First of all – remain calm – you’re not the first person to do this. There’s some easy to follow tips that will ensure success at the show, and give you follow up business too.

Preparation ahead of time is important. Gather all the supplies you’ll need. Brochures, business cards, product samples, entry forms for a draw, professional signs and any audio visual equipment you’ll need. Be sure to ask for electricity well in advance if you will need it – AND be sure to get an internet connection if you need that as well.

Also, make sure none of your marketing literature leaves your booth without contact information on it – people MUST know how to get in touch with you after the show.

Make your booth looks GREAT! It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money – ask a friend whose got a sense of style to help you create something that is eye catching but doesn’t “break the bank”. Don’t over crowd your display area because people get overwhelmed and pass by; but on the other hand, don’t have so little that people think there’s nothing to see. Make sure your sign is professionally printed and hung straight!

Once you’ve set up your booth, stand back about 20 feet and objectively take a look at it. Is it welcoming? Is your sign easy to read? Can people tell what you do BEFORE they get to your booth? These are critical issues that you need to answer before the show.

At the show be friendly – wear a name tag and smile. Encourage everyone who walks by to take a brochure, sample your product or enter a free draw. ALWAYS have a free draw – give away a good prize – it doesn’t have to be expensive. Use the draw entry forms to follow up on with a sales letter, or put on a mailing list for future business. I’m always amazed at the number of business people at trade shows who don’t have a draw, and then have no way to follow up with potential customers! Create your draw entry form so that it provides you with a little bit more information than just a name and address. Get the standard contact information, but also ask questions specific to your products or services. Something like: “are you planning to buy a product like ours in the next six months?” or “have you heard of our product before?”

Questions like that will give you a conversation starter when you call them after the show. If you worry about “bothering people” by calling them, you can add the following at the bottom of the entry: “___ I do not wish to be contacted.” This allows those people who really only entered the draw just to get a prize to be easy weeded out, so your time isn’t wasted calling them.

After the show – call or contact ALL those people who stopped by your booth, and indicated an interest in one of your products or services. Make sure you contact the people within 7 – 10 days! Keep track of those people who find you through the trade show and later buy from you. It’s important to know how much business you gain from each show you participate in.

Figure out how much your expenses were to be in the show (include booth rental, your time, items for your display, gas to get there, parking, etc.) Now figure out the profit (deduct expenses for materials and supplies to make your product – don’t forget shipping & packaging). Now you have your ROI (return on investment). THIS IS A CRITICAL number that will allow you to assess whether or not it is worth doing this trade show again.

Some trade shows prohibit direct selling at the show – they only allow you to take orders. In this case you MUST do follow up. Do NOT assume that people will call you – they WON’T! If you don’t believe me – answer this: How many times have YOU called someone you met at a trade show, even if you just adored their product?

If you don’t like doing follow up phone calls, hire someone to do it for you. If you’re not going to do the calls at all – don’t even bother doing the show – you’re wasting time and money.

Send a hand written letter of thanks to the show organizers and make sure you’re on the list for next year. Lastly don’t expect immediate results – trade shows take time to pay off.

After the show sit down with everyone involved in the show and evaluate how it went. Was it time and money well spent. Were the people friendly? Did the trade show staff help when asked? Was the facility comfortable? What did you like/dislike about it?

Each trade show you do will teach you something – be open to learning. Smile, wear comfortable shoes, drink lots of water and get plenty of rest before and after the show!

Well, I have had the luxury of working at home and I do love that I can wear loose clothing and work in an inviting home office. I also love not fighting the traffic to get to work and most of all not dealing with office politics. But, at home, work always beckons me. “Oh, I’ll just check my email one more time…..” “Oh, I have to enter receipts in Quickbooks” and on and on… It’s hard to separate work time from home time and I find I work an awful lot! Also, I never really can work with the kids around. As much as I enjoyed them being home, it was virtually impossible to get anything done. I had to get a babysitter and even then I’d sometimes have to hide out in my own house just to make a quiet phone call. It actually turned out to be quite stressful.

A few years back, I took on a consulting assignment where I have to go into an office park two days every week. After five years of working at home, I found I actually liked dressing up like a grownup a few days a week; it made me feel better about myself. Also, surprisingly, I found that water cooler chats sure beat the isolation of thinking about my business challenges over and over in a vacuum inside my head. Another office perk is the cabinet full of supplies with things like ink cartridges, paper and folders that cost me so much at Staples in my home office. Lastly, I like the cafeteria and not having to eat boring leftovers everyday. So, for the two days of rush hour traffic, I get some real perks that I really didn’t ever consider perks if I hadn’t worked at home for so long.

