I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t need to be and quell your suspicions that you’re the only one who finds it this way. Those who use a prospecting process however, are immediately better placed – not only for their nerves but also for their prospecting results. Process helps give you direction and small goals to become familiar and actually succeed at prospecting.

Prospecting is not the most important sales skill to master, but it’s the first thing that has to happen for the sales process to begin. It’s the oxygen that fuels the fire of sales. The process is easy:

• Identify your prospect

• Qualify your prospect

• Prioritise your prospect

Prospecting is not just about generating new business. It’s also essential for reigniting dormant accounts and clients or developing new business with existing clients.

Prospecting is a step-by-step process for identifying organisations and individuals who have a potential need for your product or service, making contact with them to see if you can be of service and then generating a client & supplier relationship.

Having a plan or system is therefore critical to prospecting success.

Putting off the task of prospecting will leave your sales pipeline anemic and weak and put your job or business in jeopardy. In essence, if you don’t prospect you will become ‘sales unfit’.

So, put your best foot forward, address your fears and make time to prospect on a regular and consistent basis. Practice at prospecting will also help overcome your fears a bit at a time. Here are some tips For Scheduling Your Prospecting:

• Schedule specific time in your week for prospecting.

• Chunk your prospecting calls in batches – maximum of 120 minutes, ideally 2-3 batches per week.

• Consider doing your prospecting calls first thing in the morning. This works on two levels, 1) you get it out of the way first thing in the day and, 2) it is often the best time to call people.

• Ideally make prospecting calls at the same time of the day, each day of the week.

• Consider when you are at your best. It’s best to be clear headed, listening accurately, awake and alert (this varies for everyone). You are therefore less likely to have negative or self-defeating thoughts and least likely to take rejection personally.

• Consider distractions – what time of day are you least likely to be interrupted?

Choosing your state of mind and your attitude is also critical when prospecting and selling. Successful salespeople know that prospecting doesn’t happen by chance as it requires a consistent and persistent effort. Successful sales people:

• Diarise follow up calls

• Use Sales Pipeline to track activity

• Keep a number of activities on the go

• Prioritise

• Persist

Author Bio: Sue Barrett is one of the leading female voices commenting on sales today. Sue is an experienced business speaker and adviser, facilitator, sales coach, training provider and entrepreneur and founded Barrett Consulting, an end-to-end consulting practice with a reputation in the Australian market as trusted experts and advisors in creating high performing, sustainable sales people, teams and leaders. Barrett are thought leaders in 21st century sales training, sales coaching and sales consulting. For more information on Sue Barrett view her profile.

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1. Personality

Your clothes should reflect the client’s image as well as your own.
• Consider the client’s image. In the corporate world, most traditional businesses favour conservative attire, while creative industries respond to more individualist outfits. Consider, the type of presentation, location, what your audience will be wearing, and dress one level up.
• Staying true to your own image enhances your confidence and credibility. While you should dress to reflect the audience expectations, you should also dress to suit your own personality and taste. Being comfortable in your outfit will help you remain relaxed and confident. Don’t force yourself into a three-piece suit if you’re going to squirm awkwardly throughout your presentation.

2. Poise

Demonstrate your professionalism by paying attention to the small details that enhance or detract from your overall appearance.
• Check your outline. Remove anything that dangles or jangles when you move. Your clothes pressed and tidy, your hair neatly trimmed and your shoes polished, with the heels fitting securely.
• Ensure your clothes fit correctly for your figure. Generally, a looser fit is more flattering as tight clothes can call attention to unsightly bulges and restrict movement.
• Avoid distracting details. If you wear glasses, choose clean lines rather than funky colourful frames. Jewellery should not be a focal point of your outfit. Have one simple bag for all your documents and personal items.

