Software Tips & Tricks Actions & Contacts - Outlook 2000 and 2002 (XP)

By Laura Noble

Many actions can be completed in the Contacts folder in Outlook by selecting the necessary contact(s) and then clicking the Actions menu.

Select contact(s). For multiple contacts select first contact and press and continue to hold the Ctrl key and select remaining contacts. Release Ctrl key.

From the Actions menu select an action such as New Message to Contact or New Task for Contact or New Appointment with Contact.

The appropriate window will open (e.g. New Mail Message, New Task, or New Appointment) with the selected contact(s) information automatically completed.

Laura Noble is the owner of Noble Software Solutions. Laura can be contacted at 519-680-2689 or by e-mail at lnoble@noblesoftwaresolutions.com. www.noblesoftwaresolutions.com Published in Networking Today, July 2003.

Garbage In…Garbage Stays

By Barbara Bartlein

As any computer nerd can tell you, put garbage in the system and you get garbage out. That is not how it works, however, with your mind, according to Nido Qubein, entrepreneur, professional speaker, consultant, and businessman. “Think of all the garbage that we sometimes carry in our minds; like self-esteem issues, beliefs that ‘I can’t.’ This type of debris slows down success. If we do not have a positive state of being, we will not take the necessary measures to move ourselves forward.”

Qubein obviously is onto something if you look at his own accomplishments. A teenage immigrant to the US with only $50 in his pocket, he is now a multi-millionaire with multiple business ventures. He is chairman of an international consulting firm, serves on the board and executive committee of a Fortune 500 financial corporation with 90 billion dollars in assets. He is also chairman of a national public relations company, and chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company with 200 stores in 38 states. He serves on the boards of 17 universities, companies, and community organizations, including all three of his alma maters.

So where does he find the time? “Balance,” according to Qubein. “I have plenty of time. I take over 90 vacation days per year. For me, success is measured in one word – balance.”

Some other words of wisdom from Nido:

• Build yourself from the inside out. Know who you are and the values you subscribe to. With clarity on your beliefs and values you will consistently do the right thing and make good decisions.
  
  
• Decide what you value most; fame or fortune. Wealth is more than just money; it is wonderful friends, good health, and a life filled with purpose. Fame is fleeting, a life of wealth – priceless.
  
  
• Who you spend time with is who you become. Model yourself after men and women of influence. People with external power who have internal beauty and balance. Surround yourself with folks who are positive and motivating. From them you will learn that even more important than time management is life management. Training is teaching people the how, education is teaching them the why. People who know the how will always have a job but people who know the why will be their boss. Your ongoing commitment to your education and learning the why is the key to future success. “Education is what is left over,” according to Qubein, “after all the training is forgotten.”
  
  
• Create intellectual technology. Specialize in what you know and what you sell. Make your information more valuable by developing proprietary language, models, grids, books, CD’s, and visuals. It is more valuable if it is difficult to imitate. Remember, sellers determine price but buyers determine value.
  
  
• Develop a “stop-doing” list. Most people create periodic “to do” lists but just as important is a careful identification of what you don’t want to keep doing. Quebein reports that he does not read the newspaper first thing in the morning. The news is the same each evening. Instead he starts each morning with a motivational reading or an educational tape to get his mind ready for a day of creative thinking.
  
  
• Create systems. Where things happen repeatedly, develop a system to make them an automatic run. Why do the same things over and over again? Once you have a system in place, someone else can run it for you. Invest your time in activities that are new or in the development stage.
  
  
• Nothing succeeds like success. When you feel good about your life, your accomplishments and your progress, your confidence will expand your opportunities. When you hedge your business with careful diversification, your success will continue to grow in every direction.
  

For more information on Nido Qubein, please visit him online at: www.nidoqubein.com.

Sign up for Barbara's FREE email newsletter at www.barbbartlein.com.