Moral of the story: I only appreciated it when I didn’t have it anymore and for me now, having a little of both work environments is ideal
Happy Spring,
Persephone
Work/Life Family Balance Columnist

HARDWARE
□ Computer system (i.e. Dell XPS 400)
□ All-in-one printer, scanner, copier and fax (i.e. HP OfficeJet 4215)
□ Personal Digital Assistant [PDA] (i.e. Palm Treo or HP iPaq)
□ Surge-protectors

SOFTWARE
□ Office productivity software suite (i.e. Microsoft Office, Open Office)
□ Financial software (i.e. Quickbooks, Quicken)
□ Inventory control software
□ Fax software – if there’s no stand-alone fax machine (i.e. WinFax)
□ Email client (i.e. Microsoft Outlook or Eudora)
□ Anti-virus and security software suite (i.e. Norton Anti-Virus or McAfee)
□ Firewall-only software – for broadband connections (i.e. ZoneAlarm)
□ Compression utility software (i.e. WinZip or StuffIt)
□ Adobe Acrobat Reader – free downlod at adobe.com

INTERNET/NETWORK
□ Domain name (i.e. GoDaddy.com)
□ Hosting plan (i.e. GoDaddy.com)
□ Complete web site (i.e. GoDaddy.com)
□ Electronic newsletter [eZine]
□ E-commerce capabilities and/or merchant account
□ Office LAN (computer network)
□ High-speed Internet connection (i.e. DSL or cable)

GENERAL
□ Business plan
□ Disaster recovery strategy
□ Data back-up strategy
□ Separate phone line with digital voice mail
□ Separate fax line
□ Affordable cell phone plan

But first – it is imperative that I explain what my definition of marketing is. It’s simple. Think of marketing like its oxygen. In order to live and thrive, your body needs oxygen. To keep your business running in the pink, it requires a robust dose of marketing – not just occasionally, but day in and day out. Your business’s health depends on it.

Okay – so perhaps things are a bit cloudy for you, so let me give it another whirl, with a bulleted list that you can take to the bank. Great marketing includes:

* A comprehensive annual advertising plan (even if you have a limited budget)

* Press Releases (submitted to area media outlets at least quarterly)

* A professionally designed logo (that helps define “who” your business is, and what your business does, i.e., your brand)

* Compelling Sales letters (that educate and motivate the reader to find out more about your products or services)

* A visually arresting brochure (that is part of your Press Kit, as well as an additional piece of collateral material that highlights your firm’s value and expertise).

* Direct mail pieces (like postcards, with an incentive for the recipient to get in touch with you, in a very defined timeframe, in order to receive an offer or discount.)

* Print advertising (part of your yearly plan) in your local papers, regional magazines, trade journals, etc. These must also be professionally designed, with a distinct, easy to comprehend “call to action” – something that motivates the reader to react within a defined timeframe

* “White Papers” which can be skillfully written to educate your clients and prospects. The goal: to elevate the reader’s perception about your firm, and thereby engendering trust and comfort in your firm’s competency, while boosting your “expertise” level

* Networking – everywhere you go, everyone that works for you is in effect in the position of marketing your firm. Each one is in the “Networking mode” the instant they speak or connect with another human being – via e/m, voice mail, or at a face-to-face meeting or function.

* Website – it is a must in today’s business world and can be your silent salesperson 24/7 every day of the year – if you had it designed to function correctly – to disseminate information in a visually attractive way, where the language makes sense, and the navigation is clear and easy to grasp in an instant. A noteworthy fact: it takes the average net surfer 5 seconds to make a decision about your firm once they land on your Home Page – so it better say “WOW” to every visitor, engaging them to linger, and find out more about you.

* Your 30-second elevator pitch. When you open your mouth, whether you are a sole proprietor of a fledgling venture or the CEO of a mega million dollar global firm – you ARE the face of your business. So, your message needs to be succinct, clear and compelling. It can be funny as well, but make sure you are amusing in a professional manner. Off color or strange doesn’t cut it.