3. Polish

Colour, texture and complementary tones give a polished finish to your professional appearance.
• Wear colours that complement your skin tone, hair and eye-colour. Avoid colours that overpower you. If you are petite, bright colours will help you stand out in front of an audience. Wear some contrast, such as a contrasting scarf or tie, to help your audience maintain their attention upon you.
• Anything too busy or too blatantly bright can be visually disconcerting and won’t do much for the content of your talk. It may help to keep the audience awake, but they will become visually tired by the time you have finished.
• Make-up should be fairly neutral with the object to look healthy and rested.
• Try to find out what your backdrop will be. If you are presenting on a stage with a black background, your dark clothes will blend into the background. In contrast bright clothes will seem glaring in an extremely bright room.

4. Preparation

WHO – WHAT – WHERE?

• WHO are you talking to? The better you know your audience, the better you can hold their attention by tailoring your material around their needs. Who will be in the audience? Why are they here? Why did they invite you to speak? Talk to the event organiser before writing your speech, and on the day, establish a rapport by mingling with the audience before you begin your speech.
• WHAT do you need to say? Begin writing your speech with a clear outline of the points you want to make. Select a few key points and embellish these with examples and anecdotes. Build this into a complete manuscript, and read this aloud to ensure you are keeping your message to the point. Once you are confident of your structure and your message, you can simplify your speech into note-form again. Prepare charts as handouts or screen presentation to present statistical or analytical information.
• WHERE are you presenting? Arrive at the venue at least an hour early to make yourself comfortable with your surroundings. Check the microphone, lighting, audio-visual and any other factors that may affect your performance.

5. Practice

CLARITY – CONFIDENCE – PASSION

• Your goal is to deliver your speech with clarity, confidence and passion while maintaining eye-contact with your audience.
• Begin by practicing from your manuscript, then once you’ve achieved fluency, simplify the speech into note-form.
• Record your delivery so you can listen to yourself. After each point, ask yourself, “Who cares?” If nobody does, omit that point. Ensure that each point is listed in logical order, so your audience can follow your argument. Listen to your speaking speed, your volume and voice pitch to ensure the audience can hear you comfortably.
• Video-tape your performance so you can review your physical delivery. Review your energy level, body language, eye contact to assess your impact, energy and rapport.

6. Presentation

IMPACT – ENERGY – RAPPORT

• Your opening sentence must have impact. Come out punching with a startling statement, quote or story. Don’t waste precious seconds with “Ladies and Gentleman” and save any greetings or gratitude until you’ve grabbed the audience’s attention.
• Deliver your speech with energy and passion. Use inside stories to personalise information and add colour to the information you’re trying to pass on. Charts and graphs can convey statistical and analytical data more effectively than a long recitation of numbers.
• Maintain your rapport with the audience. Encourage audience participation through questions or personal insights. Use humour with caution: if your jokes fall flat, you will lose your credibility with the audience. Conversely, your audience will be puzzled if a speech that began humorously, abruptly becomes dry and serious.
• Finish with a strong memorable closing statement or with a vivid example. Memorise your finishing statement so you can flawlessly “bring it home”. Save this statement until after you’ve accepted questions from the audience. Rather than closing your speech with “Are there any questions?” say “Before I close, are there any questions?” Once you’ve answered the final question, deliver your concluding statement, so you finish on a high note.

When delivering a presentation it is essential to connect with the audience both visually and verbally. Your message will only be heard if the six P’s are delivered with equal importance and success.

Author Bio: Cosimina’s range of services cover all aspects of professional and personal image presentation. She has transformed the lives of private clients and worked with organisations big and small. Comprehensive, informative and enjoyable, Cosimina is a result based image specialist. To learn more about Cosimina and to read more of her articles view her profile

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In our daily lives, we often undergo situations where we need to negotiate with other people. It might be a business negotiation, salary negotiation, selling negotiations or any talks related to coming up with the best solution that is advantageous to both parties. When we negotiate, we want to get positive outcome and we aim to make it work for us. But then, there are many things that we should consider when negotiating and we have to know the right way to negotiate.

Below are the 7 basic negotiating tips that are applicable to any type of negotiations you will undergo.

1.) Ask questions

Smart people know how to ask. Ask questions relevant to the topic of your negotiation. You should know all information related to the discussion. Know what the other party has to say and when in doubt verify things so that there won’t misunderstandings with the other person or party.

