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Translate 'high-tech' into high productivity

Invisible infrastructure | 10 Outlook tips  | Technology-driven productivity  |  Improve your email habits  |  Get better acquainted with your computer  |  Make a sound investment  |  Take a break  |  Conquer Your Email Overload  |  How To Target With A Click

How much of a "techie" are you? Because you know recent technological advancements have given you more ways than ever to improve both your sales (income) and productivity. To make technology work for you, however, you have to control it - not let it control you.

Start by learning to use your everyday tools (computer, fax and e-mail) more efficiently and effectively. Once you know how to get the most out of technology, you can get more out of each workday.

Invisible infrastructure

Information technology is expensive; buying it is often frustrating and confusing; and when it inevitably and inexplicably lets you down, one could be forgiven for uncharitable thoughts.  The challenge for every business is how to minimise the cost of technology whilst extracting maximum benefit.

Read the full article, including tips for seven common infrastructure issues, please click here

10 Outlook tips

You think you know something inside-out and then a colleague approaches your desk and says those familiar words “You know you can do that much quicker if you just . . .”, you then sit in amazement and watch their hands in a blur as they press a few keys and the job is done.

If this situation rings true for you, read on and uncover 10 great tips for Microsoft Outlook, so that next time you can be the one muttering those fateful words “You know you can do that much quicker if you just . . .”:

1.     Use a file shortcut instead of an attachment to reduce the size of a message. Right-click the file and drag it to the Inbox. On the shortcut menu, click Send with Shortcut.

2.     Does your mailbox need a quick cleanup? On the Tools menu, click Mailbox Cleanup. Select options to find items that are old or large and then move or delete them. Click AutoArchive to move old items to Archive Folders, or click Empty to permanently delete items from your Deleted Items folder.

3.     Delete names from the AutoComplete list. Select the unwanted name by using the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW key and then press DELETE.

4.     Want to turn off New Mail Desktop Alerts? On the Tools menu, click Options, click the Preferences tab, click E-mail Options, and then click Advanced E-mail Options. Under When new items arrive in my Inbox, clear the Display a New Mail Desktop Alert (default Inbox only) check box.

5.     Find all messages sent by the same person. Right-click a message from that person, and then on the shortcut menu, point to Find All. Click Messages from Sender. The Advanced Find dialog box displays a list of all messages in a folder from that person.

6.     Automatically add holidays to your Calendar. On the Tools menu, click Options, click Calendar Options, and then click Add Holidays.

7.     Quickly display several days side by side in Calendar. In the date picker, drag over the dates that you want to view.

8.     Need to schedule a meeting with someone in another time zone? Just add the time zone to Outlook. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Preferences tab. Click Calendar Options, click Time Zone, and then select the Show an additional time zone check box. Click the time zone you want in the Time zone list.

9.     Add a new contact from an e-mail message. Open the message. In the From field, right-click the name you want to make into a contact. On the shortcut menu, click Add to Outlook Contacts.

10.     Create a task related to a contact. Click the contact, click the Actions menu, and then click New Task for Contact.

For a practical and in-depth approach to improving your Outlook skills please join us on 29th June.

Course: Microsoft Outlook
Date: 29 June
Duration: One half day, 9am-12.30pm
Price: Member $160+GST / Non–member $240+GST
 

Technology-driven productivity

Successful businesses are reaping big rewards gained from savvy technology decision making.  But what are their secrets?

A measurable technology plan that is embraced companywide, the right tools and the right partners, and keeping up with opportunities and getting excited about them, are key to success. Today businesses with the greatest productivity and profitability are those that embrace technology.  It doesn’t necessarily mean big investments, but it can mean big returns.

Click here to read the full article

Improve your email habits

It's hard not to be curious to read emails as they arrive, but that can wreck your productivity. Set aside specific, scheduled times during the day to answer your e-mail, such as 1st thing in the morning, after lunch and as the last thing you do for the day. When you send e-mail, keep messages short and be sure to use the "Subject" line creatively so your messages get read. Pay attention to the amount of time you spend reading your e-mail, and be selective about the messages you read and answer - learn to recognize junk e-mail, and don't waste time on it.

Get better acquainted with your computer

Learn what your software can do for you. Outlook and excel can be incredibly beneficial for you. Take a few minutes and go to a bookstore. Take all the books on the software you want to learn and compare them. See which is the easiest for you to understand, or one that will work well for your PA. Then take an hour or so before or after work for a week to learn all of your computer's functions and how they can boost your productivity.

Make a sound investment

You rely on technology every day to do your job, so it pays to spend a little more for equipment that won't let you down. Carefully assess your technology needs, then shop around for equipment that meets those needs without a lot of unnecessary bells and whistles. Also, remember that taking advantage of the latest technology helps mark you as a savvy individual who keeps up with new developments and isn't afraid of change.

Take a break

Overall increases in the speed of business can leave you feeling done in and burned out. To help you stay mentally sharp and energised, take a short break every two to three hours. By recharging your batteries regularly, you can maintain a higher level of productivity over a longer period of time.

Technology can truly multiply your productivity exponentially - if it's used correctly. Think about the way you use technology now, and make a commitment to make some positive changes in your old routines. With the time you save, you can make more calls, close more sales and stay one step ahead.