* Cold calling. In order to reach out to new prospects, especially if you’re on a lean budget, this is something you’ll have to do. And even if your firm’s been around for 40 years – it’s an essential part of keeping that marketing engine well oiled, no matter if your firm is large or small. Every week, like clockwork someone in your firm should be cold calling a few new prospects, as you’ll never know when you’ll need to reach out to new territories or industries, or deal with the new director who’s just landed at your old client’s company.

* Your employees or independent contractors. Each one has the ability to say great things about your firm, or not. They can be part of your marketing if you seek to engage them correctly.

* Your clients. Yes – it’s true! Your own happy clients should be a part of your marketing plan – cause a satisfied customer tends to good-mouth a firm, and can lead you to some very well-qualified leads, who already have a more open door to your overtures, just because they’ve heard great things about you. This is savvy marketing that you can’t afford not to tap into.

* Last but not least – Your clients, as happy clients are easier to “supersize” into buying more of your products and services then new ones. So keep in touch (can you say “marketing”?) Ask questions (marketing). Find solutions to before they snag you (yup – that;s great marketing too.)

There’s more, of course how you engage your clients, the sales process, secrets to cold calling done right – but those are fodder for future columns. It is my fervent hope that you’ve gotten the gist of how critical marketing is to your firm’s success, and that you take some of these money- making ideas and implement them today!

Create An Ambience!

Play gentle, soothing music in the background……..a light fragrance of a beautiful essential oil in a dish, on a handkerchief or sprinkled on your wrists or a natural sponge. How about surrounding yourself with life……perhaps a few fresh flowers, green plants or an automated water fall/rock garden! You’d be pleasantly surprised to find what a big difference a few small changes can make in your energy levels. One thing you can do, physically, is to take the time to adjust your terminal. A minor adjustment in tilt can make all of the difference in the world. Release your hands from that keyboard and rotate your shoulders in circular motions. How about stretching! This is a practice that can only help to get blood circulating, thereby rushing much-needed oxygen to the brain. In short, an ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure! Rather than grabbing for the caffeine or soft drinks, why not whet your whistle with a nice cup of herbal tea or water that’s not jammed with ice cubes……your bladder will thank you for it! All too often we accustom ourselves to habits which are damaging to us in the long run. It’s just a matter of replacing them with habits that are much healthier for us. You never know what’s going to get the creative juices flowing. Some suggestions for stretching circulation into those tired muscles:

1. Close your eyes for a few seconds and stretch your neck muscles, aiming to touch your ear to your shoulder without lifting your shoulder. Hold for a second and then straighten the neck out. Repeat a few times and then follow the exact same steps on the other side.

2. Sitting erect with your back well supported, slowly stretch your neck muscles so that you’re trying to touch your chest with your chin. Repeat this a few times.

3. Leaning a bit forward off of the support of the back of the chair, raise both hands inside one another, palm side up. Hold for a few seconds and switch hands, moving hands towards the ceiling.

4. While hands are above head, lean from the waistline and bend over, towards the left, stretching the waistline bring arms upright and switch sides, stretching the waistline on the other side. This helps to stretch the mid-back.

* Always remember to maintain your breath while stretching. It allows much more flexibility to the muscle. These tips may seem extremely simple, but the benefits far outweigh the investment in time. You’ll find that you’re more creative, alert and not as tired.

We wish you days filled with peaceful creativity and boundless energy!

1. Smile
2. Look the person in the eye
3. Listen
4. Remember names
5. Be aware of body language
6. Be respectful of other people’s boundaries
7. Look for common interests
8. Give genuine complements

1. Smile.

A smile is the first step in building rapport. Remember to smile when you enter a room, a business meeting, and even when you answer the phone. I give people mirrors with the phrase printed on the case, “Can your smile be heard?” I tell them to put the mirror on their desk when they are talking on the phone in order to see their expression. And, yes, a smile can be heard. Remember also, when you’re talking with someone face to face, they become the mirror that reflects your expression. Your expression is the most important thing you wear. Smiling can raise your spirits and can even affect the way you sound. A smile can also disarm another. Use this powerful communication tool to your advantage.

2. Look the person in the eye.

Making good eye contact shows respect and interest. Have you ever been speaking with a person who was looking over your shoulder instead of at you? Did you feel like, “he doesn’t think I’m important,” or, “he’s not even listening to me?”

Once at a trade show, I was talking to a man who spent the whole five minutes of a conversation that he had initiated looking everywhere except at me. In fact, at one point, he saw someone he obviously wanted to speak with and in mid-sentence, he turned around and began speaking with the other person as if I had evaporated into thin air.