2.) Learn to listen

As always, listening is very important in communicating with people. Even on business negotiations, it is vital that you listen to the other person or party you are talking to. Understand the message they are trying to relay and never butt in unless you find it necessary.

3.) Do some research

Before the scheduled negotiation, gather relevant information that you can use in weighing factors connected to the negotiation. For business negotiations, know the background of their company, learn the factors surrounding their offer and verify the information you got about their proposal (if there’s any). Being prepared is important during negotiations. If you want to buy a particular product or maybe a house and lot, do your homework and research about the value of the product you want to purchase and see if the offer of the other party is reasonable.

4.) Don’t rush things

It is not necessary that after the first meeting you will already come up with a decision. If you or the other party is still undecided, then you can set for another appointment so both of you can think it over and weigh things mentioned on the first meeting. It is not good that you make a decision right away or you persuade the other party to immediately agree with you. That would sound too demanding.

5.) Find the right timing

Make sure to set an appointment that both of you will agree. Consider also the mood of the person and see if he’s in great mood or he’s not stressed or in bad mood. It is best that both of you are in the right mood when negotiating so that there won’t be misunderstandings or conflicts that may lead to a heated argument. Always remember that negotiations are done so that both parties can come up with the right solution to the problem or topic being discussed.

6.) Understand the other party

Do not be narrow-minded. Learn to understand the argument of the other party and if they are reasonable and advantageous to both of you then agree with him. On the other hand, you should also learn to walk away if you think the negotiation talk is useless and is going nowhere. Stop the deal if necessary so that the other party can see that you have a strong will and is serious about the negotiation.

7.) Set aside personal issues

Business is business. Never include personal matters when negotiating about business or if selling a product. Do not include a person’s behavior in coming up with decisions or in disagreeing with him/ her. Be objective when talking to the other party and clearly set your arguments.

To sum up, great communication skills, open-mindedness and preparation are few of the important factors you should consider when doing any kind of negotiation.

Author Bio: Raymundo Byers – I never believed in such a thing as hypnosis until I stumbled upon an amazing guide called Conversational Hypnosis . I was totally astounded by the facts I learned about conversational hypnosis and how powerful it is in persuading and influencing people. Raymundo Byers now teaches what persuasion techniques are and how to use it to your advantage.
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When your mind is cluttered with a seemingly endless list of tasks, all with competing deadlines and not enough time or resources, it is very easy to become flustered, make mistakes and make poor judgements leading to bad decisions. The simple act of prioritisation will help you to get your stress levels back under control and allow your mind to focus, which will result in you getting through that task list much more quickly and efficiently.

1. Get yourself a task list

Having one central place to note all your tasks is important. It gives you a single source of reference and a go-to place to get your cues. You don’t want to be chasing lost bits of sticky note paper with vital information on it. Whether this list is electronic or paper-based is not important, what is important is that what ever solution you choose, it must work with you.

This list should include the date the task was entered, a due date for completion, the task name, a space for comments, a category id and a completion date. Including these details enables you to use the task list as reference should you need to track when things started or were completed. It also identifies the current status for tasks which required input or responses from third parties, or have been delegated to staff members.

2. Write all the tasks down

Putting all the tasks on this single list gives you a baseline of the total amount of work needed to be completed. Without a single source of the truth, you don’t really have a grasp on the volume of tasks that require managing.

3. Prioritise

It will quickly become apparent that you can’t do it all in a day. So the question becomes “Where do I focus my energies?”, and the answer is on those things that are most important. Go through each of the tasks and classify each in terms of importance. Then rank each of them again in terms of urgency.

3. Ditch, Delegate or Do?

Assess your list again and remove any that can be removed. This includes any that have been on there for some time and are no longer relevant. Then review for any tasks that can be delegated and hand these over. Ensure you note in the comments to whom it was delegated. The remainder is your to do list.

