If you’re the company rainmaker, it’s critical that you dedicate a certain chunk of your time to sales. Otherwise, your company won’t grow.

But that’s easier said than done, particularly when you wear many hats. You may be the company rainmaker, but you might also be the CEO, accounts payable department, and lead customer service rep.

If a dozen different projects are constantly clamoring for your time, it’s easy to be distracted from sales. After all, for most of us, selling isn’t the easiest thing to do. It requires energy and focus. Therefore, it’s easy to put off.

So at the end of each day, how many hours have you actually devoted to sales? If you’re not happy with your current revenues, there’s just one answer: not enough!

Tally It Up

There’s only one way to find out how you really spend your time: keep track of it. For one week, log every business activity, hour-by-hour. By the end of the week, like it or not, you’ll know how much time you truly devote to sales.

Or, instead of logging hours, award yourself “points” for various sales activities. Aim for a goal of 100 points per week, or 20 points per day. To oversimplify, give yourself one point for asking for a referral, two points for making an appointment, and three points for meeting with a prospect or client. Award yourself four points for submitting a proposal, and five for closing the sale. (Of course, true point-keeping is more involved than this. Frankly, time management is such a pervasive problem for sales people, I’ve developed a weekly points log for the small businesses I consult with. To get a free copy of this worksheet, see the end of this article.)

Once you start totaling points every day, you’ll quickly get the picture. But be prepared: you may be dismayed by what you learn.

How to Beat the Clock

If you find that you need to spend more time selling, there’s just one thing to do: free yourself of other, less important tasks. Remember: don’t do well what you shouldn’t do at all! Leverage your sales skills by delegating those projects that others can perform for you. For example, you might delegate…

· Lead generation – Do you cold-call? It’s probably not a good use of your time. Why not outsource it? Find yourself a high-powered telemarketer or direct mail pro. It might take a little time to find one you like and bring them up to speed. But once that’s accomplished, they’ll provide you with a steady stream of leads, freeing you to focus on the most promising ones.

· Paperwork – This one’s easy: get some office help. Maybe, like many entrepreneurs, you have a hard time delegating. My advice: get over it, already! You can’t grow all by yourself.

· Customer Service – Solid customer service is critical, but you don’t have to answer every phone call yourself. Find some backup. Rather than feel neglected, your customers may like knowing you have support in place.

When you’re the rainmaker, your sales time is your most valuable asset. Protect it vigorously. Make changes if necessary. Don’t let anything shift your focus off selling—even (and especially) yourself.