Eye contact is one of the strongest communication skills we can develop. It’s been said, and I believe it’s true, “the eyes are the windows of the soul.”

3. Listen with care.

One of the greatest compliments you can give another is to let him or her know you are listening to everything that is said. Find the hidden word in LISTEN using all the letters. The word is SILENT. That is what our internal voice must be to get the full impact of what others are saying. Remember that when you are networking with a new contact, it is like reading the paper. Let the person tell you the story so you can discover the “news you can use.” More people have literally talked themselves out of a job or a sale by talking instead of sitting back and actively listening. It takes real concentration to listen.

4. Remember names.

Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People says, “…a person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language…”

It pays to remember names. Here are three ways to sharpen your name memory skills.

1. Form an impression of the person’s appearance and embed it into your mind. Note height, stature, color of hair and eyes, facial expression, and any distinguishing physical features. Do not concentrate so much on dress, or even hairstyle. These may be different the next time you meet.

2. Repeat the person’s name after you meet and several times during the conversation. When you repeat their name two things happen-they are flattered and the name goes into your memory bank.

3. Make up a visual story about the person’s name. Associate the person’s name with something that will remind you of it. Use your imagination; build a mind picture; put the person into your visual story. The sillier the story, the easier it will be to remember. Here is an example of how to remember my name with a visual story.

My name is Andrea Nierenberg. Picture me in the Antarctic, dressed in white fur, clinging to the bow of a sinking ship, the “Andrea Doria” (Andrea) which is “near an iceberg” (Nier-en-berg). There you have a picture of me and my name, Andrea Nierenberg. Remember, the sillier the visual story, the easier it is to remember.

5. Be aware of your body language.

“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

You can say a lot without ever opening your mouth. Research tells us perceptions are formed in three ways: Verbal makes up 7 percent, Non-verbal 38 percent, and Visual is 55 percent of our perception of others. Notice that body language makes up the biggest percentage. Make sure your body language communicates what you truly want to say.

B-Breathe deeply and consistently. This steadies your nerves and gives you a pleasant facial expression that says, “I’m glad to be speaking with you.”
O-Overtures can speak volumes. Nod to show encouragement and to show you are listening. Keep an open posture to show you are receptive.
D-Demeanor is the part of your personality demonstrated by body language. A blank stare, crossed arms, nervous gestures, all convey the opposite of what you want to communicate.
Y-”You” meaning the other person should be your main focus. Observe patterns of others and find a way to match styles to ease the interaction. For example, if you are sitting across the table from a person who is leaning in to create a closer connection, follow suit. Do not lean back; this says, “I’m not interested.”

6. Be respectful of other people’s boundaries.

The invisible boundaries around us define our personal space. It varies from culture to culture. Most Americans become uncomfortable if someone is closer than 18 inches. In some countries, standing as close as we do in the United States is considered too far apart. In other places, it is too close. People’s boundaries are not only an issue for travelers. America is a melting pot so you need to be aware of the diversity within our own country.

7. Look for common interests.

Ask open-ended questions and then listen to what others have to say. Develop your list of “get to know you questions” so that they are easy and automatic. Make sure they are phrased so they that cannot be answered with just one word. Or, at least have a follow up question ready. Some people you meet-you probably know the type-will take your questions quite literally. “Did you enjoy the speaker?” you ask, hoping to start a conversation. “Yes” is the answer you get, followed by silence. So, change your question to, “How did you find the speaker’s presentation?” You may still get, “Fine.” But then you can follow up with, “What did you particularly like about it?”

Once you establish your common interests, the conversation will flow, and you will easily find reasons to follow up and keep in touch.

8. Give genuine compliments.

When you listen to someone carefully, often they will mention something which they are proud of. Think for a moment and find a way to acknowledge the person’s achievement. Make a goal of finding at least one positive trait or characteristic in each person you meet that you can compliment. It may seem awkward at first, but soon it will become second nature.

As a general rule, most of us do not give out compliments as often as they might be deserved. We worry that we will come across as phony, or as if we are doing it because we want something. This is why it is so critical to be sincere and to give a compliment only when you mean it.

Interruptions cause you to work twice as hard, so it’s important to eliminate or reduce the interruptions you can control. See which ones you can “fix” right now.

* Keep your office and house as separate as possible. Create an office that you really enjoy walking into and that has everything you want in one area. Organization books call it a “zone” – an area of the house having one purpose.