Barbara Bartlein is the PeoplePro™. She helps businesses sell more goods and services by developing people. She can be reached at 888-747-9953, by email at: barb@barbbartlein.com or visit her Web site at www.ThePeoplePro.com.

Published in Networking Today, July 2003.

9 Ways to Toot Your Own Horn at Work

By Barbara Pachter

Denise was an accomplished sales manager with a terrific track record. Though she routinely landed the big accounts and her clients loved working with her, you would never hear it from her. If fact, Denise belittled her accomplishments with statements like, “Oh, that was no big deal.”

Like thousands of business professionals, Denise made a career-stalling, sometimes career-killing, mistake. Because she didn’t want to be perceived as a braggart or someone with too big an ego, she chose to be humble instead. After all, nobody likes a braggart in business.

Yet the art of self-promotion is a far cry from bragging. Bragging is obnoxious boasting and is usually done by people to let you know how great they think they are. Tactful self-promotion is a business skill. You don’t want to be obnoxious but learning when and how to speak well of yourself is a key to getting and staying ahead. If you don’t, who will?

It’s imperative that you tactfully and appropriately toot your own horn in all aspects of your career, not only during job interviews but during your regular business activities as well. Here are nine ways you can begin practicing the art of self-promotion:

1. Be Visible. Get involved. Join organizations and volunteer for the committees. Participate in activities. Make presentations or volunteer to train. If possible, write articles for your company publications. You need to be known.
   
   
2. Accept Compliments. When I complimented a VP on his handwriting he responded, “Oh. It’s my pen!” When you negate a compliment you are putting yourself down. You can simply say “Thank you” and then shut your mouth.
   
   
3. Be Prepared. You may often find yourself in situations when you have to tell others about yourself, like when you are a new member of a group or during a meeting when everyone in the room introduces him or herself. Having a prepared self-introduction, like “I’m Tom Smith, the new director in sales. John Jones brought me in to start the new field service project,” will allow you to be comfortable speaking about yourself.
   
   
4. When Asked, Do Tell. If someone asks you, “How are things at work?” this is your opportunity to mention your accomplishments. And express genuine pleasure when you do. When I was asked that recently I said, “I have great news. I was just interviewed by a national business magazine!”
   
   
5. Do Not Use Superlatives, such as “I felt like the greatest…” Simply describe what you did, such as, “Using the new numbers from our field offices, I was able to cut our costs by a quarter.”
   
   
6. Use Comparisons. I once coached a manager to use her experience preparing for the Boston Marathon as a way to answer questions about how she would prepare for a company’s market expansion. Naturally, the higher ups were quite impressed by the fact that she ran a marathon.
   
   
7. Weave Your Accomplishments into Conversations When Appropriate. I will use my experiences to illustrate key teaching points in my classes and by doing so I highlight my accomplishments. For example, when discussing how important it is to prepare for an overseas assignment, I will mention what I did to prepare when I was ask to speak at a ground-breaking women’s seminar in Kuwait.
   
   
8. Don't Mention the Same Accomplishment Over and Over. You can overdo it and this will make you sound like a braggart. Remember there is a balance. You must also speak of other things, not just about what you do well.
   
   
9. Speak Well of Others, Too. This is a gracious act and usually appreciated by the other person. Plus, when you praise others, your comments about yourself don’t seem unusual. (But don’t praise if it isn’t warranted. Others will know and you will appear phony.)
   

Barbara Pachter is the author of "The Power of Positive Confrontation" ($13.95 paperback, Marlowe & Co.).and President of Pachter & Associates and can be contacted by email at pachter@ix.netcom.com. For a free copy of Pachter's newsletter, Competitive Edge, call (856) 751-6141 (NJ) or visit www.pachter.com. Published three times a year, it contains tips and strategies for business professionals on a wide range of business communication and etiquette issues.

Published in Networking Today, July 2003.

