Since he receives an average of 600 emails a day and answers the majority from his Blackberry, John Halamka has to have a system to manage email. Click here to read his 10 steps.
Combining his method with the features I teach you in the Outlook class 1 will definitely put you in control of that Inbox!
This is a very interesting blog about Dr. Halamka's leadership in the world of healthcare and information technology.
December 13, 2008
November 11, 2008
Upcoming Computer Classes
Read the descriptions of the classes and all of the registration details. Click here!
October 24, 2008
Permission-based Emailing
This article was written for The Reference Library to help their members use information the Library provides productively as well as legally. I wanted to share it with all of you.
How do you use that information?
Let’s start with what you DON’T do. After the CAN-SPAM Act, it became illegal to email people without their permission. So just because you have an email address doesn’t mean you can send messages. You must have clear permission to send messages. For example, you’re doing business with the person; they dropped their card in your bowl at a tradeshow; they’ve given you their business card with permission to use the info. (Picking up business cards at a networking event from all the tables isn’t getting permission!) Joining an organization like Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) or Arizona Small Business Association (ASBA) isn’t getting permission.
Stop for a moment and put yourself in the recipient’s shoes. How happy would you be about getting an email from someone that you’ve never met just because they joined a group? Not!
Broadcast emails are a great tool to build relationships. But you have to have the relationship to build. You’re much better off sending to a small group of people who really care about reading your message than sending to a large group who don’t know who you are.
So use the lists wisely. Make a plan to call 5 people on the list each day and introduce yourself. Ask if you can include them on the list for your monthly newsletter. Or use the addresses for regular mailings of literature. The literature should encourage them to visit your web site and to opt in for your newsletter. Make a plan to introduce yourself to 5 new people at each event.
You can send a message to people and ask them if you may add them to your list. It is not legal to put someone on your list while thinking “They can opt out if they don’t want to get the emails.” Make the message very personal – “I met you at ___. I’d like to add you to my email list to send you some educational articles about my services. If you prefer not to receive emails, just reply and let me know.”
Want to know more? Here are some excellent articles from the leading email service provider – Constant Contact. You can also call me for assistance.
10 Tips for Getting and Keeping Permission
Permission: How to Do the Right Thing
Building Your Email List
Permission: How to Do the Right Thing
Email List that Sparkles
List Building -Basics and Beyond
CAN-SPAM Act of 2003
How to Get the MAXIMUM Use from Contact Lists
Occasionally you can get your hands on a list of new contacts that includes email addresses. Eureka!!How do you use that information?
Let’s start with what you DON’T do. After the CAN-SPAM Act, it became illegal to email people without their permission. So just because you have an email address doesn’t mean you can send messages. You must have clear permission to send messages. For example, you’re doing business with the person; they dropped their card in your bowl at a tradeshow; they’ve given you their business card with permission to use the info. (Picking up business cards at a networking event from all the tables isn’t getting permission!) Joining an organization like Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) or Arizona Small Business Association (ASBA) isn’t getting permission.
Stop for a moment and put yourself in the recipient’s shoes. How happy would you be about getting an email from someone that you’ve never met just because they joined a group? Not!
Broadcast emails are a great tool to build relationships. But you have to have the relationship to build. You’re much better off sending to a small group of people who really care about reading your message than sending to a large group who don’t know who you are.
So use the lists wisely. Make a plan to call 5 people on the list each day and introduce yourself. Ask if you can include them on the list for your monthly newsletter. Or use the addresses for regular mailings of literature. The literature should encourage them to visit your web site and to opt in for your newsletter. Make a plan to introduce yourself to 5 new people at each event.
You can send a message to people and ask them if you may add them to your list. It is not legal to put someone on your list while thinking “They can opt out if they don’t want to get the emails.” Make the message very personal – “I met you at ___. I’d like to add you to my email list to send you some educational articles about my services. If you prefer not to receive emails, just reply and let me know.”
Want to know more? Here are some excellent articles from the leading email service provider – Constant Contact. You can also call me for assistance.
10 Tips for Getting and Keeping Permission
Permission: How to Do the Right Thing
Building Your Email List
Permission: How to Do the Right Thing
Email List that Sparkles
List Building -Basics and Beyond
CAN-SPAM Act of 2003
August 1, 2008
Too Smart, Too Busy for a computer class?
Printing Industries Association Inc of Arizona is hosting a series of Outlook and Excel classes for its members. I was thrilled to hear these comments from one of the attendees. I've always said that there is no such thing as a computer "expert." There is always something new to learn.
Hi PIAZ Board Members,
I just wanted to personally tell you guys how great the Outlook session was that I went to last week at the PIAZ office. To tell you the truth I wasn’t sure I was going to learn anything since I am a power user of Outlook. I was wrong. I learned some cool tricks that will make my life easier! This was the first out of four sessions so those of you that use Outlook I highly recommend attending the remaining 3 sessions. If your life is too busy then you should REALLY attend these sessions.
Cathy Skoglund
Arizona State University | GISManager of Operations & Business Development
Hi PIAZ Board Members,
I just wanted to personally tell you guys how great the Outlook session was that I went to last week at the PIAZ office. To tell you the truth I wasn’t sure I was going to learn anything since I am a power user of Outlook. I was wrong. I learned some cool tricks that will make my life easier! This was the first out of four sessions so those of you that use Outlook I highly recommend attending the remaining 3 sessions. If your life is too busy then you should REALLY attend these sessions.
