As business around the world has become increasingly competitive, the demand for business coaching has increased. Business coaching creates an environment for the overall growth of the business and trains it to adapt to change. A few years ago, just a handful of small businesses used business coaching as a means to augment their business. Today, statistics reveal that almost 58% of the medium or small sized businesses in the US are seeking the benefits of business coaching. Businesses are using coaching because it is a cost effective way to achieve results. It helps to develop personnel skills and performance. Individuals who receive business coaching can expect to find guidance concerning the problems that they face. Business coaching offers new insights into daily business activities and helps improve methods, systems and procedures.

Many companies that have undertaken business coaching have reported an increase in productivity and quality of work. When people are coached, team relationships improve and these enhanced relationships lead to an increase in productivity and quality. Many businesses judge productivity by how hard an individual employee works, but this method overlooks the importance of synergy and quality of work. Very often, employees tend to overlook quality in their haste to get work done and this forces others to rework what has already been done. The secret to increased productivity and quality lies in allowing the employees to make a connection between their personal needs and those of the organization. Satisfied employees work harder and smarter and are a boon to the company. Coaching programs not only help the employees to survive but also help them attain their peak performance as a team.

Coaching helps bring about a sound understanding of business principles. Business coaching is said to be the most effective way of achieving growth, change and development in the individual, group and organization. Coaching is the best way to develop, unleash and maximize the potential within each individual. It helps achieve goals for business and professional success. Customer service is directly proportional to the rate of productivity as well as to the quality level. If there is an increase in productivity and quality, customer complaints will reduce considerably. If the quality is not up to the mark then there will be an increase in customer complaints and lost sales. Coaching also helps bring about cost reduction. Companies that provide coaching to their employees get an average return on investment that is equal to almost six times the amount invested in their coaching programs.

Business coaching deals with human interactions and people issues that are common across all sectors of business. Coaching helps make the company a more fulfilling place to work in. It also helps improve working relationships, communication and decision-making. It helps build healthy teams, improves working conditions, reduces stress levels and leads to employee satisfaction at the workplace. Coaching also helps stressed out employees cope with their professional and personal lives.

Business coaching improves working relationships with peers and indirectly improves the team spirit. A higher employee satisfaction rate tends to result in a lower employee turnover in the organization. Coaching helps individuals recognize their core strengths and enables them to utilize them to the fullest. The process of business coaching is not only growth oriented but it also aims at changing behaviors and increasing skills. Both individuals and teams feel the benefits as leadership qualities are cultivated, and creativity, change and innovation receive a major boost.

Following is a list–a menu of options, if you will–of
strategies that will get you on the road to creating more in
less time and turbo-charging your productivity! I’ve often said
that there is no “one size fits all” recipe to life, but if you
try at least one strategy every three weeks, I promise you will
see huge improvements in the overall quality of your life after
the end of that third week. I picked a minimum of three weeks
because it typically takes at least 21 days to develop a new
habit. You can start with the one that jazzes you the most and
take it from there. No pressure! Find a buddy or an
accountability partner to try this with, or share it with your
coach if you have one so you’ll have more incentive to make
these positive steps forward. Are you ready? Here we go:

1. Manage your energy-this is a biggie!

I often get quizzical looks when I offer this suggestion without
any further explanation, but trust me. Once I explain the
process, it should make sense. There are four levels of energy
that need our attention: physical, emotional, mental, and
spiritual. You can manage your physical energy by eating
nutritious foods, exercising, and sleeping. You can manage your
emotional energy by paying attention to how you respond to
events and being aware of what you can and cannot control. Also,
spending time with positive, inspiring people can enhance your
emotional energy. You can manage your mental energy by reading,
expanding your knowledge base, and being curious. You can manage
your spiritual energy by meditation or prayer, and being
committed to a purpose in life that benefits all. Naturally,
when your energy levels are higher, your productivity increases
too.

I highly recommend the book, The Power of Full Engagement by Jim
Loehr and Tony Schwartz. They do an excellent job of going
in-depth on how you can manage each of these four energy levels.

2. Collaborate with others

This may be a stretch for people who are used to flying solo on
most things, but you might surprise yourself if you find someone
to work with that will result in an outcome beyond each of your
dreams. This strategy comes in handy when you have a big
project, or what James Collins and Jerry Porras call a “Big
Hairy Audacious Goal” (BHAG). You can find collaborators by
doing volunteer work in your community, networking, and taking
advantage of your center of influence both locally and in the
virtual world. It’s important that these potential partners
share similar values with you, and if you both have a common
vision, the sky can be the limit!

3. Pay attention to your body rhythms

In economics, we use a term called “decreasing marginal
productivity,” and in layman’s terms, it means that your
productivity levels tend to increase at a slower rate over time.
If you know when you work best, you can consciously know when
you’re maxing out and take a break when the time comes. Do you
work better in the morning? How about in the evening or
afternoon? If you have the opportunity to work when you’re the
most productive and efficient, and rest when you feel like it’s
starting to be a big effort, you’ll get more done. I realize
that if you have a full time job, that flexibility may not be
built in, but I strongly encourage it for those who do have a
flexible schedule.

4. Use your strengths and farm out the rest

Are you really saving money doing it all by yourself? Maybe not!
Weighing the costs of time versus money can be very revealing.
It’s usually best to focus on what you do best for better
productivity. Think about what you could farm out to someone
else. Think about your own worth per hour. Could you make more
money doing what you’re good at rather than save money by doing
something you should pay someone else to do?

If you can automate some of these processes (i.e., auto draft
for bill paying, online bill paying, or direct deposit, to name
a few), then all the better!

5. Recognize the cycle of chaos and order and use it to your
advantage

I quietly suffered in silence for years because I felt that my
life was a living paradox. But when someone I respected shared
that paradoxes were the norm in life, I breathed a big sigh of
relief! One of many paradoxes or dichotomies that come to mind
is the cycle of chaos and order. Did you know that creativity
can be a really messy process, and that it’s not necessarily a
bad thing? If you’re in the midst of brainstorming ideas, you’re
probably not be in linear mode. Your desk or work space may not
be tidy during this process either. Take it in stride. It’s
highly likely that if you don’t stress about the “mess”
(conceptually and literally) when in the midst of creative,
right brain activities, you’ll move through the process much
more quickly.

Oftentimes, the order naturally emerges during this process, and
usually what comes out on the other end is quite coherent and
delightful, whether it’s a work of art or a business plan. On
the other hand, order can also come in handy right from the very
beginning, especially when working on more linear processes like
paying bills, doing your financial forecasts, family routines,
and so on. The trick is to have a system in place that has some
structure with flexibility built in.

6. Use a balance of your natural personality plus a stretch
goal in order to grow

In my “Free Relationship with Time” e-course, I talk about three
basic personalities I’ve noticed over the years: the
“goal-oriented with optimistic â??to-do’ lists” personality; the
“naturally schedule-oriented, planning your days to the minute
detail” personality; and the “hate routine and fly by the seat
of your pants, and maybe even thrive on it” personality. And
there are variations within each of these. They can even
overlap. There is no “right” way to be if it works for you
instead of against you.

For example, optimistic goals are great, but the key is not to
beat yourself up if you don’t reach all of them. Instead, think
of the journey you enjoyed trying to get there. You’re probably
further along than you would’ve been if you didn’t have any
goals.

Planning to the minute detail works well if you have realistic
expectations about your â??to-do’ list. Some things you have to
do, and others you’d like to do. While you’re planning, you
might as well carve out some “fun time” for yourself and give
yourself more time than you think it might take to complete the
tasks. Committing an average of five to ten minutes a day to the
very big but lower priority tasks can go a long way. These baby
steps will definitely add up.

If you’re efficient and stress-free with flying by the seat of
your pants, then who am I to rock the boat? But if you find
yourself stressed physically or mentally as a result, I’d
suggest going outside your comfort zone gradually. I wouldn’t
spring a â??to-do’ list on you right off the bat. That would
probably be a slow death to you! But if you could have someone
support you as the deadline looms, it will help. Also, try
putting a notepad or a piece of paper near your work station or
someplace where you’ll see it every day, and as a task you know
needs to be done occurs to you, write it down on the piece of
paper or notepad. If there’s an imposed due date, write that
down next to it. It will be there as a constant reminder, and
you may be inclined to complete it ahead of schedule rather than
in the knick of time, or not at all.

Procrastination can transcend the personality types mentioned
above, so think about why you procrastinate. Is it because it’s
a boring task? Is it a big scary task? Is it a task you don’t
see as a high priority? Naming it out loud and on paper is a
good start. Here’s a challenge for the chronic procrastinator.
Take out a piece of paper and draw two lines in a cross so that
you have four boxes. The idea would be to get in touch with your
rebel and write all the things on which you’ve procrastinated in
the top left box; in the top right box, your reasons for
procrastinating; in the bottom left box, the cost of not doing
them; then in the right bottom box, all the benefits of doing
those things you’ve procrastinated on. After you’ve done that,
share these with someone you know who wants you to succeed. In
fact, you can even email them to me at carolmanagingpersonalresources.com, and I will acknowledge you for
this step in the process.

7. Practice daily self-awareness

Another favorite activity of mine is what I call “Downloading my
brain to paper.” You wouldn’t believe the relief I feel after
journaling-especially after a stressful day. If you’re a
scheduler, carve out a certain time of day to do this. Or if
you’re like me, journal when the spirit hits you if scheduling
seems too restrictive. Write everything that is on your mind,
including items you know you need to be working on. These can
include areas of physical well being, relationships, or some
tolerations you’ve been avoiding like shampooing your carpets,
cleaning out a closet or desk drawer, and so on. Don’t edit
yourself. No one has to see what you wrote. Some of the greatest
ideas have been born in the journal. I always have more clarity
after journaling and my productivity goes through the roof as a
result.

Also, if you’re aware of some of the assessments out there such
as the MBTI® or the DiSC, knowing your personality type and
behavioral style can also help you use the most efficient
methods specific to you to get things done.

8. Make sure you schedule “you” time every day

I can already hear some of you screaming at me, “Carol, I don’t
have time to take time for myself, and you’re already giving me
these challenges that I don’t have time to do. And aerobic
exercise? Puh-leeze!” This is just another one of those
paradoxes. I promise you after taking down time for yourself–
even if it’s just 30 minutes to an hour a day, doing something
you absolutely love-you will be much more productive after
you’ve come back from that break. Remember, when your marginal
productivity decreases, you’re wasting time anyway.

Many of you who are moms may have heard the phrase, “If Mom’s
not happy, then no one in the house is happy!” But even if
you’re not a mom, and you live with others, this rule can apply.

Invitation: Take a moment to write down three rituals that you
know give you energy. Examples can include reading, exercise,
journaling, gardening, music, sports, sailing, tai chi, yoga, or
spending time in nature.

9. Employ some of the traditional â??time management’ tips

Here are a couple of ideas to consider. Visit
http://www.power-edsolutionsinc.com/TimeTracker.pdf and download
the time log chart and print it out. Then try the following for
a week: Either the night before, or the following morning, make
a list on the left hand side of the grid of what you intend to
do that day. Then on the right side, at the end of the day, list
what you actually did. Evaluate how you did each day. Did you
meet your expectations, or did you schedule too much?

List all of the distractions that come up for you-the annoying
ones and those that you find enjoyable. I challenge you to use
those fun distractions as rewards after putting a dent in your
proverbial “to-do” list. If the phone rings, let it go to voice
mail. Turn off your instant messaging (if you have it). Tell
your friends not to come over unannounced unless it’s an
emergency or unless they want to help you with your tasks. And
prioritize, prioritize, prioritize!

Again, if you find that you don’t have the discipline,
inclination, motivation, or inspiration to do any of this, then
perhaps a friend, a coach, or someone you trust can serve as an
accountability partner to support you and keep you “honest”.

10. Create passive income

I’m just going to plant some seeds here, because the “how to” of
this process is a rather lengthy one, but well worth pursuing.
Why? Because when most of your money is working for you instead
of you working for most of your money, it gives you more time to
do the things you enjoy doing in life. You can do this by
receiving commission as an affiliate of other people’s products
sold, creating digital products of your own, investing (in the
market and certain forms of real estate, for example), and even
network marketing. There are so many options out there with many
moving parts, but if you choose and master just one source of
creating passive income for yourself, look out!

I realize that “life happens,” but as I said at the beginning of
this article, if you try just one of these strategies for three
weeks straight, watch those productivity floodgates open for
you. I invite you to email me and tell me how it went for you,
and I’ll congratulate you with a big grin on my face!

Within windows, you can use a feature that is pretty powerful to increase your productivity. This is the windows multiple monitor feature. Imagine having a document on your computer that you need to see while you type another document. This is what the double monitor feature allows you to do.

This feature is supported nicely in Windows XP. You can have a smaller monitor off to the right while you type your document on your main monitor.

To use this feature, you will need to buy a video card that supports multiple monitors. ATI manufactures a great video card called the VGA All In Wonder. You can pick this card up at your local computer super store for around $100.00.

If all you want to do is use the two monitor feature and are not big into games or multi tasking many programs at once, then this is all you will need. However, if you like to play high graphic games, then you will want to get a video card with a good amount of memory. Just ask the sales person at the store to help you. Make sure they understand what it is exactly, you are trying to do.

Once you purchase the video card, if you can install it yourself then great. If not, then see if the store can do it for you or find a knowledgeable friend to help you out. Just having a friend install the card, can save you anywhere from $50.00 to $100.00.

After the video card is installed, it’s time to hook up your second monitor to number two VGA output of the video card.

All you will really need is a cheap monitor for your 2nd monitor. Look in your local phone book for used computer dealers or on the internet. Just go to Google and type in “used computer monitors” and your location. This should allow you to find somewhere close to your home.

Using the multiple monitor feature in Windows.

Once you have everything set up with both monitors in place. Turn on the other monitor in Windows. You do this by clicking on your main desktop and selecting properties from the pop up menu. Next you need to click on the setting tab. Here you will see the numbers 1 and 2 in bold white letters. Click the number 2 and you should see two little check boxes off to the left. Click on the one that reads, extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor. If you other monitor was off and the light was just blinking, then doing this should turn it on.

Once the 2nd monitor is turned on, all you have to do is open whatever application you want and resize it to half screen. Then, just drag it all the way to the other screen. You should now be able to move your mouse and applications freely between both monitors.

B2B portal: A Business Platform to Ultimate Productivity
Improvement

If somebody tells you that your present corporate website can
be converted to a B2B portal which will help you significantly
improve your company’s productivity in both of the two primary
factors: Revenue Growth and Cost Saving, and that the portal can
be launched in a matter of months with a very reasonable
investment, what will be your reaction? Read on to learn how
corporations all over the world are missing an opportunity,
which can revolutionize the way they manage their businesses.

What is a B2B portal?

A portal is defined as an access point to World Wide Web. A
portal is a combination of web pages, features and services
which become a primary destination for users. The word was first
used to describe the sites of popular Internet access providers
or search engines such as AOL, MSN and Yahoo! At a later stage,
the word “portal” evolved into something bigger covering
business websites, where a corporate portal or enterprise
information portal acts as a base for employees, customers,
suppliers and other associates of a company to access corporate
information and web services. A B2B portal is a distinct kind of
website with features to conduct electronic business and manage
significant parts of corporate business processes.

Benefits of having a B2B portal

Today, B2B portals are not just a fancy idea! They are an
absolute necessity for all enterprises of any type and size. The
advantages of having a quality B2B portal are massive.
Implementation of a true high quality B2B portal could have
immediate impact on company productivity.

Revenue Growth

Revenue Increase from Existing Clients Existing clients get
faster and easier access to product information, quicker
response to their requests, get better customer support and are
able to buy products online. Revenue Increase from Value Added
Services Once a B2B portal is set as the primary sales channel,
spared resources can be used to create more value added services
for clients. Some of the services that the portal may offer also
could be utilized to generate more value.

Cost Savings

Order Processing Cost If the B2B portal integrates supply chain
management solution, it will reduce the cost of processing
orders drastically. Studies show that similar solution can
reduce cost of processing a purchase order from US$ 70 down in
average to US$ 6 only. Sales and support costs Automated sales
and customer support features integrated in the solution is
capable of reducing overhead costs up to 30 percent.

Inventory keeping costs Clearer visibility and forecasting
ability thanks to various features of the B2B portal may help
companies considerably reduce inventory keeping costs.

Other key benefits include: Low customer acquisition cost
Effective portal branding on the Internet will help to attract
customers from new sources. The cost of acquiring customers
through online channels is always cheaper than other traditional
methods.

Improve customer service Ability to have constant interaction
with customers through the B2B portal helps companies serve
customers better. The B2B portal solution allows tracking the
whole ordering process from payment to delivery and brings
greater efficiency in customer service. or directly buy products
using the shopping cart Reduce sourcing time cycle The customers
can select products from the integrated marketplace of the B2B
portal and either sends purchase orders or directly buy products
using the shopping cart. Buyers handle all their procurement
related correspondence from a consolidated working page, which
helps them react instantly and reduce time in document
processing.

Community participation Company buyers and sellers can create
communities surrounding the B2B portal’s discussion board. This
helps getting valuable feedbacks on time, building new
partnerships using the networking ability of a community, and
disseminating important information to members easily.

Real time access to current product information Current
information of a product is vital for an accurate buying
decision. Updating product content and other information using
customized forms as it is necessary, the company can help buyers
and other associates to take critical decision promptly.

Control rogue spending Consolidated and automated procurement
and approval method stops maverick buying in a company.

Main components of a B2B portal

Supply Chain Management Supply chain management solutions can
deliver great values to company’s existing systems.
Implementation of these solutions will help achieving incredibly
high return on investment and will have tremendous impact on
company’s business, which include: better productivity, faster
order processing, greater visibility, the elimination of
maverick or unplanned purchasing, etc.

Marketplace This is the venue where the enterprises can post
their products for sale. A sophisticated shopping cart will be
integrated into the electronic marketplace in order to automate
the buying process.

Auction Electronic auction system can use both English and Dutch
auction methods. For convenience the auction component can be
integrated into the electronic marketplace. Online auction helps
liquidate surplus goods easily.

Reverse Auction This solution allows the company to automate
electronic procurement, where suppliers compete for business
real time online.

Storefront for Participants Each associate of the B2B portal
will get a Storefront that may reflect profile of the company,
its products, services or other information.

Forum A Forum or a Discussion Board is an organized, on-line
interactive message board where participants conduct discussion
on a set of topics by posting questions, comments and responses.

Internal Messaging System Elaborate Messaging System allows a
participant of the B2B portal send and receive messages from
other participants and the company. Since the messages do not
leave a secured server, participants would not be worried about
sending sensitive information over the Internet.

Classified Catalog based bulletin board allows company
associates to post important notices in various predefined
formats.

Directory of Companies This is a listing of all registered
associates of the B2B portal either by business category or by
alphabetical order. An advanced search engine tool is
incorporated in order to find a company based on data provided.

E-catalog E-catalog â?? a hierarchy of product and service
categories based on UNSPCS, a global products and services
classification method that covers the broadest collection of
industries and commodities available today, and designed to
facilitate e-commerce transactions by providing
geography-independent common nomenclature system.

Product Content Adding System Product adding mechanism based on
either easy-to-use wizard or simple but detail forms allows
users to integrate products or services with accurate and
up-to-date information.

Product Notification The system can generate an alert and send
by email to a user, who requested to inform once a particular
product or service gets added to the E-catalog.

Numerous other features could be incorporated to an existing B2B
portal depending on requirement, such as: News Aggregation using
RSS feed, Contact Management, Electronic Journal, Press Room,
Document Repository, etc.

Time needed to set up

Using ready made B2B Portal components from a provider like Rusbiz.com a medium size
portal can be built or integrated to existing website within
three to four months. By developing a B2B portal ahead of your
major competitors you can give your business a significant boost
and make your company stand out from the crowd.

In business there are two very necessary and very different forces which must be balanced so that business will perform perfectly - people and processes. But far too often they are not in balance.

CEO’s are ranking people issues as one of their major concerns in 2005 as they struggle with productivity, profits, and labor shortages. Robert A. Cameron & Associates takes a new approach to quantifying and solving this growing business issue.

This is a critical issue as people have a very real financial impact. Even if you have every process of your business working perfectly, people problems can still be the difference between profit and loss.

That’s exactly what a summary of eighty-five years of research has shown very clearly. Frank Schmidt and John Hunter - two of the foremost experts in personnel productivity and psychology - reviewed dozens of studies on the impact people have upon the success of organizations. One of their most interesting findings is related to productivity.

What their research showed them was that for every job they reviewed, about 16% of the people in any job fall into the “superior” category, 16% in the “poor performer” category, and that the vast majority of people were “average performers”. However, the most significant finding is the difference in employee productivity. It ranges from a 38% boost from a “poor” to “superior” performer in an unskilled position to a 98% boost from “poor” to “superior” in management positions.

Robert Cameron examined how the differences in the productivity in each category affect a company financially. Using a company size of about 75 people, his conservative estimate of the cost of having average versus superior performers is around $800,000 per year. What is the easiest strategy to improve the bottom line?

First, do whatever it takes to move “poor-performers” out of that category and into the “average” category. Your second objective would logically be to start moving your “average performers” into the “superior” category. And then your focus should be ensuring that you do all that you can to maintain the situation where all of your workers are in the “superior” category.

This approach provides you with a firm framework for effectively managing one of your largest investments - your human capital - in a manner that ensures that return on your investment are maximized through focus on clear measurable objectives.

To avoid unnecessary people costs, you must be sure that every time you make a people decision - whether you are hiring someone new, moving someone from one job to another, promoting someone, or investing in training or development - you are doing so with a view to achieving superior performance in the target position.

But how do you do this and why do some people perform at a superior level and some don’t? That factor is “Job Match.”. It has to do with matching people with work that fits who they are; their unique combination of abilities, temperament, motivation, and other intangible human qualities.

To achieve a good job match you should use employee assessments to improve your selection process. The cost of using assessments is offset many times over by the gain in employee productivity. Hiring more people like your best people gives you more superior performers, and greater productivity and profits.

We choose productivity as the basis for success because it offers the greatest opportunity for a better work environment and a better, also lower, cost way of doing things. All Why Productivity?but a very few organizations can benefit from improvements in their productivity.

As an example of the size of the opportunity available through productivity improvement, its cost reduction area dwarfs the size of the current rage, outsourcing. Outsourcing of certain functional areas can in fact be harmful to the reputation and effectiveness of the enterprise which does the outsourcing. This especially true of customer service applications.

That portion of the customer service function which deals with customer complaints is uniquely positioned to assist the organization to improve its ways of doing things. The complaints of the customer are often based upon poorly designed internal processing systems.

In the author’s experience as a full time consultant over a 10 year period, virtually every enterprise has the capability to obtain between 5 per cent and 25 percent cost reductions as a result of full implementation of productivity enhancement programs for existing systems.