Five Ways to Sabotage Your Business

By Nancy Friedman

Believe it or not, there are many, many ways to sabotage your business. And, chances are, your staff is doing some of these now, without your even knowing it. And worse yet, you've probably even heard some of this yourself (ouch!). That's the bad news.

The good news is, through our many Telephone Doctor surveys, we're able to bring to you the top five sabotage practices and then show you how to neutralize the effects. So, get ready. You and your staff are about to be in a much better position to handle: The Five Top Ways to Sabotage Your Business Today:

1. It's Not Our Policy
   
   This, unfortunately, is used more as an excuse than anything else. It's a sure thing that the employee has not been shown how to explain a policy to someone. This phrase is used, then, more as something to say when the employee doesn't know what to say. The customer then calls that an "excuse." When the customer hears "it's not our policy," he immediately responds (usually silently) with, "WHO CARES?" What a business needs to understand is, no one but the management and staff cares about your policies. Do you really think the customer says to himself or herself as they enter or call your place of business, "Gee, I wonder what their policy is on this issue?" All this being said, there are companies who do have policies that make it more difficult to work with them than with others. So here's a suggestion: Decide on your policy, then work as a team with your staff to find a positive way to explain it to the customer.
   Otherwise, it'll be the customer's policy not to do business with you!
   
   
2. It's Not My Department
   
   Well, then who's is it? Let's remember one of the Telephone Doctor mottos: Tell the customer what you do, not what you DON'T do. If someone mistakenly gets to your extension and asks for something that you don't handle, the following is far more effective: "Hi, I work in the paint department. Let me get you to someone in the area you need." This is far more effective than telling someone it's not your department. (Let's not say, "YOU have the wrong department." Take full responsibility with the "I" statement.)
   
   
3. My Computer's Down
   
   Yeah, yeah, yeah. We've all heard that one. And Ouch! That one hurts because there are still many customers who remember the days BEFORE the computer. My goodness, how did we ever survive? Sure it's easier to have the computer but, believe it or not, millions of businesses were launched and operated on 3 x 5 cards or some other type of manual database. When your computer crashes, this sounds so much better: "I'll be delighted to help you...it may take a little longer as I'll need to do things by hand...our computers are currently down." This way you've still explained what happened and they'll have a little more compassion as you've offered assistance – and didn't simply blame the computer for your inability to help.
   
   
4. I Wasn't Here That Day (or I was on vacation when that happened)
   
   This one personally really makes me laugh. I don't remember asking them if they were there that day. Do you really think the customer cares if you weren't here when her problem happened? Honestly, she doesn't, so that's not even an issue to discuss. Just hit the problem head on – apologize without telling her where you were...or weren't. Remember, you ARE the company whether you were at work or on vacation when the issue occurred.
   
   
5. I'm NEW SO?
   
   OK, you're new. Now what? Does being "new" allow you to be anything but super to the customer? When the customer hears this sabotaging statement, do you really think they say: "Oh, so you're new? So that's why I'm getting bad service? Well, then that's okay...you're new... no problem." Yes, even if you are new, the customer honestly believes you should know everything about your job. Here's the Telephone Doctor® method on this one. You can tell the customer, "Please bear with me, I've only been here a few weeks." That will buy you time. For whatever reason, hearing the short LENGTH of time you are with the company means more to the customer than, "I'm new." Again, it's more of an "excuse." Remember to state the length of time. It's a credibility enhancement. "I'm NEW" is a credibility buster. Good luck.
   

Nancy Friedman is a KEYNOTE speaker at chamber & association conferences and corporate gatherings. Call (314) 291-1012 for more information or visit the Telephone Doctor Web site at www.TelephoneDocotor.com

Published in Networking Today, July 2003.

Starting a Training, Speaking, and/or Consulting Business Quick Ten Marketing Tips

By Mark Gorkin

1. Define, Design, and Develop Programs. Develop a program blurb or abstract, workshop objectives, and an outline for 3-5 one-hour, a half-day, and a full day program offerings.
   