4. Work Your Way Through the List

Start on the highest priority tasks and work your way down. The best way to do this is to set aside time to complete each task. Don’t get sucked into the tyranny of the urgent by letting voicemail answer your phone (where possible) and leave reading your emails until after you have completed the task or sub-task.

5. Stay on Course

Don’t get discouraged when a single task absorbs a day or two days work and nothing else seems to be getting done. Satisfy yourself that your time is being spent on the single most important thing you should be doing. When the going gets tough, don’t resort to short-term fixes and jump backwards and forwards on the task list. Ensure you follow-up on delegated work and those tasks requiring input from other parties.

Prioritisation is such a simple concept, but it will provide you the ability to manage your workload more efficiently and more effectively. Many of my clients find simply creating the task list is an enormous stress relief in itself, but in terms long-term relief, especially from a daily management point of view, prioritisation is priceless.

Author Bio: Karen L. Paiyo is an Australian Small Business Counsellor, supporting and nurturing the spirit of entrepreneurship in the Asia Pacific Region. Karen empowers small business owners by transferring to them the skills and expertise needed to help them take their business ideas from creative concept to profitable reality, faster and with less risk.
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The key to business success lies in our ability to build solid relationships with others. And how we communicate with others in our initial and subsequent meetings with them has a significant impact on our ability to win their trust and their business.

How can we build solid relationships?

The art and science of human behaviour, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), provides us with many specific tools for effective communication and building solid relationships with our clients, prospects, suppliers, JV partners, referrers and investors. Here are seven ways you can become a masterful relationship builder.

1. Build instant rapport

Instantly create a feeling of trust and familiarity with anyone you meet, within seconds of meeting them. A simple way to do this is to observe others and then to subtly match or copy their posture ie. how they sit or stand. This will allow the rest of your communication to be that much more effective. Remember that people who are like each other, like each other!

2. Really listen

When we are caught up with all the thoughts inside our head we can miss out on really hearing what others say to us. This can lead to misunderstandings in our communication. Instead, shut off your internal dialogue (that little voice inside your head) and really listen, hear and focus your attention on what the other person is saying and you will be surprised as to how much more you will really hear.

3. Respect the other person’s model of the world

Each one of us has different experiences, values and beliefs and these determine how we respond and react to situations. In communicating with others, it is important to realise that their model of the world is unique to them as ours is to us. Respecting each others’ model of the world enables us to see the other person’s point of view and helps to avoid disagreements and miscommunication.

4. Use appropriate words

Tailor the language you use to the other person. There are four major communication styles: visual (pictures), auditory (sounds), kinesthetic (feelings) and auditory digital (self talk) and each one has a unique set of words. Most people have a strong preference for one or two styles, so by utilising their preferred communication style and using the words unique to that style, they will clearly see, easily grasp and understand what you are saying.

5. Chunk your information appropriately

Some people need a lot of detail before they can proceed with a task or make a decision, while others simply need to be told the big picture. Begin to observe others as you communicate with them and notice whether they have the appropriate level of information. Give too much information to a big picture person and their eyes may glaze over and their thoughts may drift off. Leave out information for a detail person and they may not be interested in doing a task or may even ask many questions.

6. Influence others through your questions

You can direct a conversation by asking appropriate questions. Formulating questions such as “How specifically?” will assist in obtaining clarity and detail on an issue. In contrast, using artfully vague language such as “You may have noticed…” allows others to come up with their own solutions and empowers them to resolve issues in their own way.

7. Be flexible

If your communication is not being received the way you intend it, use it as feedback to change your approach. Be flexible and grasp the above tools so your message can clearly get through each time. If you only communicate in your own preferred style, you may only appeal to and connect with other people who have a similar style to your own. The more flexible you are, the greater your chances of building a strong relationship with more prospects and customers.

Now, imagine yourself as a master relationship builder!

Author Bio Dr. Vesna Grubacevic is a Performance Transformation Expert™ with Qt, an NLP Trainer, holds a PhD, BEc and has over 28 years’ business experience. Dr. Vesna has a proven track record of assisting clients to transform their sales and staff performance.  For more information on Dr. Vesna Grubacevic, view her profile.

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We’re all familiar with the physical health effects stress has on us including: sleeplessness & fatigue, frequent cold & flu-like symptoms, back pain, appetite changes and anxiety. However, the hidden effects of stress impact not only our health and wellbeing, but also our business profits.

Emotional intelligence and quick yet well thought out decision-making, are crucial skills for business leaders. However, what if the effects of stress were so widespread that these skills weren¹t being used effectively in the workplace?

When we experience stress, the HPA Axis (Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal Axis) is the first system of the body that protects us from external threats.  It sends a message to the Pituitary gland, which then sends a message to the Adrenal glands.  This is when the body¹s “fight or flight”response starts to work. In response, the Adrenal glands release their stress hormones into the blood, constricting the blood vessels of the digestive tract, and forcing the energy in the blood to the arms and legs, to get us out of danger.

When the HPA Axis is “on” all the time (due to stress) it also interferes with our ability to think logically and with reason.  Our sense of focus and clarity diminishes.  We¹re not able to process information in the frontal brain as quickly and easily as when we¹re not stressed.  The Adrenal stress hormones constrict the blood vessels in the frontal brain and they activate the hindbrain, which most effectively controls our “fight or flight” responses.

With the frontal brain being responsible for: motor functions, higher order functions, planning, reasoning, judgment, impulse control and memory, it¹s easy to understand why we need to have it functioning well.

Ponder for a moment of what implications this has for our businesses.  If we’re stressed, our memory, judgement and reasoning will be affected. No matter how hard we exert our will power and self-control, our physiological processes won¹t allow us to as thoughtful and considered as we would like!

Logically we think we can deal with extra stress, we may even thrive on challenge and pressure! However, the HPA Axis wasn’t designed to be constantly active.  In today’s world, we’re constantly “under threat” with irresolvable problems and worries that don¹t necessarily impact our immediate survival, yet we perceive them as being a threat and so the HPA Axis activates.  This results in our bodies being constantly in a state of “fight or flight”, resulting in high levels of stress, illness and foggy thinking.

We have trouble concentrating, make short-sighted and biased judgments, and have difficulty accurately assessing the potential risks and gains associated with different courses of action.  What impact is this having on our business profits?  Are our decisions as clear and focused as they should be?  Would they be more effective if we were less stressed.<

Regular stress management will “bullet-proof” us against stress, however, it must be done regularly – not just when the stress spirals out of control. Studies into the effects of various stress management techniques have found that the results of these will last longer if they’re practiced every day.

Stress management techniques include mindfulness-training, exercise, taking time for a hobby or being with friends and family.  All of these activities have one thing in common; they keep us “in the present moment”. This helps us work out what we can and can’t control in our lives.

By actively managing our stress, we can improve our health, wellbeing and business success in 2010 and beyond.

Do you have any effective stress management techniques you would like to share?

Author Bio: Kylie Saunder is passionate about inspiring and empowering her clients using her breakthrough techniques and training methods that have been developed from her experience in the Corporate, Fitness, Pilates & Wellness industries. To find out more about Kylie, visit her online at www.businesswellbeing.com.au.

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Have you ever sat down to write something – whether it’s the copy for your company’s website, text for a newsletter or even a few words for a flyer – only to be met with a flashing cursor and a frustratingly empty head?

You are certainly not alone.

Rather than going around in circles or settling for something second-rate, here are five tips to get those words flowing again:

Think of your key message

Try asking yourself “why am I writing this?”, “what do I hope to achieve?” and “what value can I give readers?”. It may help to jot down some bullet points under these headings before you start working on the document.

Think of your audience

The way you structure the copy and what you say will need to appeal to your readers. With your key message in mind, think of an interesting way to begin the piece to capture your audience.

Let it flow

If you are still having no luck, just write. Commit every thought and rambling down without analysing the quality of your writing. You can then go back and edit this draft into something more finely crafted.

