Get more done in your day by figuring out what is important and doing it early in the day, says real estate agent and trainer Ashton Gustafson. In his time management session at the IAR Fall Conference & Expo on Friday, the Texas REALTOR® said he gets the bulk of of his work day done by 11 a.m.

Not only does he avoid the “decision fatigue” that can make it harder to make the best decisions as the day goes on, but he focuses on what’s important — real estate lead generation.

“The reason people have success in real estate is lead generation,” he said.

Gustafson uses what he calls the “60 Daily Points of Rhythym.” It is a daily checklist that he has created that reminds him to do his top lead generating activities – making 25 phone calls, sending 25 emails and writing five handwritten notes every day.

That earns him 55 points and other tasks — showing at least two homes to a client or writing an offer — earn extra points. The goal is to earn at least 60 points each day. Planting these “seeds” of lead generation will create business later, he said.

The key to lead generation is that it has to be consistent and persistent, Gustafson said. He uses a variety of social media to connect with clients but agents need to use it to work for them and not the other way around.

He pre-schedules as many Facebook and Twitter posts as he can and for his lead generation phone calls, he uses a service called Slydial which sends calls directly to a person’s voicemail. He uses Evernote to track his notes and materials.

But Gustafson reminded attendees that while technology can help agents get work done, what often makes the biggest difference with clients is the personal and human touch that comes from a note or phone call.

Thank you to PNC Mortgage for sponsoring Gustafson’s session, ” Time Management: Systems, Tools and Disciplines.”