Boost Your Sales Productivity: Hide Your Email and Take Back Control
Reclaim Your Focus, Reclaim Your Time
Sales productivity isn’t just about working harder—it’s about working smarter. If you want to close more deals, serve your customers better, and still have time for a life outside of work, then you need to start thinking differently about how you manage distractions.
This post kicks off a short series of Productivity Hacks that will help you become a more efficient, more focused salesperson. And the very first hack? It might sound simple, but trust me—it’s powerful:
Hide. Your. Email.
Let me explain.
1. Move Your Email Off the Main Screen
I recently returned from a 90-day sabbatical—an incredible, eye-opening experience. During that time, I didn’t check my business email once. My team handled it all, and life was good.
But early on, I found myself checking email anyway… even though I knew there wasn’t anything for me to check. Why? Because I was hooked on the habit. I was chasing that cortisol rush that comes with the “ding” of a new message.
Here’s what I realized: My email icon was right there on the home screen of my phone. Every time I picked it up, it was staring at me.
So I did something radical.
I moved my email app to page four of my phone. Out of sight, out of mind. And just like that, the compulsion to check vanished. I had to choose to go find it, which meant I wasn’t just reacting anymore—I was taking control.
2. Schedule Time to Check Email (Then Shut It Down)
Once I returned to work, I kept the momentum going. Now, I schedule dedicated time to check email, and when that time is up? I shut it down.
No app running in the background. No inbox tab open on my laptop. And definitely no notifications.
Here’s the upside:
- Fewer interruptions
- More focus on client conversations
- Less stress from that never-ending “unread” number
You get to decide when you check email—not the other way around.
Need more time-saving tactics?
Check out 6 Ways to Stay Focused and Crush Your Sales Execution.
3. Pick Up the Phone—Seriously
Let’s bust a myth: urgent things don’t belong in email.
If something is truly important—if you really need someone’s attention—you don’t send an email. You call. And your clients should do the same.
We rely so heavily on email that we’ve actually lost some of our relational edge. But if you want to stand out, build trust, and deepen your relationships, there’s no better tool than your phone.
You’d be surprised what a two-minute call can do for your customer experience.
Want more on that?
Read Sales Basics for Beginners: The Science of First Impressions.
4. Try the One-Day Email Detox
Here’s my challenge: try this for one day.
- Move your email app off your main screen.
- Schedule specific windows to check it.
- Close it when you’re done.
- Choose calls over emails for communication.
Just one day. You’ll feel more productive, more in control, and way more connected to your customers.
And if it works? Keep going.
Need help building better daily routines?
My 10-5-3-1 Performance Improvement Plan is a game-changer for creating structure that sticks.
Don’t Let Email Own You
You don’t need to be a slave to your inbox. Productivity starts with intentional choices—like where your apps live, when you allow distractions, and how you connect with people.
This first hack is just the beginning. In the next episode, I’ll share another quick shift that can transform your day.
But for now, let me leave you with this:
What’s one thing you can do today to take back control from your inbox?
Leave a comment and share your own productivity trick—I’d love to hear it, and I know your fellow sales pros would too.