Speed research

While being careful not to use researching as a way of avoiding the task at hand, use the internet to have a quick look at what others in your industry and outside your field have done. While this can act as stimulation when you are stuck, ensure you don’t plagiarise their work.

Ask around

Have a quick chat to a colleague, friend or family member about what the subject means to them. This may help you to find an interesting angle/way to approach the piece.

Remember: once you have your final draft, spell-check and proof read! There is nothing that will distract from professionalism and great expression more than avoidable errors.

Author Bio: Carly Lubicz (nee Crummey) is a freelance journalist and copywriter based in Townsville, Queensland, but helps clients all over the country by crafting concise, well-structured and meaningful text. Calculated Media produces everything from feature articles and media releases through to website copy and family histories. When you only have a split second to make your words count, you need a purely calculated approach. For more information visit www.calculatedmedia.com.au.

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Let’s face it – we are all busy these days. But is being busy such a bad thing? A big chunk of your success is how well you can organise yourself to get work done.

Here are 10 ways to increase productivity and get more done in your personal and professional life.

1. Schedule Your Work

Outlining exactly what you have to accomplish each day and managing your tasks. gives you a nice visual of all your work, and allows you to choose which to work on next. And nothing beats the feeling of checking things off your to do list!

2. Take Notes

Have you ever left a meeting and forgotten your next steps? Take notes when in meetings, on the phone or anytime they pop into your mind. This saves time by not having to revisit the conversations later.

3. Organize Your Workspace

A chaotic workspace can distract you from the work at hand. Make sure your desk and computer desktop are neat and organized prior to beginning your work.

4. Open the Doors of Collaboration

Brainstorming with team members is a powerful tool. So is the opportunity to run an idea by a coworker to see if you’re on the right track. Team collaboration tools help to open the doors and keep team members connected all day.

5. Attack the Big Rocks

There are some tasks, however, that need to be worked on right away. Start working on those “big rocks” first thing in the morning. Once you get them done, you’ll feel more accomplished for the day.

6. Delegate to Team Members

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the work in front of you, ask a coworker for a bit of help. Taking 5 minutes to reassign a task and explain it to someone else will free up a lot of task time for you to accomplish everything else.

7. Exercise

A mid-day heart rate boost can increase productivity for the afternoon. If you can’t do jumping jacks in your office, a lunchtime walk works just as well.

8. Keep Team Members in the Loop

By sharing your to do list with coworkers, you are instantly held accountable for completing that work. Ensure you are using a team collaboration solution that offers transparency and allows team members to see other’s work easily to manage that accountability.

9. Work When You’re Productive

There are always going to be times in the day when you are more productive than others. For me, it’s first thing in the morning. Identify these times for yourself, and plan your work accordingly.

10. Just Do It

Sometimes the best way to get things done is to start working. Get to work and see how much you can do:

How productive are you? Do you have any points to add to this list?

Author Bio: Dana Larson is the marketing manager for OnePlace – an online small business organization solution that empowers individuals to be successful, so their business is, too. Dana helps others understand the importance of online team collaboration and online project management through OnePlace. To find out more about Dana, visit her online at www.oneplacehome.com.

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Pretty simple, but how often do you actually ask? As a small business owner this may be one of the most important quotations you may ever need in your tool box of thought!

When fear, indecision or plain old fashioned embarrassment prevents you from asking, then don’t. You already know what the answer will be!

There are far too many times over my past 20 year professional career where the fear of not obtaining the answer I most wished for; prevented me from even constructing a sentence into a question!

Practice some of these easy questions today and you will not only notice the difference to your bank balance and customer base, but you will find a new confidence that you never knew existed:

• Can we negotiate a discount, as I am a new customer?
• Can you please advertise my business in your next newsletter?
• Can you please review my product/service and provide a testimonial?
• Would you like to see the product/service that compliments that product/service?
• Can we meet, so I can understand the best way to help you?
• Can you settle your account by Friday?