There are two types of productivity improvement. The first is technology improvement. A very good example of technology improvement is word processing. Before word processing came into existence, the way a business letter was created was for the writer to write out the letter by hand, give it to someone to type, proof read, correct and return to the writer. The writer then proof read the letter again and then sent it out. With word processing, the writer prepares the letter on the word processor. After the word processor checks the spelling, the letter is proof read by the writer who thens prints out the letter and sends it out. Technology has made this task simpler and quicker.

Technology improvements most often appear as new products. Your systems have to be adjusted to incorporate the new product. Often this results in a hidden cost factor in adopting the new technology.

Large, well managed organizations, are very sensitive to the need to keep up to date with technical developments. They establish an information flow and communication system between the various business unit general managers and the technical disciplines. The technical disciplines have “subject matter experts” (SME) who are responsible insure that the general managers understand how the technical issues affect their business units. The impact could be to open areas for new product development. It could present competition. It could also offer opportunities to improve the production of existing products.

The communication between the general managers and the SME’s is proactive in both directions. This produces a cross transfer of concepts and ideas within the organization.

The second type of productivity improvement is a change in the way in which a function or process is performed which makes the function or task simpler or reduces the labor content of the task. An example of this type improvement would be to change a report layout of a warehouse pick ticket from item number sequence to physical location sequence. This change will require less travel activity to pick an order than the former sequance. In this instance we have made the task simpler and more organized to preform.

It is in the second example that we see the opportunities which are present in the vast majority of organizations. It is important to note that this kind of opportunity is within the control of the organization and as such can be used extensively as a management tool. These opportunities are often visible to the workers who are engaged in performing the various tasks.

Their observations can be converted to specific approaches which can improve the process.

The various skills and tools which we will be discussing here are all needed to obtain the data and present operational practices. Once that information is available, we use the same tools to develop and test the proposed new methods for the enterprise. It is because the tools and methods are missing from present curriculum that we include them in this discussion. The development of better productivity becomes more efficient when these tools are applied to this subject.

The missing elements are: work measurement theory and practice, budgeting, production theory and practice, and other skills which are mentioned as they are discussed.

http://www.Tradimax.com Wake Up Productive is a new product from Eben Pagan which has created Get Altitude and also known as David DeAngelo.
Wake Up Productive Blog has all posts about Wake Up Productive course from Eben Pagan

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Eben Pagan, Founder of the Altitude Training Program, speaks with Drew Kossoff about the lessons he learned while building an 8-figure business. For more information and to get more valuable free training videos, go to www.GetAltitude.co

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Sales Force Automation System â?? A System to Save Time and Money!

Sales Force Automation is a part of a companyâ??s CRM (customer relationship management) system; A system which automatically records all the stages in a sales process known as a Sales Force Automation System (SFA).

A contact management system of SFA tracks all contact that has been made customer wise, the purpose of the contact, and any follow up that might be required. The contact management system ensures that sales efforts wonâ??t be duplicated eliminating the risk of annoying customers.

The sales lead tracking system of SFA lists potential customers through paid phone lists, or customers of related products. Many more elements of SFA system can include sales forecasting, order management and product knowledge to make your business more effective and profitable.

Goal of Sales Force Automation System

The sales force automation system is developed to streamline the entire sales process to make businesses more efficient, improve customer interactions, increase overall customer satisfaction, and save time and money.

Sales force automation system is used by all the major industries as per their requirements and it means different things to different people. Mostly, Sales force automation includes all the technologies, techniques, and strategies on which successful sales are built. It’s just like an activity that improves communications and productivity and brings you together with your customers.

Advantages of Sales Force Automation System

The sales force automation (SFA) system has so many of advantages for different-different people. Itâ??s very helpful for sales and marketing professionalsâ?? including sales personnel, sales managers and marketing managers in improving their productivity and saving their time, by that the sales staff will use their time more efficiently and more effectively. Successful sales force automation (SFA) strategy helps minimise administrative work and cut down on operational costs while optimising productivity and enhancing customer-focused processes and SFA systems could increase customer satisfaction if they are used with wisdom.

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Following is a list–a menu of options, if you will–of
strategies that will get you on the road to creating more in
less time and turbo-charging your productivity! I’ve often said
that there is no “one size fits all” recipe to life, but if you
try at least one strategy every three weeks, I promise you will
see huge improvements in the overall quality of your life after
the end of that third week. I picked a minimum of three weeks
because it typically takes at least 21 days to develop a new
habit. You can start with the one that jazzes you the most and
take it from there. No pressure! Find a buddy or an
accountability partner to try this with, or share it with your
coach if you have one so you’ll have more incentive to make
these positive steps forward. Are you ready? Here we go:

1. Manage your energy-this is a biggie!

I often get quizzical looks when I offer this suggestion without
any further explanation, but trust me. Once I explain the
process, it should make sense. There are four levels of energy
that need our attention: physical, emotional, mental, and
spiritual. You can manage your physical energy by eating
nutritious foods, exercising, and sleeping. You can manage your
emotional energy by paying attention to how you respond to
events and being aware of what you can and cannot control. Also,
spending time with positive, inspiring people can enhance your
emotional energy. You can manage your mental energy by reading,
expanding your knowledge base, and being curious. You can manage
your spiritual energy by meditation or prayer, and being
committed to a purpose in life that benefits all. Naturally,
when your energy levels are higher, your productivity increases
too.

