Prospecting!

If you want to succeed in business or sales, you'll need to get good at prospecting and lead generation. Unless people are calling you, it's our job to create those opportunities. Make sure you schedule your prospecting time at a time during the day when you are most productive. Create focused time to do this and block out the distractions. Review at the end of your day how many prospects you connected. 

 

Keep track of your day.

A successful day starts with knowing where your time and energy are going. 

Do you know where your time goes every day?

Are you aware of how you're spending your time? Could you be busy deleting emails, getting lost on social channels like Facebook and Tik Tok?

Are the activities your doing walking you closer to a conversion?

By tracking your day, you will realize which activities are helping you be more productive throughout the day.

 

Separate your sales calls from prospecting time

There is a difference! It is essential to spend time doing both. I recommend looking at your calendar each day. Do you have prospecting time scheduled, as I shared earlier? How many sales calls have you set for the day? Making sure you spend part of your day selling or providing solutions to your client's issues.    

 

Follow up with a couple of people every day.

Return on Relationship like my friend Ted Rubin says. Some of the most successful people always maintain relationships and cultivate new ones with potential clients and past clients.

 

How do you end your day?

One of the things that successful people have in common is how they end the day. Celebrate the wins and make adjustments to your next day!

 

Start each day by understanding your goals, and have a clear plan for how you'll accomplish them. Our happiness and fulfillment are all about stepping toward progress every day!

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .