Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro

4 Hour Workweek vs. GTD

One of my favorite books in recent years is the 4 Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss. Tim challenges readers to work less and play more, what he calls lifestyle design. Without getting into the details of the book here, I wanted to share a post from his blog.

Responding to a post on Entrepreneur Magazine's blog, Tim writes:

"Despite the disproportionate attention paid to them, personal outsourcing and selective ignorance are just two chapters out of 16 in 4HWW. There is a lot more to information management and intake control in 4HWW (interruption prevention, internal policies, scripts with superiors, etc.) than “batching” e-mail."

This was in response to a comment in the article:

“Timothy Ferriss is focused on outsourcing and not checking e-mail so often. The last time I checked, the amount of e-mail you get is not a function of how often you check e-mail,” [Mark] Hurst says. “David Allen’s approach is a bit of a throwback to a pre-internet age when having complex flowcharts, filing papers and creating tickler items was relevant…”

Eliminate Before You Optimize!

I thought his post was interesting and gives some insight into different methodologies to stay productive.

Seth Godin Offers a Lengthy Email Checklist

Author and Permission Marketing Expert Seth Godin offers a great checklist to review before sending email. It's a little impractical to run through the checklist every time you send a message, but I think his point is to make you stop and think about how you use email.

Here is a short sample from Seth's list:

4. Did every person on the list really and truly opt in? Not like sort of, but really ask for it?

8. Aside: the definition of permission marketing: Anticipated, personal and relevant messages delivered to people who actually want to get them. Nowhere does it say anything about you and your needs as a sender. Probably none of my business, but I'm just letting you know how I feel. (And how your prospects feel).

9. Is the email from a real person? If it is, will hitting reply get a note back to that person? (if not, change it please).

22. Is there anyone copied on this email who could be left off the list?

Send Messages to People
Who Want to Get Them

I have to think that some of the items on the list are included for humor's sake alone. But, I think his point comes across loud and clear that people communicate too often through email on things that other people probably don't care about. It's also a great reminder to CYA to protect yourself.

Launched a New Blog Called Attracting Ideal Clients

Want to grow your business? I have launched a new blog called Attracting Ideal Clients. This blog is for small business owners, especially service professionals, who want to grow their business by attracting their ideal clients. More on this in a moment.

If you've read The PDA Pro Blog for awhile, you know that I cover a wide range of topics. I post on productivity, technology, sales and personal development topics. I'm passionate about helping people live productive and effective lives. I just love seeing people in their element, working smarter not harder. That's fun. What's not fun is feeling disorganized and overwhelmed. That's leads to procrastination and avoiding what you need to do.

In my business, I spend much of my time working with home-based service professionals. That includes coaches, consultants, virtual assistants and professional organizers. I love the entrepreneurial spirit. It's fun to launch a business and see it take off. Of course, owning a business is risky. And it can lead to a lot of additional stress.

My value system reflects my philosophy on building long-term relationships. And I've found the best relationships in business come from working with your ideal clients. This is the basis for building a successful referral based business.

Attract your Ideal Clients
and They Will Seek You Out!

And so it's with that concept that I've launched a new blog, Attracting Ideal Clients. There's a push/pull nature to marketing. Marketers often push their messages onto people. And that's effective to a certain extent. But, it's more effective when you can pull or attract your ideal clients to you. They will SEEK you out. That's really powerful!

And it's easier than ever to do this today using the internet. But, it takes a lot of work and you need to know what you're doing. I'm still refining my own approach. But, I have always jumped on top of any opportunity to get my message out there and attract people to what I'm doing.

So, Attracting Ideal Clients, is focused on teaching you how to identify who your ideal clients are, learning where to find them, what to say to them, and how to begin building a relationship with them that ultimately leads them to ask to be a client. But, it's not just about how to use the internet. I'll discuss mainstream topics like writing articles, teaching workshops and teleseminars, making phone calls, sending cards and networking more effectively. It's all of the things you can do to communicate your message and attract your ideal clients.

Yes, you still need to be able to sell. But, focusing on attracting your ideal clients will create an endless stream of leads and referrals. So, check it out and post a comment. The site is pretty slim at the moment, but I will add to it over time. Thanks!

Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro
http://www.ThePDApro.com

Gmail Tip for Searching Email

I get a lot of email. Being The PDA Pro is busy work. I have over 10 email accounts and am subscribed to 50 Bojillian ezines and newsletters to stay on top of everything. I found that Outlook was just choking on the amount of email I was pumping through it. So, I made the decision to begin retrieving email using Gmail, the email service from Google.

I love Google. It's just the simple, but fast and effective kind of productivity tool I like to use. I was already using Gmail for a personal account and it worked great. So, I made the switch a few months ago for my business email. I have been very satisfied with how Gmail has worked for me. There are a few little annoyances, but overall it's been a great experience. I appreciate the fact that all of that data is being hosted on someone else's server.

Gmail Rocks!

Here is a quick tip from Gmail's blog written by Jen "Digital Mom" Grant. She writes:

"First, I make very specific labels for all of the categories that I might need - meeting notes, action items, personal - and I very meticulously use these labels for maybe a month or so. But then, I get overwhelmed and don't have the time to spend filing things under each of these categories. This is the point where Gmail really starts to help me out. The reason I categorized everything in the first place was to find it again quickly, right? Well, if I can find anything easily with search, then why should I take the extra time organizing? For my purposes, searching takes much less time and works just as well."

I love the labels too. They're much better than folders. I set up rules to automatically move and archive messages. This allows me to quickly read and respond to high priority client email messages first. The best part though, as Digital Mom suggests is the ability to search messages quickly. This took a lot longer with Outlook.

I strongly recommend you consider switching to Gmail. As a person who has been used to storing and archiving all of my email data in the past, I found I had a little fear around letting someone else store that data. But, as an entrepreneur, I have had to do that anyway through other services.

The PDA Pro Records a New Audio Program

I'm excited to be able to share a few details about a current project I'm working on. I'm developing an audio program which will be launching in October. I assembled a team to help support me in this project and we have been working diligently all summer long.

The topic is on Follow Up. This is an extremely critical area in sales and can really benefit from the clever use of technology. I was  surprised to find very little material on the topic. It's almost always covered as an afterthought.

I just returned from the recording studio today where I cut the final audio tracks for the program. I have the good fortune of being able to work with Barbara Beal Lopez from Brightfarm Productions. You can't imagine the amount of work that's required to produce a product. It takes an enormous amount of work. I'll be glad when this is done. Of course, then comes marketing and sales. It's all good.

Check back soon for more details. As The PDA Pro, I will continue to provide tips, strategies and advice on sales as well as PDAs and smartphones. My official definition for PDA is Productivity, Discipline and Action. You can increase your Productivity if you exercise Discipline and take Action. And this audio program will give you tips and strategies to develop the discipline to follow up.

Biznik - Yet Another Social Networking Site

Have you had enough of Social Networks? Apparently not! Because they keep sprouting up like weeds. Lori Richardson, the Sales Process Diva,  posted about a new site, Biznik, which bills itself as a "Business Networking that Doesn't Suck". Maybe that's a nod to the fact that there are way too many sites out there already and many people are having a challenge navigating them. Lori posts:

"What is great, though, is that this untapped resource will allow you to set up face-to-face meetings with other entrepreneurs (indie biz owners is the preferred term at Biznik) and you can host a meeting on any topic, charge a fee if you'd like, or host it for free to get critical mass.  Biznik even includes video on the site to show you how to use many of the features. I love this community and recently became a paying member, after lurking for free for quite a few months. Check it out, and see how it can help you meet other local business owners to support local business, business referrals, and even new friendships."

For my part, I haven't had a whole lot of time lately to network through the sites I'm currently on: LinkedIn, Ryze, Xing, Ecademy, MySpace, NowLive, HelloWorld, etc. I think you have to be careful about how much time you spend networking online. There is a balance between activity and results. You need to expect a return on your time invested. Also, don't forget blogging itself is a social networking activity.

Will Biznik live up to its billing? Who knows! But, I think the more the merrier. I think sites that clearly define their purpose and their target market and then strive to meet their needs will serve their audience well.

By the way, is Biznik kind of like Beatnik? Hmm.

Personal Development List

I have to give a big kudos to Life Coach Priscilla Palmer for starting her Personal Development List and a thanks for recognizing The PDA Pro Blog. I have decided to publish the list on my site as well for my readers to see and have added my own recommendations to the list (and will update this periodically). I think this a great example of organic social networking in the spirit of sharing resources.