So here is the kicker – occasionally the answer will actually be…”NO”. So back to point 1! Start forming a new question. Trust me on this, the more practice you have the better you will become. Here are more examples to get you started:

You: Can we negotiate a discount, as I am a new customer?
Supplier: No
You: Is there any circumstances where you do provide a discount for your product/service?
Supplier: Well actually, when you buy…

You: Can you please advertise my services on your website for free?
Target: No
You: Would you reconsider, if I was to provide you with free advertising on my website for the next 3 months?
Target: Well actually, maybe for the next 2 months we could…

Now go ask! I promise you will get a warm fuzzy feeling all over when the answer is YES. When the answer is NO you will have a momentary feeling of being let down, but as you practice the power that comes from confidence will be totally addictive! When was the last time you didn’t?

“If you don’t ask, the answer is always no”: is a part sentence borrowed from the quotation of a favorite novelist: Nora Roberts.

Author Bio: Amanda Terranoa has spent the past 20 years in business operations and marketing positions both in corporate and small business and is the Co Founder of Small Business: The RA Look supporting the Fashion & Entertainment Industry to learn more about Amanda, read her profile.

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If time is our enemy, then time-tracking software is our friend.

I’m a late adopter when it comes to business technology so time-tracking is new in my life … but I know it will be a lasting relationship. We’re definitely besties.

Why? Because this diminutive, plain-looking application has let me unlock the lost time in my haphazard week, nail down those straggling fifteen-minute blocks and pounce on those elusive billable hours – the ones that were never reflected in my invoices, even though I knew they lurked mysteriously within my job sheets or diary jottings.

The cynics among you may be thinking “big bucks”. You’d be wrong. I outlaid less than fifty dollars on my time tracking product and downloaded it immediately. By day’s end it had paid for itself by pinpointing just one otherwise-lost hour.

For a soloist like myself, the benefits are clear. For most projects I bill by the hour and usually have up to a dozen or so jobs running concurrently in various stages of drafting, researching and approval. Time tracking lets me clock-in and clock-out directly from my desktop against multiple projects, add memos with each entry, create and customise reports, and much more.

At any given time I can see how many hours I’ve clocked to a particular project for the current session, the day, the week, the month … or even the year.

For jobs quoted “whole of project” I can see how I’m tracking against my estimates and ensure I don’t blow-out my time allocation.

For bigger businesses time tracking has even more to offer. You can track multiple jobs across multiple employees, export to other applications (like MS Excel) and integrate to all sorts of systems and processes – all from a simple desktop application.

You can see who is doing what and when, how long it’s taking them and who is paying for it, that is, where the invoicing trail ends for each session clocked. And it’s in real-time, so there’s no backfilling the job sheet at the end of the day (unless you OK it).

For me, time tracking revolutionised the way I think about my time. I identified chunks of wasted space in my days, which added up to days in my month; I have translated some of those chunks into paid hours. Monitoring how much time I spend on unbilled work such as administrative tasks and research helps me make decisions about outsourcing. Even keeping on eye on my breaks helps me carve out some much-desired work/life integration.

My favourite feature? I’ve set my time tracker so that when my keyboard is active and I’m not clocked in to a project, a jaunty tune blasts through my speakers to remind me I’m losing billable time. No wonder my accountant loves my time tracking almost as much as I do!

There are a myriad of time-tracking products available and many of them are free. Just enter “time tracker” in your favourite search engine and be rewarded with a multitude of sellers and resellers. I recommend you go a step further and enter “time tracker reviews” then spend some time researching independent product reviews to discover what features are available and what others find useful.

Trial a product or two to check if the interface works well for you. It’s a bit like a first date to make sure you’re compatible. I’m confident the benefits to you and your business will be apparent fairly quickly and that, before long, you’ll be wondering how you ever managed without one another.

Has time-tracking worked for you? What’s your fave feature? Why not share your experiences … if you’ve got time!

Author Bio: Sheryl Allen is a Professional Copywriter with over 15 years of experience dealing with all types of businesses – from small start-ups to national brands. To find out more about Sheryl, visit her online at www.overthepage.com.au.

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