* Schedule your work hours and publicize the schedule on your web site or in your newsletter. Stick to your schedule no matter what!

* Do not answer the door when you’re on the phone (unless you know someone is coming to the office, of course).

* Hang a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your office door and set boundaries with family and friends.

* Outside your front door, place a special small box (or personal mailbox) for people to leave you messages. Or, leave a note pad and pencil on or near your door.

* If you have only one phone, consider screening your calls using your answering machine. A time management class I attended at the American Management Association, NYC, suggested that phone messages be taken and calls returned at your convenience. As a home business owner, you can do the same thing by using your answering machine to screen your calls.

* The online programs or hardware devices listed below can help you continue to use one phone line with your computer. AOL, Mac and Linux users check the system requirements before purchasing. For phone resources visit http://www.TheResourceQueen.com

* Purchase a second phone or cell phone for work. Or, consider adding a custom ring number to your phone line. This will give you two numbers for about $5 more a month. The new number will ring differently than the main number – usually two short rings compared with one long one – so you can tell when a call is business or personal. Let your personal calls wait until after your scheduled work hours!

* Bring water or something to drink into your office when you start work, and may be a small snack as well. If you enjoy tea or coffee, make sure you have it close by.

* Do not allow others to walk on your business boundaries. Learn to say no without feeling guilty or giving long-winded explanations. Ask someone who is calling about business to call you back on a workday if they call you on a leisure day.

1. Know your goals. Why are you working from home? To save money? To have greater flexibility to deal with personal matters (such as kiddie carpool)? To catch up on what you couldn’t accomplish in the “office” office? When you have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish through a home office, you will have a better sense of how to structure your time and surroundings for maximum benefit . . . and how to stick to it.

2. Have a plan. Especially if you are starting a business out of your home, it pays to have a business plan. Just because your business may lack the formal structure of a visible “corporate office” doesn’t mean you should be equally informal with your planning for success. In fact, this lack of planning is a significant factor that endangers the survival of home-based businesses. It’s not enough to be doing work while you happen to be at home; in running a business, an ongoing enterprise, you need understand exactly how much money you need to earn in order to meet expenses and turn a profit. If you’re telecommuting, remember that “out of sight is out of mind” for many people . . . so discuss with your supervisor ways that you can remain visible to the organization – whether through participation in conference calls, regular reporting, or being physically present for certain meetings. Accountability is key. Be sure you and your supervisor have a clear understanding of how your work performance will be evaluated.

3. Get in “the zone”. Zoning laws and local ordinances govern how buildings may be used. Certain areas may be for residential use only; others for commercial use only; some are a mixed live-work situation. You can run into problems if your home-based business requires a lot of “foot traffic” – for example, in running a tattoo parlor out of your basement, where parking customers may congest nearby streets. Or having an in-person coaching practice in your apartment. If you rent, make sure that your lease does not prohibit you from running your type of business from your home. Check your homeowner’s insurance policy as well; many will not cover your business activities or business equipment. Look into a separate business owner’s insurance policy to make sure that you don’t leave yourself unduly exposed to liability.

4. Set up your surroundings efficiently. Home offices can be easier to establish if you have a separate room that you can clear out for that sole purpose (it is also easier to configure it for a home office tax deduction). So it’s not surprising that home offices set up in a mixed-use room (part home office, part bedroom, for example) present their own challenges – both from a tax perspective and a business efficiency perspective. I carved my home office out of my living room, rearranging computer tables into an L-shape, and moving around filing cabinets and bookshelves to give the feeling of separate space (thanks to the good eye of the channel-surfing fiancé). And I keep it v-e-r-y separate, with a separate phone line and fax/modem line. I don’t allow any clothes to be draped over the office chair, or let Joe leave his pizza on the desk, and I have a separate place for personal papers. For entrepreneurs with young children at home, setting the boundaries – that Mommy (or Daddy’s) desk does not need Crayola® crayon designs on it no matter how pretty, nor should the strawberry milkshake be drizzled over the important client proposal – is a crucial factor in home office success. An organized workspace can do wonders for clear thinking.