   
2. Catchy Bio. Develop a powerful and succinct bio, one hundred words to a half page. You may also want to have long-and short-versions.
   
   
3. Testimonial Letters. After each successful program, ask for a testimonial letter from the person who brought you in to the organization or from a key person who attended your program. A half page is fine. Just ask the writer to try to capture the factors that made the program successful, the audience's participation, valuable working tools, fun time, your style, etc. If necessary, try contacting former clients for testimonials.
   
   
4. Promotional Pieces. Create a business card, a one-page marketing flier, and a two or three panel brochure. For the flier and brochure, organize information in succinct segments; use bullets or highlighted paragraphs to integrate the above material. Also include a list of clients and contact information.
   
   
5. Develop a Portfolio. A portfolio may include some of the above information but, in addition, include any published articles, media coverage, copies of awards, etc. Another increasingly important portfolio ingredient is having a video or CD of you leading an actual workshop. For example, my video is about twenty-minutes of a ninety-minute workshop, professionally filmed and edited. It's a substantial investment, but has repaid itself many times over. Increasingly, organizations want to see you in action before signing a contract. And if you want to cultivate a national clientele, a video is essential.
   
   
6. Start Writing. If you don't have any published articles, get to work. With the Internet there are a myriad of e-zines and newsletters looking for content – 500 to 1,000 word articles. Write in a jargon-lite, nonacademic style. Introduce a few key concepts and provide key tips for helping people gain a better understanding of their problem and tools for achieving goals. Also, a little humour goes a long way when dealing with "serious" content. Finally, consider producing a newsletter or regular "updates" for your own mailing list readers.
   
   
7. Marketing Startup – Safe and Small. After offering programs or consulting work to former organizations, consider places that are always looking for (lunchtime or after dinner) speakers: Rotary Clubs, associations, church groups. While these may be freebies, you will be generating name recognition and goodwill. You will also be getting practice, hopefully, obtaining leads and testimonials. And, of course, ask people for the names of other potential contacts to call. Another plus about these freebies, is you can also invite potential fee-paying clients to see you in action.
   
   
8. Join Networking Groups and Professional Associations. Especially in this economy, many marketing, entrepreneurial, and business lead groups are forming. This is a good way for discovering new trends, learning what your competition is doing, getting emotional support, and generating new leads.
   
   Also, get involved with your professional association. You might consider joining related associations, as a way of marketing to a wider audience. For example, I've joined Professional Conference Management Association (PCMA) to connect with speakers' bureaus and association conference-meeting planners (who need speakers). The National Speakers Bureau is another network to consider joining.
   
   
9. Explore the Bright Side. The Bright Side is an Internet resource that helps a variety of allied health professionals learn how to effectively develop and promote their business. For more information about TBS-PRO email Deborah Harper at Deborah@the-bright-side.org. I am on the TBS Advisory Board.
   
   
10. Go Web Young Cyberite. If you don't have a Web site, build one. A Web site is essential for business credibility. You don't have to be a Web maven; just work with a Web designer. And be actively involved in the design, building, and ongoing upkeep. Also, you may need someone to help you with search engine placement. However, you can influence this process. I am convinced that because my newsletter articles get republished on a variety of sites, search engines come across my links frequently. This contributes to good placement without having to pay for this positioning.
    

Mark Gorkin, "The Stress Doc," is a licensed Clinical Social Worker and a national speaker and trainer on stress, communications, team building, creativity and HUMOR. He is the "Online Psychohumorist" (TM) for the major AOL mental health resource, Online Psych, and for AOL's Business Know How. Check his Web site, recently featured as a USA Today Online "Hot Site," at www.stressdoc.com or email StressDoc@aol.com.

Published in Networking Today, July 2003.