Priscilla says that personal development is a large topic that includes but is not limited to (law of attraction, goals, time management, physical fitness, education, motivation, inspiration, and social skills). Some of my additions to the list feature technology bloggers who have a strong commitment toward personal development and cover at least one topic among the ones listed above.

If I have sent a trackback to your site, just know I'll be back to post a relevant comment at some point to add value to the discussions on your site. Feel free to do the same here. (Thank you.)

Personal Development List:

Aaron Potts at Today is That Day

Adam Kayce at Monk at Work

Alan Torres at Made to Be Great

Albert Foong at urbanmonk.net

Andrea J Lee at Money, Meaning and Beyond (Added by Rick Cooper)

Andy Wibbels at AndyWibbels.com (Added by Rick Cooper)

Ask Lucid at Ask Lucid Spiritual Development

Anita Pathik at Law at Power of four Way

Belle Wong at Abundance Journal

Brian Clark at Copyblogger

Brian Kim at briankim.net

Bob at everyeveryminute

Christine Kane at ChristineKane.com

Craig Harper at Motivational Speaker

Curt Rosengren at Occupational Adventure

Dave Schoof at Engaging the Disquiet

David Rogers at How to Have Great Self Confidence

Dawud Miracle at dmiracle.com

Dean Lacono at Law of Attraction for Beginners

Debbie Call at Spirit In Gear

Des Walsh at Thinking Home Business (Added by Rick Cooper)

Dick Richards at Come Gather Round

Donald Latumahina at Life Optimizer

Donna Karlin at Perspectives (Added by Rick Cooper)

Dr. Hal at Northstar Mental fitness blog

Edward Mills at Evolving Times

Frank Kanu at Frank Uncovers Excellence in Leadership (Added by Rick Cooper)

Guy Kawasaki at How to Change the World

Gleb Reys at Personal Development Ideas

Gretchen Rubin at Happiness Project

Gustav at Success-is-in-you.com

Henrik Edberg at The Positivity Blog

Itzy Sabo at Email Overloaded (Added by Rick Cooper)

Jacklyn Ker at Inspiring and Empowing Lives

Jason Ivers at A Miracle a Day

Jay White at dumb little man tips for life

Jean Browman at Transforming Stress Into Power and Cheerful Monk

Jeffrey Phillips at Think Faster

Jennifer at Goodness Graciousness

Jeremiah Owyang at Web Strategy by Jeremiah (Added by Rick Cooper)

Jerry Hart at Blueprint to eMarketing  (Added by Rick Cooper)

Jerry Lopper at Personal Growth

Joanna Young at Coaching Wizardry

John Place at John Place Online

John Wesley at Pick The Brain

Josh Bickford at Reach For Magnificence and Reach for Magnificence

Julia Rogers Hamrick at Julia’s Blog: Journal of the Journey Home to Eden

Kammie Kobyleski at Passion Meets Purpose

Karen at Journey with Water Learner

Karen Lynch at Live The Power

Kim George at Doing What You Can Do

Kirsten Harrell at Ipopin

K.L. Masina at Be Conscious Now

Leah Maclean at Working Solo (Added by Rick Cooper)

Lee Nutter at bmindful

Leo Baruta at Zen Habits

Life Reflection at Universe in a Single Atom

Lisa Gates at Design Your Writing Life

Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Lola Fayemi at Real World Spiritual and Personal Development

Lorraine Cohen at Powerfull Living

Lyman Reed at Creating a Better Life

Maria Palma at The Good Life

Mark at The Naked Soul

Mark Forster at Get Everything Done

Mark McManus at Build Your Life To Order

Mark W. Shead at Productivity 501 (Added by Rick Cooper)

Martin Avis at Kickstart Daily

Matthew Cornell at Matt’s Idea Blog

Merlin Mann at 43 Folders

Michelle Moore at Happiness Blog

Michael Port at The Think Big Revolution (Added by Rick Cooper)

My Everyday Planner at My Everyday Planner

Nancy Tierney at Unconditional Confidence

Neil Patel at Quick Sprout

Nneka at Balanced Life Center

Organize-It at Organize-It

Pamm Larry at My Spiritual Dance

Patricia Singleton at Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker

Paul at Paul’s Tips

Peter at I Will Change Your Life

Peter Aldin at Great Circle

Phil Gerbyshak at Make It Great

Priscilla Palmer at Personal Development Demands Success

Raymond Salas at Zenchill Powertools

Reg Adkins at ElementalTruths

Rick Cockrum at Shards of Consciousness

Rick Cooper at The PDA Pro

Robert at Compassionate Council

S.J. Yee at Personal Development for the Book Smart

Sam at Aquire Wisdom and Live with Passion

Scott Adams at The Dilbert Blog

Scott Bernadot at Keeping The Secret

Scott Ginsberg at Hello, My Name is Blog (Added by Rick Cooper)

Scott H Young at Scott H Young

Self Pursuit at Self Pursuit

Shauna Arthurs at Breathing Prosperity and Follow Your Path

Sleeping Dude at How to Wake Up Early

Steve Olson at Steve-Olson.com

Steve Pavlina at stevepavlina.com

Susan Sabo at Productivity Cafe

Ted Demopoulos at Blogging For Business

Thom Quinn at Qlog

Tim Ferris at 4-Hour Workweek and Lifestyle Design Blog

Tony D Clark at Success From The Nest

Torlink at You Create Reality

Trevor Gay at Simplicity is the Key

Troy Worman at Orbit Now!

Vickie at Contemplate This

WildBill at PassionateBlogger

and these collaborated sites:

Life Coaches Blog Strategies for a Greater Life

Last Updated by Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro on: 8-24-07

Plaxo 3.0 Takes Syncing to a New Level

For anyone in sales, you know it's a challenge to stay in touch. People move, change phone numbers and companies. Plaxo has been a great tool to be able to get updates when people change their contact information.

The newest version, Plaxo 3.0 has begun to incorporate social networking components into its service to allow people to connect and access online content more easily.

YouTube Video: Plaxo 3.0

If you're struggle trying to keep in touch, Plaxo is worth checking out. By the way, it will integrate with Outlook.

Rick Cooper Acknowledged in The National Networker

The January 12-20th Issue of The National Networker quoted me, Rick Cooper, as an expert in Networking. It's always nice to be able to share my insights with a larger audience. Back in December, Bette Daoust, Ph.D.  interviewed me on the subject of networking in Sacramento. Much of my experience in business networking came from my involvement as an Ambassador with the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce and then as President of the Arden Lunch Chapter of TNI, a west coast business referral group similar to LeTip. During 2006, we grew the chapter from 24 to 40 members, which is substantial for a group that meets weekly and holds members accountable for attendance.

Much of the information in the article is focused on events available through the Metro Chamber and information on networking groups like TNI. I also provide strategies on networking.

Sacramento is the capital of California, and has traditionally been a big government town. It has also grown to be a nexus for call centers, although the market has somewhat contracted due to offshoring of call center functions to India and other countries. The technology industry in Sacramento has grown and diversified, providing many opportunities. Sacramento also has a diverse population and offers a wide range of cultural and recreational activities locally or nearby.

So, Sacramento is a good place to do business. It has big city opportunities, but a small town appeal. I often hear the phrase, “everybody knows everybody.” I think a better description is the movers and shakers know the other movers and shakers. Once you start actively networking, you begin seeing the same people over and over. Of course, these tend to be more small businesses owners rather than executives of large companies. So, your networking strategy will depend on your target market.

My expertise in networking also comes from my role as The PDA Pro. I am both a PDA Coach and more broadly a Sales Productivity Coach. I work primarily with sales professionals to help them build their sales, networking, contact management and relationship management skills. And I help them leverage technology tools to accomplish their sales goals.

You can read more details in the article Networking in Sacramento, written by Dr. Bette Daoust. You can also read her Blueprints for Success blog.

Tips to Use your PDA to Remember Birthdays

As a Sales Productivity Coach, I help sales professionals follow up to build personal relationships. One of the simplest ways to do this is to recognize someone's birthday. You can do this by sending a card or making a phone call. But, how do you remember all of those birthdays?

Your PDA is a great place to kepe track of all of birthdays. The best place to store birthdays is in the contact record. Just add the birthdate there. This is simple to do with a Palm, Blackberry or Windows Mobile PDA. For the Palm, go into the Contact record and enter the person’s Birthdate in the Birthday field. I don’t think it’s that important to make sure the year is correct, just the month and date. Otherwise, it can take a while to select the correct date.

