By Michael K. Adonteng
May 5th, 2025
Success in sales doesn’t just come down to charisma or experience—it’s often a reflection of consistent, repeatable behaviours. At Africa Sales Academy, we work with sales professionals across territories and sectors who are looking to sharpen their focus, build discipline, and perform at a high level. Two tools that continue to prove useful in this journey are behavioural contracts and time assessments.
Used well, these approaches help teams replace vague intentions with clear, trackable actions.
What a Behavioural Contract Looks Like in Practice
A behavioural contract is a simple but structured agreement between two people: the person committing to a goal and someone who helps keep them accountable. This might be a colleague, coach, or manager. The point isn’t to overengineer it—it’s to create a shared understanding of what needs to be done and why.
Typically, a behavioural contract includes:
- Clear, defined actions: Written in straightforward “if-then” language. For example, “If I make 15 prospecting calls each day, then I’ll reward myself with a Friday lunch.”
- Accountability: A second person helps track progress, checks in, and supports problem-solving when things get tough.
- Follow-through: Rewards, and in some cases consequences, create structure and commitment.
This approach takes broad ambitions—such as “grow my pipeline”—and translates them into small daily wins. It removes the guesswork. Sales professionals often know what they should do. Behavioural contracts help them actually do it.
Why Time Assessment Matters
Beyond intention and motivation, how a salesperson spends their day tells you everything. Time assessments offer a lens into what’s really happening and whether time is being used effectively.
Here’s how this exercise helps:
- Highlighting what moves the needle
Not all activities carry equal weight. Prospecting, discovery calls, and client follow-ups directly impact outcomes. Tracking how much time is spent on these tasks—versus internal admin or excessive meetings—can help re-centre focus. - Spotting overlooked areas
Professional development often gets pushed to the side. By reviewing time spent on reading, learning, or coaching, salespeople can identify where they may be under-investing in long-term growth. - Keeping performance sustainable
Sales is demanding. Activities that support mental clarity and wellbeing—like sleep, exercise, or time with family—shouldn’t be treated as optional extras. They’re part of maintaining consistency.
When time is assessed honestly, it becomes easier to draw a line between habits and outcomes.
Practical Ways to Apply This
Whether you’re part of a regional team or operating across broader markets, here are a few ways to bring structure to your week:
- Draft a behavioural contract
Choose one or two behaviours that tie directly to your targets. Keep the format simple. For example: “If I complete my prospecting by noon daily, I’ll log the results before lunch.” Share it with someone who’ll hold you to it. - Track your week
Use a time assessment template to log your activities. At the end of the week, identify two tasks that helped your progress, and two that could be trimmed. Small shifts here often have a big impact. - Acknowledge progress
Sales teams often rush from one target to the next. Taking a moment to recognise what’s working reinforces good habits. Hitting your daily commitment or running a strong client meeting is worth noting. - Encourage shared accountability
Managers can play a role here, too. When team members share behavioural contracts in weekly meetings or 1:1s, it strengthens alignment and increases follow-through. Support doesn’t need to be formal—it just needs to be consistent.
This approach applies whether you’re working in a new territory or a mature one. Structured behaviours, backed by focus and accountability, build trust with clients and momentum in your pipeline. Behavioural contracts and time assessments are simple tools, but when used consistently, they lead to meaningful results.
Michael K. Adonteng
Founder, ASA
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