Episode #185 – Jeff Bajorek
Reinvent Your Definition of Productivity

MEET
Jeff Bajorek
Jeff Bajorek is a consultant, author of The Five Forgotten Fundamentals of Prospecting, co-host of The Why and The Buy Podcast, and a panelist on The Sales Experts Channel. He wants to make you ‘Rethink The Way You Sell’ so you can sell more.
Is your definition of productivity truly working for you? Are you stuck in an endless loop of activities? If youâre treading water and seem incapable of completing the sales activities you need to, itâs time to redefine what productivity means to you. Jeff Bajorek joins Paul in this episode of Sales Reinvented to help you rethink how you view productivity.
Jeff is a sales improvement consultant specializing in the B2B space. Heâs co-host of âThe Why And The Buyâ podcast and author of âRethink The Way You Sell: The Five Forgotten Fundamentals of Prospectingâ. In this episode heâll share his thoughts on productivity, his top 3 doâs and donâts, and what you should do to become more productive.
Learn how to reinvent your definition of productivity in this episode of @SalesReinvented with @jeffbajorek. #SalesReinvented #Sales #Productivity #ImproveProductivityClick To Tweet
Outline of This Episode
- [0:54] What does Jeff Bajorek think productivity is?
- [1:54] Why is productivity so important in sales?
- [3:23] How do you increase your productivity?
- [7:16] The tools Jeff finds effective
- [9:18] Jeffâs top 3 dos and top 3 donâts
- [12:07] Jeffâs favorite productivity story
The definition of productivity is anything you want it to be
Jeff points out that productivity is getting enough stuff doneâand YOU get to decide what âenoughâ is. Once youâve defined what productivity looks like for you, you can implement systems and structures to knock things out. It gives you the freedom to implement what systems work best for you.
According to Jeff, you must be informed, intentional, and purposeful. Define how youâre going to be productive and then commit to it to reach your sales goals. He notes that many salespeople get stuck in âanalysis paralysisâ. Theyâre so hyper-focused on what needs to be done that the âhowâ gets lost.
Instead of getting lost in analysis paralysis, Jeff recommends deciding ahead of time what the important activities are. Avoid distractions and non-sales activities and follow the 4 steps of the sales cycle:
- Identify who you can help
- Get their attention
- Communicate your value
- Get them to commit to the process
Whatever you do needs to lead to the advancement of those 4 activities.
@jeffbajorek points out that the definition of productivity is anything you want it to be. Intrigued? Find out what he means by listening to the latest episode of @SalesReinvented! #SalesReinvented #Sales #ProductivityClick To Tweet
The attributes of a productive sales professional
According to Jeff, the #1 attribute of a sales professional NEEDS to be the ability to be disciplined. Once youâve identified whatâs important, you must have the discipline to carry through on those tasksâespecially when you donât want to. For Jeff, this meant completing sales calls reports. He hated them but believes doing them made him more effective.
You must also be open-minded. While Jeff believes many of the tech tools available have the uncanny ability to get in the way, you must be able to evaluate and embrace them if theyâll make you more efficient. You have to be able to learn new tricks as an old dog.
Lastly, Jeff points out that you must be humble. Be willing to admit you donât know it allâand keep learning.
Donât be afraid to say NO
Jeff shares his âtop 3 productivity doâs and top 3 donâtsâ and one concept that struck Paul was learning how to say no. To be productive you must prioritize and schedule what needs to be done. Everything else can be squeezed in around it. However, if youâre taking on too many activities and trying to fly by the seat of your pants you will struggle to hit your numbers.
Donât give yourself too much creditâdonât take on more than you can handle. Everyone is guilty of it at one time or another. You must learn to underpromise and over-deliver. Say yes to the activities that are important and donât be afraid to say no. Jeff embraces careful consideration when he makes decisions, citing âEvery time youâre saying YES youâre saying NO to something elseâ.
Rethinking the process of productivity
When Jeff left a previous job, he wanted to implement some things that he had learned over his time there but were considered âriskyâ. He took a good hard look at his calendar and implemented a new system based on his research. He took the activities he knew moved the sales process along and got himself in front of prospects. He made sure his value proposition was clear and asked people to take the next step with him every single meeting.
He changed the focus of his days and made sure every activity he completed was worth doing (and measurable). What he found was that he was able to cut down time spent working to â of what it was previouslyâbut he tripled his sales activities. He had a 9x return on results to activity. It changed his productivity and his personal life. According to his wife, he became less stressed and more like himself.
He points out that you must always ask yourself: âAre you spending enough time, doing enough of the right things, to get enough done?â. To hear the full conversation, be sure to listen to the whole episode!
Itâs time to rethink the process of productivity. Changing your priorities might be the keyâlearn more from @jeffbajorek in this episode of @SalesReinvented! #SalesReinvented #Sales #ImproveProductivityClick To Tweet
Resources & People Mentioned
Connect with Jeff Bajorek
- Jeff on LinkedIn
- Jeff on Twitter
- JeffBajorek.com
Connect With Paul Watts
Audio Production and Show notes by
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More About Jeff Bajorek
What was the last book you read?
Iâm currently reading Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do
Who / What inspires you?
My wife for the way sheâs tackling some incredibly difficult obstacles, and my kids because of everything that lays in front of them in life
Are there any aspects of your own productivity skills that you are working on improving at the moment?
Setting boundaries around priorities and defining âenoughâ
Hobbies, Interests?
Golf andcooking
How can our listeners contact with you?
My online community at jeffbajorek.com