How to Make the Most of Your Networking Event

By Chris McCarten

Networking. An opportunity to exchange and share ideas, build your contacts, keep on top of trends, and develop your resources. Not to mention, it’s a targeted occasion to grow business opportunities. M

yriad Marketing recently planned and produced the Ontario Government’s 9th Annual Wisdom Exchange, a two-day learning and networking forum for Presidents and CEOs of Ontario’s growth and emerging growth firms. This conference invited many of Ontario’s most successful business leaders to dialogue about how partnerships and alliances can ensure the continued growth and survival of their businesses.

The conference agenda included one on one business exchange meetings, workshops, planned networking, plenary and town hall sessions, as well as roundtable discussion opportunities. Social interaction was important to the objectives of the symposium as well, and took place over lunches, dinner and a cocktail reception. In all, feedback declared that this was the most productive Wisdom Exchange yet.

So, how best to put together a conference for which networking and productive interaction are the goal? Here are some steps to take to ensure participants gain maximum value.

1. Offer attendees a program that provides a good mix of work and play. Social interaction time will provide your guests a chance to get to know one another and find commonalities outside of the specific subject matter of the conference. Given the right environment, small talk can turn into big talk!
   
   
2. Provide a variety of different activities. Diversity in the program will keep the experiences fresh, attendees alert, and the content memorable. Injections of light entertainment and physical activity are also a great way to break things up and get the blood pumping. A variety of settings for the program will also help to keep things from getting stale. When selecting your venue for the event, ensure that there are sufficient locales to allow you to facilitate breakout meetings, social time, as well as plenary sessions and general addresses.
   
   
3. Make the most of the ancillary elements of the program. Creativity in theming and décor can make a good conference spectacular. Take some time planning meals – unique menu items and presentation can be an icebreaker to conversation. But remember, everything in moderation! Too much food or beverage could affect productivity adversely, as your guests might get tired or worse – inebriated!
   
   
4. Finally, give your guests a good understanding of the agenda. A Master of Ceremonies can be of value to announce each new stage of the program. Be sure to provide agendas to attendees, and post signage denoting where and when the various conference elements are taking place. If your guests feel informed and a part of what is going on, they will be more likely to get involved and make the most of what the conference has to offer.
   

Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Take the time to plan out all elements of your networking forum. Consider the type of audience and every detail that could make or break your event, and neither you, nor your guests, will be disappointed in the outcome.

Chris McCarten is president and CEO of Myriad Marketing Inc, an integrated marketing and corporate communications firm, specializing in Closed Loop Marketing strategies. For more information, please visit www.myriadinc.com or contact Chris McCarten at chris@myriadinc.com. Published in Networking Today, July 2003.

Trade Show Success Secrets on a Shoestring

By Karen Susman

Exhibiting at a trade show can put you in front of your market, snare leads, and give you significant visibility. Exhibiting at a trade show can also cost you thousands of dollars in booth space rental, display, shipping, and manpower costs.

If you have identified a trade show that has potential big time pay off for you, here are several ways to slash costs to a skinny shoestring.

First, determine if you need to participate in the national or international trade show. For instance, one of the largest trade shows in the world is the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago. There are also much smaller state restaurant association shows. If your market is local, the local expo would be more or as beneficial to you. Booth rental is usually cheaper for smaller trade shows. You won’t have the high shipping and drayage costs. You will stand out more because there will be fewer exhibitors. You can get better booth placement. It will be cheaper to bring staff to help you at a local show. If you don’t have staff, you can entice your neighbour or Uncle Harry to help you. (Promise them all the candy they can eat and all the free pens and key chains they can carry.) It will be less expensive and time consuming to follow up on the leads you gather.

Secondly, barter. Offer to speak at a conference in trade for a booth at the trade show. This can save you from $500 to $10,000. Speaking will enhance attendance at your booth. Build your speech audience by letting every booth visitor know when and where you are presenting during the conference. Your name and contact information will appear several times in the program and on the convention/show Web site.

Third, save money by renting a display. If you don’t think you’ll be exhibiting often, don’t sink $2,000 to $100,000 in a permanent display. Rental fees can often go toward the purchase of a permanent display. You can buy a $10 to $100 table display at most office supply stores.