ACT! Coach Chris Pumphrey taught me that the contact management software ACT! allows you to easily look up or print a list of current birthdays by selecting LookUp and then Annual Events. It's extremely useful for sales reps wanting to schedule a follow up call to wish someone a Happy Birthday.

Now, if you have added birthdates to your Palm PDA calendar, they may not automatically carry over into the current year. The simplest way to fix this is to schedule them as a recurring event. To do this, go to your calendar, select the event by clicking on the line. Then, click the Details button. Now, look for the word Repeat. Select the drop down menu and choose “Every year”. You will have to do this for all of the birthdates on your calendar.

Thanks to Lisa Brys from Timeworks for this great question. Make a resolution this year to follow up and build personal relationship to grow your business. And start by recognizing birthdays.

For more information on contact management, read my article Simple Contact Management for some great suggestions.

Beam your Business Card

You're at a mixer want to exchange business cards with someone you just met.  Of course, you can offer your printed business card. You can also beam your business card.  If you have a Palm PDA, simply open the Address Book and select your own contact record. Then, select Menu, and then choose Select Business Card.  Voila! That's it.

ThePDApro.com Website Has Launched

The PDA Pro Website at www.ThePDApro.com is now available. You will find PDA Tips, Articles, Newsletters and other information. You will also find information on the products and services offered by The PDA Pro.

We are still adding information to the site. Please contact me at rickcooper@thepdapro.com if you have any suggestions for how to improve the site.

You can also reach me at 800-677-6708 to provide any feedback.

Thank you.

Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro
http://www.ThePDApro.com
800-677-6708

Give Big Brother a Helping Hand with Mologogo

Smartphone and Pocket PC magazine shares details on a new service that allows you to share your location in real-time. They indicate,

"Mologogo is a free service that will track a friend's GPS-enabled cell phone from another phone or on the web. Mologogo also serves as a dirt-cheap tracking system, so go ahead and fauxjack something."

This has immediate appeal for younger consumers. Can you see a business use for it? Can you see any risks or potential abuses (i.e. stalkers)? Does this open you up to increased scrutiny from Big Brother (as in the movie Enemy of the State.) It's another indication that we are integrating further with our technology, for better or worse.

Check out Mologogo for further details on their service.

Online Networking Trends

BusinessWeek Online has an article Socializing for Dollars that explains the financial implications of online networking. Referring to LinkedIn, the article explains,

"...LinkedIn, a subscription-based social-networking site for professionals, has turned cash-flow positive after about three years of operation, co-founder Konstantin Guericke says (see BW Online, 4/10/06, "How LinkedIn Broke Through"). There may be a financial basis for social networking, after all."

If you're not already LinkedIn, then link up or lose out. You never know where your next client, strategic alliance or job or might come from.

Close More Sales Using Online Tools

David Teten and Scott Allen authored an excellent article in Fast Company on closing more deals using online tools. They open the article by stating,

"We are often asked, and frequently see the question come up in various discussion groups, Which is the best tool for closing more sales and connecting with the right people online? Is it blogging, interacting with millions of bloggers sharing their business knowledge, industry commentary, and occasional pictures of their cat? Or one of the many business networks, such as openBC or Ecademy, which offer group interaction and private messaging as well as searchable profiles? Or LinkedIn, the trusted referral system that has attracted some five million professionals?"

In conclusion the authors state,

"So it's impossible to say that one or the other is best overall, and difficult to say that any one is best even for one person. Really, each is best suited for certain tasks. Because most people's business needs are many and diverse, and we're never certain what those needs may be in the future, the master salesperson, like the master carpenter, keeps a full toolbox and knows both which tool to use for the job and how to use it most effectively."

The article offers some helpful insights into the value of each type of online tool for building relationships in sales. Be sure to check it out and upgrade your skills.

Not Everyone Happy with Plaxo

There's an interesting discussion on the use of Plaxo over on TechDirt. The author, Mike, complains about Plaxo spam, which he describes as, "the constant bombardment of emails from new Plaxo users who have you in their address book, asking you to update your contact info. " The resulting discussion offers some interesting insights into the service.

I have been using Plaxo over a year and find it helpful to stay in contact with sales professionals, who have a tendency to move around a lot.

The Power of Approachability

Scott Ginsberg is asking for support in his bid to create a manifesto on The Power of Approachability. Visit his site and vote by 4-20-06. I think this is a worthy effort. At the very least, check out the information available on ChangeThis, which is a source of some great manifestos, many oriented around business topics.

Some Obvious Thoughts on Selling

Lori Richardson, the Sales Process Diva, notes that Tom Peters has released 111 Ridiculously Obvious Thoughts on Selling, a ChangeThis Manifesto. First, thanks to Lori for pointing that out. I was just visiting Tom Peters blog recently and did not see any reference to it. I'm a huge fan of Tom Peters, ever since In Search of Excellence. 

A quick scan of the manifesto revealed a number of timeless truths. I'll have to mention a few of the salient points on another occasion, but I thought a would refer you to it as quickly as possible.

Happy selling!

Connecting With Customers Using SMS

Smallbiztechnology.com reports that a tire service center in Europe is using SMS to communicate with customers for scheduling appointments.  According to the article,

"The press release reads that Vianor can now efficiently schedule the changes of tires on their customers’ cars and provide customer services in real-time. Vianor sends a message with the proposed time slot to the customer’s mobile phone. The customer can accept the time, request a new time or ask to be contacted. Already the solution has this autumn reduced the overload peaks, improved utilization of available capacity, saved costs and improved customer satisfaction. The solution works on all mobile phones independent of network in a user friendly and automatic way – no new software or configurations are required on the mobile phone."

SMS is available on smartphones, as well as standard cell phones. It isn't the fanciest way to communicate, but the capability is there to leverage the technology. Simplicity can be very powerful.

Door-to-Door Selling

Permission Marketing Guru Seth Godin says he considers door-to-door selling struggling. I heartily disagree. Cold calling is one of my least favorite things to do, but I started my sales career by selling copiers door to door. Seth remarks,

"A door to door salesman just walked into our offices in Irvington.

Tough job.

A job usually reserved for people selling advertising or janitorial services.

This was an assistant Vice President at Citibank. He's wandering the halls, door by door, trying to sell business checking accounts.

Clearly, all that marble, all those tellers and all that advertising is not enough to meet aggressive growth targets.

Once your business becomes a commodity, you can struggle or you can re-invent. I consider door-to-door selling to be struggling."

In fact, I think sales professionals who are willing to walk into a company without prior contact to have an advantage in some cases because it is so rare today. Not everyone will obviously look on this favorably. However, too many sales professionals hide behind technology and are reluctant to pick up a phone or walk into an office.

Seth's comment regarding the Assistant Vice-President is incorrect. First, banks have a lot of Vice-Presidents. Branch managers often have a VP or AVP title. Secondly, bank branches are managed as small businesses with a lot of autonomy. Even though Citibank as a whole spends millions on advertising, it's up to the branch manager to bring in business and other accounts.

Branch managers are sometimes the best sales professional in their branch and succeed by being active in the business community, joining the chamber of commerce and networking groups and sometimes even cold-calling. They do whatever it takes. And they are well paid for it. In addition to salary, they earn bonuses, incentives, spiffs and are eligible for annual rewards programs. It's not a bad life. If you call that struggling Seth, I'll take it anyday. Running a small business is hard work, even if it's for a mega-giant like Citibank.

My own business is small and I wish I had some of the resources the average branch has at its disposal. I'm building my own business literally from the ground up, and it's not all wine and roses. It's hard work. But that's the fun of it, isn't it?

So, if you're in sales or you're a business owner, consider door-to-door selling once in awhile. You might find you get a whole different perspective on your business. And it might even help you refine your marketing efforts.

Is Your Sales Prospecting in Tune?

Do you need to tune-up your sales prospecting efforts? Keith Rosen offers the Prospecting Tune-Up™. Answer the 22 questions for more insights on how whether your prospecting activities are effective. Thanks to Lori Richardson, the Sales Process Diva, for that link.

Active Listening Skills

Sri Hari, the Communication Guy, defines Active Listening as follows:

"Active listening is a way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding. It is made up of three components: Hearing, Interpreting and Assigning a contextual meaning."

He also makes a point that listening is different from hearing. That's absolutely true. You start with hearing, then really listen and finally feel and connect with the other person you're talking with. That helps to establish and build rapport.

