Productivity Tools

Using Productivity Tools can make marketing easy. The content on this page is an evolving resource to help you learn to be more productive while marketing and selling.

Who Doesn’t Want To Be More Productive?

Productivity tools can help you when you are learning about marketing and selling your products and services. It feels good to finish a day and know you’re productive, right? 

How do you do that? If you’re a regular reader of this site, my answer might not surprise you: Keep it simple!

How Do You Keep From The Shiny Object Syndrome With Productivity Tools

If you’re at all like me, a nifty new productivity tool can be just what you need to waste a lot of time. That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?

But is it? Think about the last new productivity tool you adopted. Did you download the software, install it on all of your devices, let-up your categories, organize your projects, schedule activities, and then sit back happy with yourself about how productive you’re going to be?

I’ve done that. Multiple times. The problem is, the scheduled tasks become annoying, I mute or reschedule them, and then stop once I get too far behind. (Perfectionism sabotage!)

What’s a Productivity Tool You’re Adopting Right Now?

I’m writing this in the early days of 2021. A friend of mine, Mike Vizdos, while he was helping me think through a project I’m working on, suggested I try Trello. Have you ever used that system?

Trello is a new productivity tool that I’m just learning and plan to use as a supplement to my main, tried-and-true analog system to keep myself on track. 

Is it wrong-headed to blend a whiz-bang system like Trello with an analog one I use called, The Ivy Lee? I don’t think so. More specifically, I think a blended approach to productivity tools is more like Peanut Butter and Jelly or Peas and Carrots than a conflict!

What Is The Ivy Lee System

The Ivy Lee System is a productivity tools idea that I learned from Napoleon Hill in his book “Think and Grow Rich.”(Affiliate Link) I wrote about the story here, so check it out.

The Ivy Lee System is so simple that you might not believe it. Above all, it’s simplicity makes it so effective you will stick with it. 

The Ivy Lee Productivity Tools System works like this:

1. Get a notecard.
2. Sit down at your desk (Or wherever you might work these days) at the end of the day.
3. Think about the SIX most important items you must accomplish tomorrow to advance your goals.
4. Rank them in order 1 to 6.
5. The next morning, when you sit down to work, start at the top of the list and do not move on to the next task until you have completed the one before it.

That’s it. It really is that simple.  

I’ve been using this system consistently for more than 30 years, so I can vouch for its effectiveness.

If you want a PDF of the way I’ve modified this system to help me do my work, click here.

In Conclusion

Productivity tools are a big industry. It doesn't much matter which one you choose. The main idea is that you pick one and use it!

That’s what I’m going to write about on this page. So if you’re into that, stop back often. And leave a comment below about your favorite productivity tools and how they’ve changed your work.

If you’d like a free pdf that I put together about how to make your customers and prospects feel special, fill out the form below. Or, if you’d like to schedule a time to discuss something you’re working on, email me at Joel@makemarketingeasy.com.

Good luck and good marketing and selling!