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Conquer Your Email Overload

You love it.  You hate it.  You write off your first half hour in the office wading through it.  It’s the last thing you check before you leave.  It’s your preferred method of communication yet the volume is driving you crazy let alone sifting through which ones you want.  But it’s not just you.

Almost everyone working with email is increasingly stressed.  To compound the problem, from the CEO to Managers and others, so much time is wasted needlessly.  Why?  Lack of knowledge of their email program capabilities (combined with clever thinking) makes them work inefficiently, stunting productivity.

Your Solution

You can’t stop what comes into your inbox beyond what your IT team and ISP filters out as spam or inappropriate.  However you can easily start to conquer your email overload.  Here are four tips to help boost your productivity.  Of course, share these ideas with your clients. They’ll love you all the more for it.

Before you begin:

Think strategically.  Look through your Inbox for patterns.  Types of emails that are handled the same way.  Which are your top priority, the least?  If you have a website or email newsletter – note what emails come in from them, both to you and others within your company.

Let’s get started

  1. Build your inbox filing cabinet.

    2. You organise your documents into folders don’t you?  Likewise create Inbox folders to put your emails ‘away’.  They not only become the backbone of your Inbox, they work in tandem like a one-two knockout with Rules, our next tip.  Before we move on – a great little trick is to put a number or letter before your folder names to organise them the way you want, rather than the default alphabetical listing.
     

  2. Your automatic inbox secretary. Rules.

    3. Why oh why is this top inbox function practically unknown?  Using Rules can be life changing for you.  It’s that dramatic.  You’ll find Rules under the Tools Menu, and a wizard walks you through setting them up.  Rules can be your eyes and hands, reading, filing, sorting, answering, deleting, forwarding your incoming (or outgoing) emails.

    Sample Rule ideas:

    • Put emails not directly addressed to me in my “CC or BCC” folder.
    • Delay sending my emails by 10 minutes after I hit the send button (your re-think time).
    • Segregate incoming client emails into their respective folders.
    • Put all NZICA emails into the NZICA folder.
    • Automatically delete anything with Viagra.
    • Put website enquiries or newsletter subscriptions into folders.
    • If the word ‘email mailing list for $25’ appears in the body of an email delete it.

  3. Never forget to follow up again.  
    4. Tasks.  Your automatic memory or to do list.  Create a task from scratch, manage projects with them, assign Tasks to others – it’s the best thing since sliced bread.  Task ideas include:
    • Prompt yourself to telephone clients on a quarterly basis
    • To follow up on an important email / quote / proposal you sent
    • Remind yourself to ensure you received an email / call you were waiting for.
    • Assign tasks to staff members and follow their progress
    • You can even create a recurring task and send it to your clients to remind them to send you their GST information.

  4. Drag and Drop.

    5. You know to drag and drop emails into folders – but why not drop emails into your Calendar, Contacts, Tasks?  Each will open a new item with the entire email text intact. 

    Got an email in from someone you’d like to add to contacts?  Drag and drop their email into your Contact folder.  A new contact opens, with the email address and name filled in. 

    You turn to genius status when you highlight and drag their signature elements into the appropriate fields (company, position, phone and fax).  

  5. Enormous Hidden Business Cost Of Email.

    6. Time is money. Even if half an hour is wasted each day with employees needlessly trawling through their emails, this can equate to $3000 lost productivity per year, per employee!

    Based on 200 business days a year = 200 X .5 = 100 hours per year. 100 x $30 per hour wage = $3000.  Now take this figure and multiply it by the number of employees using email in any organisation.  The cost is enormous.

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How To Target With A Click

Would you like to be able to target and communicate instantly with a selected group of your contacts?  Suppliers?  Distributors?  Certain staff in a New Zealand office?

Well you can, easily.  Let me introduce you to the best kept secret in Outlook Contacts - Categories.  You can get to categories by the edit menu or the little rectangular box in the bottom centre of a contacts.

Microsoft Outlook supplies a list of categories, called the Master Category List.  You can use selected ones from this list and add your own.  Outlook Express does not have Categories
Categories are brilliant for four reasons:
  1. A Contact can be assigned more than one category.  For example, it can be classified as a committee member, a customer, in a specific industry, (your) newsletter recipient……
  2. They help you to categorise and target your Contacts by what is important to you (or, more wisely to them).  You can create for example categories by client type (business account, corporate, consumer) or by their nature of business with you (supplier, distributor).
  3. They’re great for organisation.  By assigning categories to contacts you can easily find, sort, filter, or group them by category.
  4. You can sort your contacts by categories and next conduct a personalised email / mailmerge to the contacts within the selected category.  (Tools>Mailmerge)
How do I create a new category?
  1. Select any Contact, click the category box in the bottom centre (or) on the Edit menu, click Categories.
  2. Click Master Category List.
  3. In the New category box, type a name for the category.
  4. Click Add.
  5. To create more categories, repeat steps 3 and 4.
  6. Click OK twice.

Articles supplied by Debbie Mayo-Smith of SuccessIS. Debbie is a well known speaker, author and consultant. For more information, contact Debbie (09) 575 5359 or email debbie@debbiespeaks.co.nz.

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