And be careful not to allow your PDA, notepad or other device from interfering with your communication.

Jot a Quick Memo

People often overlook some of the simpler functions of a PDA, not realizing how powerful they are. Personally, I love the "old school" Memo Pad application on the Palm OS. Memo Pad is a simple text editor that allows you to enter short notes, about 4000 characters.  In fact, I have 489 memos on my PDA and most were entered by hand.

Why is it so powerful? For one, it's fast. And that makes a big difference in productivity. You can create a memo by simply starting to write or type. The first line will become the name of the memo and can easily be edited later. There are limited options for format so there's not much to think about.

For sales professionals, Memo Pad is great to use at events. Create a single memo for the event and then jot notes throughout the event. Whenever you have a spare moment, make a note. Be sure to enter a person's name and a brief comment. Then, later, you can perform a brain dump and make more notes. The key is to be sure to move those individual comments to the appropriate contact record after you've had a chance to enter new contacts in your PDA or contact management software.

Just be sure your PDA does not detract from your ability to interact with people and network. Some people are put off when they see someone using a PDA, smartphone, cell phone or other device.

PDA Quick Tip - Focus on the Fundamental Four

The Fundamental Four consist of Calendar, Contacts, Memos and Tasks. The names may be different for the PDA you have, but every PDA or Smartphone should have each of these four applications.

The calendar simply allows you to enter meetings, appointments and other events. I recommend you enter a short description of the type of event. For example, enter "meet" for meeting or "appt" for appt. This allows you to quickly determine what you'll be doing as you scroll through your calendar. Some programs such as Agendus or ACT use icons to give you a visual queue.

The contact list or address book has all of the people you keep in touch with. This includes phone, address, and email information. You also have a notes area to enter additional details that don't belong to a specific field.

Memos are short notes. Palm PDAs have a limitation on how much can be stored in a memo; whereas Windows Mobile devices using Pocket Word will typically hold more information. These memos are great for brainstorming and taking quick notes. But, develop a good system for naming files, otherwise, it can be difficult to locate information you've entered in.

Finally, tasks or to do's allow you a simple way to enter things that need to be done. You enter the name of the task, choose a due date and select high, medium or low priority. Then, review the list frequently and check off the task when it's complete.

That's it. So, Focus on the Fundamental Four. Master the basic applications before you learn additional capabilities like checking email, accessing the internet, playing media files or reading ebooks. You'll be more confident and less frustrated with your PDA.

Tech Savvy Teens Will Impact Future Sales Teams

An interesting article about teens use of technology leads me to believe this trend will ultimately impact sales teams, requiring veteran employees to change their habits. The article, Teens getting so tech savvy, from the St. Petersberg Times indicates that teens prefer instant messaging over email because of the immediacy of responding to messages. Email is too slow. It may take hours to get a response; whereas instant messaging usually generates an immediate response. Not surprisingly, instant messaging (IM) is used more by girls than boys. IM extends their capabilities to communicate and socialize.

As these tech savvy teens enter the sales force, I anticipate they will become frustrated if veteran employees don't respond with the same urgency. Of course, just because something is urgent doesn't necessarily mean it's important.

Email can generate fast responses for people using PDAs and smartphones who are in the habit of checking email frequently. Blackberry users are probably the most responsive to email. Instant messaging hasn't really caught on among PDA users, although standard text messaging, short messaging service (SMS), is used on occasion for quick messages.

The article quotes a telephone survey conducted last fall by Princeton Survey Research Associates of children in the 12-17 age group. According to the article, the findings show that  84 percent own a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a cell phone or a personal digital assistant; 44 percent have two or more of those items; 12 percent have three; and 2 percent have all four.

Clearly, this means that future sales teams will include some very tech savvy younger workers who are likely to push the boundaries of technology. But the risk is that too much focus on technology may affect the personal interactions required in sales. It's a people business after all.

What's in Your Pipeline?

Lori Richardson, Sales Process Diva, offers suggestions on how to move opportunities forward in your sales pipeline. Don't underestimate the value of having a visual representation of where each of your opportunities are. It can help to establish priorities and stay focused. Remember that hot leads turn to cold quickly if you do not follow up and take action.

There are numerous software tools that allow you to track your opportunity pipeline, some even on your PDA.