Speakers love to speak. They don't often like to run the office. So if the productivity portion of speaking has eluded you, learn how technology can make your office work easier and more efficient.

Automate Your Office for Efficiency

by Rebecca L. Morgan, CSP, CMC

In my book "TurboTime: Maximizing Your Results Through Technology," we discuss how you can make your computer work more effectively. These ideas work on both Wintel and Mac platforms.
Use the power of automation for anything you can. If your computer can do something automatically without your involvement, great. Here are some examples of automation that you can use:

Autodialers

Many contact management programs include autodialers. Ours calls phone numbers directly from our contact manager with the click of a button. The computer's modem is connected to the phone. This eliminates common mistakes I make-transposing phone numbers and dialing the fax line instead of voice line. It also saves time.

Macros

A macro program allows you to save keystrokes. We utilize macros to reduce the number of keystrokes for commonly used phrases, e.g., by typing "RLM," we get "Rebecca L. Morgan"; by typing "RMCSP" we get "Rebecca L. Morgan, CSP, Speaker, Seminarist, and Author of Calming Upset Customers, TurboTime: Maximizing Your Results Through Technology, Life's Lessons: Insights and Information for a Richer Life, and Professional Selling: Practical Secrets for Successful Sales." That's 264 typoless characters, just by entering five.

We have dozens of these set up for our address, phone, fax number, program titles, tape and book titles, etc. Although some programs have their own macro capabilities (e.g., Microsoft Word and Excel), I suggest a stand-alone macro program like QuicKeys works with any software.

Agent

There are programs that watches how we use our computers and suggests shortcuts, or automation for repetitive functions. Microsoft Word comes with one. I use a stand alone agent called Open Sesame® that works with all programs. For example, if I open America Online® several days in a row around 9:00 A.M., Open Sesame® asks if I want to automate that action so I don't have to do it manually. If I say "yes," it will automatically open AOL at the appointed time.

Backups

We have set our backup program to automatically perform it's backup of our main computer every night so our changes are saved every day. This is done through a program that opens itself at the appointed time and backs up the files we have identified (Norton Utilities®). (If you didn't want to leave your computer on all night, some computers allow you to tell them to "wake up" at an appointed time, then shut down at a set time.)

Electronic payments

We use send our payments electronically from Quicken® (an electronic checkbook and financial management program). We pay our bills by transferring funds electronically to large companies that have electronic accounts (e.g., gas and electric, telephone, banks) without issuing a paper check. If a paper check is needed, it prints the check and sends it directly to the recipient. At $5 a month for 20 transactions, it costs less than printing and mailing a check, and it's much quicker.

Your computer can enhance the way you do business. It can automate repetitive functions and help you do business more effectively. The above suggestions are neither expensive nor time-consuming. Learn to maximize the power of your computer so you can focus on doing your work most effectively. Then you'll have more time to relax and play!

© 1999 Morgan Seminar Group
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Rebecca L. Morgan, CSP, is a professional speaker and seminarist. She is the author of four books, TurboTime: Maximizing Your Results Through Technology, Calming Upset Customers, Life's Lessons: Insights and Information for a Richer Life, and Professional Selling. For information on her speaking services, books, and tapes contact her at 1440 Newport Ave., San Jose, CA 95125, 408/998-7977, 800/247-9662, fax: 408/998-1742, rebecca@RebeccaMorgan.com, www.RebeccaMorgan.com. Please contact Rebecca for permission to reprint or repost this item.