I highly recommend the book, The Power of Full Engagement by Jim
Loehr and Tony Schwartz. They do an excellent job of going
in-depth on how you can manage each of these four energy levels.

2. Collaborate with others

This may be a stretch for people who are used to flying solo on
most things, but you might surprise yourself if you find someone
to work with that will result in an outcome beyond each of your
dreams. This strategy comes in handy when you have a big
project, or what James Collins and Jerry Porras call a “Big
Hairy Audacious Goal” (BHAG). You can find collaborators by
doing volunteer work in your community, networking, and taking
advantage of your center of influence both locally and in the
virtual world. It’s important that these potential partners
share similar values with you, and if you both have a common
vision, the sky can be the limit!

3. Pay attention to your body rhythms

In economics, we use a term called “decreasing marginal
productivity,” and in layman’s terms, it means that your
productivity levels tend to increase at a slower rate over time.
If you know when you work best, you can consciously know when
you’re maxing out and take a break when the time comes. Do you
work better in the morning? How about in the evening or
afternoon? If you have the opportunity to work when you’re the
most productive and efficient, and rest when you feel like it’s
starting to be a big effort, you’ll get more done. I realize
that if you have a full time job, that flexibility may not be
built in, but I strongly encourage it for those who do have a
flexible schedule.

4. Use your strengths and farm out the rest

Are you really saving money doing it all by yourself? Maybe not!
Weighing the costs of time versus money can be very revealing.
It’s usually best to focus on what you do best for better
productivity. Think about what you could farm out to someone
else. Think about your own worth per hour. Could you make more
money doing what you’re good at rather than save money by doing
something you should pay someone else to do?

If you can automate some of these processes (i.e., auto draft
for bill paying, online bill paying, or direct deposit, to name
a few), then all the better!

5. Recognize the cycle of chaos and order and use it to your
advantage

I quietly suffered in silence for years because I felt that my
life was a living paradox. But when someone I respected shared
that paradoxes were the norm in life, I breathed a big sigh of
relief! One of many paradoxes or dichotomies that come to mind
is the cycle of chaos and order. Did you know that creativity
can be a really messy process, and that it’s not necessarily a
bad thing? If you’re in the midst of brainstorming ideas, you’re
probably not be in linear mode. Your desk or work space may not
be tidy during this process either. Take it in stride. It’s
highly likely that if you don’t stress about the “mess”
(conceptually and literally) when in the midst of creative,
right brain activities, you’ll move through the process much
more quickly.

Oftentimes, the order naturally emerges during this process, and
usually what comes out on the other end is quite coherent and
delightful, whether it’s a work of art or a business plan. On
the other hand, order can also come in handy right from the very
beginning, especially when working on more linear processes like
paying bills, doing your financial forecasts, family routines,
and so on. The trick is to have a system in place that has some
structure with flexibility built in.

6. Use a balance of your natural personality plus a stretch
goal in order to grow

In my “Free Relationship with Time” e-course, I talk about three
basic personalities I’ve noticed over the years: the
“goal-oriented with optimistic â??to-do’ lists” personality; the
“naturally schedule-oriented, planning your days to the minute
detail” personality; and the “hate routine and fly by the seat
of your pants, and maybe even thrive on it” personality. And
there are variations within each of these. They can even
overlap. There is no “right” way to be if it works for you
instead of against you.

For example, optimistic goals are great, but the key is not to
beat yourself up if you don’t reach all of them. Instead, think
of the journey you enjoyed trying to get there. You’re probably
further along than you would’ve been if you didn’t have any
goals.

Planning to the minute detail works well if you have realistic
expectations about your â??to-do’ list. Some things you have to
do, and others you’d like to do. While you’re planning, you
might as well carve out some “fun time” for yourself and give
yourself more time than you think it might take to complete the
tasks. Committing an average of five to ten minutes a day to the
very big but lower priority tasks can go a long way. These baby
steps will definitely add up.