Save even more money by getting creative. Take a colour photo of your business, service, or product. A full service photocopy centre can turn your photo into 18” x 24” laminated poster complete with grommets for less than $50. Hang this in your booth instead of an elaborate panel display.

If there is a show theme, such as sports, go to a party or craft shop and see what items you can buy to decorate your booth. Drape a plastic sports party tablecloth over the boring white cloth that’s usually provided. Hang sports paper plates and party decorations from your booth. Purchase a sports centrepiece to brighten up your display table. Purchase bulk candy that fits the theme. Keep it mounded high on your table. If you can’t afford personalized items such as key rings, pens, or note pads (which are really quite inexpensive), look at the catalogs or Web sites of US Toys or Oriental Trading Company for an item that fits the theme. At a recent sports themed trade show, Susan Ross used several of these ideas. She purchased five hundred sports whistles at 27¢ each. She preferred personalized whistles at $1.00 each, but she hadn't planned enough lead-time. She was competing with an imposing Microsoft booth that played a loud continuous loop recording of a space odyssey voice. You could hear this voice all over the exposition hall. Susan and the trade show attendees quickly discovered that you couldn’t wear that voice around your neck like you could the whistles. You couldn’t make the voice speak but you could blow the whistles. You didn’t want to take home that eerie voice, but you wanted to take a whistle for each child. And, you didn’t want just any whistle, you wanted to stand at Susan’s booth and choose a baseball, basketball, soccer, or football whistle. Pretty soon, the whistle blowers were drowning out the techno voice. Susan stapled her card to each whistle neck string to extend her visibility and name recognition.

Don’t have costly materials stacked on your table. Most show attendees take every item displayed and then toss your four-colour, die-cut, 90 lb. weight custom stock brochure right into the trash. Have a nicely produced clean, one-sheet, plus your business card and a sign up form for more information available.

Shleppage Instead of Drayage

Save money by shipping your display items to your hotel instead of to the drayage company. Bring, beg, or borrow a dolly or luggage wheelie to cart your display to the expo. Tip a bellman to escort you and your boxes to the exhibit hall. Ship leftover booth items home yourself. Susan found the drayage company wanted to charge her the shipping costs plus 20% plus $32 a box. Many convention centres and most hotels can ship boxes for you.

Go 4F to save money and maximize your trade show return.

1. Food. Instead of gooey candy, Susan found that individually wrapped lifesavers were a cheap, big hit. She piled them on the left end of her table since most people peruse a booth from left to right.
   
   
2. Fun. Even if you have a serious product, bring in fun with your decorations, food, materials, and toys. Adults love toys. Offer a door prize of fun items. This doesn’t have to be expensive. Also, be fun. Smile, laugh, greet people, and train your staff to get off their butts and approach attendees.
   
   
3. Friendly. Stand in front of your booth and bring people to your booth. Don’t ever sit behind your booth table reading, eating, or just tending. Approach people as if they were guests in your home.
   
   
4. Follow-up. Have a means to gather cards such as a drawing. Mark cards of people who have expressed interest in your product or service. Follow up with them first.
   

Susan found that by using these tips, and in spite of a booth tucked in a corner, she had a steady stream of potential customers visiting her, getting to know her, and bringing others to her booth. Now, she is busy following up on leads. Susan started with a shoestring budget that helped her get her foot in lots of doors.

Karen Susman is a Speaker, Trainer, Coach, and Author of 102 Top Dog Networking Secrets. Karen works with organizations that want to maximize performance. Programs include Humour at Work; Balance In Life; Networking Skills; Presentation Skills; and Building Community Involvement. Order new guidebooks on humour, networking, time management, and community involvement by calling 1-888-678-8818 or e-mail Karen@KarenSusman.com.. www.KarenSusman.com.

Published in Networking Today, July, 2003.