5. Watch the clock and the time gobblers. The beauty of working from home is that your time is truly yours. There’s no persnickety boss or nosy colleague looking over your shoulder. But the benefit is also its own burden, as you must become your own taskmaster. Set a work schedule and stick to it. More pernicious are the distractions that crop up during the day that eats away at your time and concentration. A friend calls, needing advice about her non-communicative boyfriend. The doorman buzzes: can you come down for a delivery? Your stomach rumbles . . . what should you make for dinner tonight? There’ a dust bunny staring you in the face. And kids have their needs, too, which tend to be on their time schedule, not yours. Be realistic about what you can accomplish each day, but be firm about making the time to accomplish it. To the extent possible, group meetings or errands together so that when you are working from home, you can focus on the project at hand.

6. Know thyself. Are you a social creature, desiring the feedback and hubbub from others to fuel your creativity? If so, the home office/home business experience can be very isolating. Make sure you include a day (or part of each day) to be in contact with other people, whether in person or by telephone (email does NOT count). For those whose natural instinct is to barricade themselves indoors, remember that people do business with people they like . . . and they can’t get to like you unless they meet you. Make time for networking events and occasional meetings with colleagues. And if your business is online, be sure to give that a personality, too!

7. Keep your mind primed for success. A colleague of mine has a routine: she meditates, writes in her journal, and exercises – all before starting her days’ work in her home office (I think she’s a saint, but she claims she’s human)! She also schedules time for classes and seminars so that she can continue to learn and grow in her field. All of these activities are vital to keeping your outlook fresh and positive, which is no mean feat under any circumstances.

Dear Jill,

I recently started an independent consulting practice, after 15 years of working in large firms. I’m pleasantly surprised to be quite busy, but really miss input and feedback from co-workers. I didn’t realize how much value that kind of support brings. I’ve thought about looking for a business partner, but I’m not sure I want to do this. Do you have any suggestions?

Carol

Dear Carol,

Congratulations on your new business’ successful launch—most people in your shoes are just trying to build their client base! There’s no substitute for colleagues’ feedback, and fortunately you don’t have to be employed somewhere to get it.

I suggest you consider forming a peer coaching group—a small “team” of self-employed individuals who give each other professional support. Here are some suggestions for starting a group:

* Keep the group size to four or five members, and invite people who you trust, respect and believe can help you! It’s also best to choose members who you think will like each other—peer coaches can develop superb comradeship.

* Schedule an introductory meeting to plan how the group will work—participants can choose to join or opt out after this initial discussion.

* Try to meet at least once a month for two to three hours:
o dedicate your first meeting to learning each other’s professional backgrounds, business objectives and respective hopes for the group;
o structure subsequent meetings to allow 30 minutes for each member to describe his/her challenges and to receive feedback, ideas and support from other participants.

* Conduct an assessment after your second meeting to define what’s working well and what needs improvement—this can be a critical step in any group’s healthy development.

You’re wise to think carefully before forming a business partnership. Your peer coaching group could be an excellent resource to help you think this through!

Transforming Procrastination Into Productivity

Hi Jill,

I’ve always been a procrastinator, but I never miss deadlines and it hasn’t really been a problem. I’m working closely now with two colleagues whose success is highly dependent on my work. They are not procrastinators and often need things from me before they’re due (which, in most cases, is a fair request). My days are filled with interruptions, and I’m having difficulty finishing things quickly enough. After years of procrastination, how can I become more efficient?

Thanks,
Andrea

Dear Andrea,

Think of your deliverables for your colleagues as the sum of several smaller tasks—then “chunk each up” accordingly. Each time you have an extra 15 minutes (before a meeting, waiting for the train, etc.), ask yourself which small piece you can complete. This habit can improve your productivity dramatically.

* Start each day with a new “to-do” list, including pieces of these deliverables, as well as more urgent items. Number each entry in the order that you’re going to do it. “Number 1” should be the item that when finished, will provide the most value (in terms of achieving your highest priorities).

* Keep in mind that work usually expands to fit the time allotted. Schedule shorter time slots for tasks, and consciously manage to them. You’ll be amazed at how much more efficient you can become—in almost no time!

* Pay attention to your body’s natural rhythms. Is your mind sharpest in the early morning, late at night, etc.? Schedule creative tasks during times when your mind is most alert and more routine work for your “lower ebbs.”

* Try to be disciplined about “accepting” interruptions. Designate periods of private time in your day, and close your door, let your voicemail/email receive messages—even leave the office, if necessary, to avoid interruptions. If someone enters your workspace, stand up and remain standing to signal your unavailability to sit and chat.

I admire your objective perspective and desire to become more efficient. Both bode well for your future success!
If you have a question about a leadership or team issue in the workplace, please write to AskJill@womenandbiz.com.