If you’re efficient and stress-free with flying by the seat of
your pants, then who am I to rock the boat? But if you find
yourself stressed physically or mentally as a result, I’d
suggest going outside your comfort zone gradually. I wouldn’t
spring a â??to-do’ list on you right off the bat. That would
probably be a slow death to you! But if you could have someone
support you as the deadline looms, it will help. Also, try
putting a notepad or a piece of paper near your work station or
someplace where you’ll see it every day, and as a task you know
needs to be done occurs to you, write it down on the piece of
paper or notepad. If there’s an imposed due date, write that
down next to it. It will be there as a constant reminder, and
you may be inclined to complete it ahead of schedule rather than
in the knick of time, or not at all.

Procrastination can transcend the personality types mentioned
above, so think about why you procrastinate. Is it because it’s
a boring task? Is it a big scary task? Is it a task you don’t
see as a high priority? Naming it out loud and on paper is a
good start. Here’s a challenge for the chronic procrastinator.
Take out a piece of paper and draw two lines in a cross so that
you have four boxes. The idea would be to get in touch with your
rebel and write all the things on which you’ve procrastinated in
the top left box; in the top right box, your reasons for
procrastinating; in the bottom left box, the cost of not doing
them; then in the right bottom box, all the benefits of doing
those things you’ve procrastinated on. After you’ve done that,
share these with someone you know who wants you to succeed. In
fact, you can even email them to me at carolmanagingpersonalresources.com, and I will acknowledge you for
this step in the process.

7. Practice daily self-awareness

Another favorite activity of mine is what I call “Downloading my
brain to paper.” You wouldn’t believe the relief I feel after
journaling-especially after a stressful day. If you’re a
scheduler, carve out a certain time of day to do this. Or if
you’re like me, journal when the spirit hits you if scheduling
seems too restrictive. Write everything that is on your mind,
including items you know you need to be working on. These can
include areas of physical well being, relationships, or some
tolerations you’ve been avoiding like shampooing your carpets,
cleaning out a closet or desk drawer, and so on. Don’t edit
yourself. No one has to see what you wrote. Some of the greatest
ideas have been born in the journal. I always have more clarity
after journaling and my productivity goes through the roof as a
result.

Also, if you’re aware of some of the assessments out there such
as the MBTI® or the DiSC, knowing your personality type and
behavioral style can also help you use the most efficient
methods specific to you to get things done.

8. Make sure you schedule “you” time every day

I can already hear some of you screaming at me, “Carol, I don’t
have time to take time for myself, and you’re already giving me
these challenges that I don’t have time to do. And aerobic
exercise? Puh-leeze!” This is just another one of those
paradoxes. I promise you after taking down time for yourself–
even if it’s just 30 minutes to an hour a day, doing something
you absolutely love-you will be much more productive after
you’ve come back from that break. Remember, when your marginal
productivity decreases, you’re wasting time anyway.

Many of you who are moms may have heard the phrase, “If Mom’s
not happy, then no one in the house is happy!” But even if
you’re not a mom, and you live with others, this rule can apply.

Invitation: Take a moment to write down three rituals that you
know give you energy. Examples can include reading, exercise,
journaling, gardening, music, sports, sailing, tai chi, yoga, or
spending time in nature.

9. Employ some of the traditional â??time management’ tips

Here are a couple of ideas to consider. Visit
http://www.power-edsolutionsinc.com/TimeTracker.pdf and download
the time log chart and print it out. Then try the following for
a week: Either the night before, or the following morning, make
a list on the left hand side of the grid of what you intend to
do that day. Then on the right side, at the end of the day, list
what you actually did. Evaluate how you did each day. Did you
meet your expectations, or did you schedule too much?

List all of the distractions that come up for you-the annoying
ones and those that you find enjoyable. I challenge you to use
those fun distractions as rewards after putting a dent in your
proverbial “to-do” list. If the phone rings, let it go to voice
mail. Turn off your instant messaging (if you have it). Tell
your friends not to come over unannounced unless it’s an
emergency or unless they want to help you with your tasks. And
prioritize, prioritize, prioritize!

Again, if you find that you don’t have the discipline,
inclination, motivation, or inspiration to do any of this, then
perhaps a friend, a coach, or someone you trust can serve as an
accountability partner to support you and keep you “honest”.

10. Create passive income

I’m just going to plant some seeds here, because the “how to” of
this process is a rather lengthy one, but well worth pursuing.
Why? Because when most of your money is working for you instead
of you working for most of your money, it gives you more time to
do the things you enjoy doing in life. You can do this by
receiving commission as an affiliate of other people’s products
sold, creating digital products of your own, investing (in the
market and certain forms of real estate, for example), and even
network marketing. There are so many options out there with many
moving parts, but if you choose and master just one source of
creating passive income for yourself, look out!

I realize that “life happens,” but as I said at the beginning of
this article, if you try just one of these strategies for three
weeks straight, watch those productivity floodgates open for
you. I invite you to email me and tell me how it went for you,
and I’ll congratulate you with a big grin on my face!