What separates people who consistently excel from those who struggle to gain traction in their business? One of the most important differentiators between elite sales producers and everyone else is productivity.
Elite salespeople understand the difference between being busy and being productive, and they spend the majority of their time focused on activities that deliver results. By contrast, low to moderately productive salespeople are almost always busy. They move frantically from one task to the next, filling their days with activity, yet rarely make meaningful progress in their business.
Elite producers operate differently. They are not overwhelmed or pulling their hair out because there’s too much to do. Instead, they demonstrate discipline and focus, concentrating their energy on the work that truly matters and drives growth.
Are you tired of being busy and ready to take your business to the next level by becoming productive?
Here are seven lessons on how to shift from being busy to being productive.
1. Narrow the to-do list.
If you have a to-do list that is pages long, you have set yourself up for a busy day, not a
productive one. Narrow your daily list to a short set of the most important things you must do to
move your business forward.
Everything else on the list is noise. Don’t concentrate on the noise: Focus on the items you
can do today to build your business. Moreover, administrative work (e.g., completing forms,
continued education (CE) courses, industry reading, etc.) is not to be done during “prime time”.
Those tasks are what after hours and weekends are for.
2. Monetize that list.
So what belongs on that short list?
The answer is simple: the activities that directly move revenue. If you are in sales, then the most vital items on your list should be prospecting, getting meetings with decisions makers, closing and retaining business.
Although there are a million little things you could and should do daily (like writing blogs,
creating training content, reviewing budgets or meeting with the marketing and advertising
team), none of these tasks generates income.
They are never my first priority. At the top of my to-do list each day are opportunity follow-ups and strengthening existing client relationships to uncover expansion opportunities.
Your time is your most valuable asset. Concentrate on the things that represent the highest and best use of your time. Delegate everything else or put those items on the back burner until you have free time (late nights and weekends). Everything else sits in the “if I have time later” bucket.
3. Optimize your work area.
If you’re easily distracted, your environment may be working against you. I find it difficult to make my daily prospecting calls if I am easily distracted. It’s easy to get carried away tackling “busy” tasks that don’t move my business forward.
That’s why I schedule my prospecting calls either early in the morning or late afternoon, when
distractions are limited. Productivity is difficult to sustain if you’re constantly interrupted. Sometimes that means shutting the office door, working from or simply clearing clutter on one’s desk that can also compete for attention.
Your work area should support focus, not fight it.
4. Eliminate time suckers.
What are you doing daily that’s a complete waste of time? What activities add little to no value?
In my own life, that meant eliminating: television, gossip, and unwanted sales calls. Those habits didn’t just waste time, they drained energy.
Take a couple of days and map out how you spend your time in 30-minute increments over ten hours. Are there segments of your day that could have been better spent? Eliminate anything that adds no value to your day or life.
5. Shut off the devices.
When working on the most important tasks of the day, shut off your phone, email, social media.
On most days, I don’t check email or voicemail until I’ve finished my most important tasks. Why? There are time suckers lurking on your devices. These time suckers are an invitation to make you busy, but they will not make you productive. Being focused without interruptions or distractions is paramount. This is the rational behind our no cell phone policy in the office. Protecting attention is not optional- it’s essential.
6. Chill.
The most productive salespeople are the ones who have found a balance and regularly take scheduled time off during the week to work out or even get a massage. You cannot remain focused and productive without taking breaks to recharge through focused relaxation.
7. Don’t be hard on yourself all the time (just most of the time).
Even highly productive people miss things. Strength is measured not by perfection, but by how
well you bounce back and move forward.
When you focus on a few important tasks each day, other items may get overlooked. Learn from your mistakes. Course correct. Become stronger. Stay disciplined. Always remember that failure is often part of progress.
Being busy may feel productive, but it rarely produces meaningful results. The highest performers protect their time, narrow their focus, and consistently choose the activities that move the business forward. Productivity is not about doing more—it’s about doing what matters, every day, with discipline and purpose.