Cathy Skoglund
Arizona State University | GISManager of Operations & Business Development
July 23, 2008
July 2008 Newsletter
Office 2007
More and more of you are starting to move to Office 2007. I have upgraded one of my computers. It’s great! However, there is a big learning curve because of Microsoft’s move from being menu driven to what they call “the ribbon.” They’ve put many, many options for formatting photos, tables, etc. on the ribbon so you can do in one click what would have taken 5+ clicks in Word 2003, for example.
ExecuTrain has written 5 classes to help shorten the learning curve: Migration Overview, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook. I’m going to teach them as online classes. Click here for more details.
ACT 11Sage is preparing version 11 for release. They won’t say when, of course, but my guess is for September. The last 4 versions came out in September so... I’m participating in the beta test. If you’d like a sneak preview, call me for a demo. The big improvement I see so far is the coordination with Outlook to handle email and to work with people in your office who aren’t on ACT. If you haven’t updated from version 6 – 9 this may be your opportunity. Even version 10 users may want to consider the update if you’re a heavy email user. They’ll drop the cost for the new version so you can upgrade at a lower expense. I’ll keep you posted as I test the software and get more news.
Microsoft Office Specialist
On June 23rd, I passed the exam to become a Microsoft Office Specialist. This designation is a measurement of knowledge on Microsoft’s software. I took this first exam on Word 2003 – Expert level. I plan on taking the Outlook exam next. Microsoft also has exams to measure the skill level of hardware technicians. The techs I refer you to are Microsoft certified. Stop by the office and I’ll show you my certificate!
What does this mean to you? It shows a technical skill level to back up my practical business knowledge. It also gives you confidence that I’m staying up to date on the latest technology so I can make the best recommendations for your business.
Word Tip – Better Bullets
Ever get tired of the little black circles that are commonly used for bullets? Me too! Here’s the path to find a whole new source. You can also create your own bullets. That process is too big for a newsletter so here’s a link to the instructions on my web site.
1. Place your cursor where you want to start the bullets. Or if you’ve already created the bulleted list, select the entire list.
2. Click Format on the menu bar > Bullets and numbering
3. Click the Customize button in the bottom right corner of the window.
4. Click the Picture button on the right near the top of the new window.
5. Select the bullet you like.
6. Click OK 3 times to close the various windows.
Give your readers a break! Show them something new.
ASBA Tech Salvage
I received this notice as a member of ASBA (Arizona Small Business Association) but it is open to non-members as well. ASBA and Westech Recyclers have teamed up to offer a convenient, legal and secure way to recycle computer, medical, manufacturing and electronic equipment. On July 26th, 8 am – 12 pm, you can bring the items you wish to recycle to the ASBA office parking lot (4130 E Van Buren Phoenix) Free!! If you have a large load, you can call Westech Recyclers and speak to Tom Holland at 602-256-7626. The pick up is free if you are an ASBA member.
This pick up is for non-functioning equipment or really, really old equipment (3 years+). If you have functioning equipment, here are some worthy organizations to donate to:
Cell phones
Computers, printers, etc.
�
More and more of you are starting to move to Office 2007. I have upgraded one of my computers. It’s great! However, there is a big learning curve because of Microsoft’s move from being menu driven to what they call “the ribbon.” They’ve put many, many options for formatting photos, tables, etc. on the ribbon so you can do in one click what would have taken 5+ clicks in Word 2003, for example.
ExecuTrain has written 5 classes to help shorten the learning curve: Migration Overview, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook. I’m going to teach them as online classes. Click here for more details.
ACT 11Sage is preparing version 11 for release. They won’t say when, of course, but my guess is for September. The last 4 versions came out in September so... I’m participating in the beta test. If you’d like a sneak preview, call me for a demo. The big improvement I see so far is the coordination with Outlook to handle email and to work with people in your office who aren’t on ACT. If you haven’t updated from version 6 – 9 this may be your opportunity. Even version 10 users may want to consider the update if you’re a heavy email user. They’ll drop the cost for the new version so you can upgrade at a lower expense. I’ll keep you posted as I test the software and get more news.
Microsoft Office Specialist
On June 23rd, I passed the exam to become a Microsoft Office Specialist. This designation is a measurement of knowledge on Microsoft’s software. I took this first exam on Word 2003 – Expert level. I plan on taking the Outlook exam next. Microsoft also has exams to measure the skill level of hardware technicians. The techs I refer you to are Microsoft certified. Stop by the office and I’ll show you my certificate!
What does this mean to you? It shows a technical skill level to back up my practical business knowledge. It also gives you confidence that I’m staying up to date on the latest technology so I can make the best recommendations for your business.
Word Tip – Better Bullets
Ever get tired of the little black circles that are commonly used for bullets? Me too! Here’s the path to find a whole new source. You can also create your own bullets. That process is too big for a newsletter so here’s a link to the instructions on my web site.
1. Place your cursor where you want to start the bullets. Or if you’ve already created the bulleted list, select the entire list.
2. Click Format on the menu bar > Bullets and numbering
3. Click the Customize button in the bottom right corner of the window.
4. Click the Picture button on the right near the top of the new window.
5. Select the bullet you like.
6. Click OK 3 times to close the various windows.
Give your readers a break! Show them something new.
ASBA Tech Salvage
I received this notice as a member of ASBA (Arizona Small Business Association) but it is open to non-members as well. ASBA and Westech Recyclers have teamed up to offer a convenient, legal and secure way to recycle computer, medical, manufacturing and electronic equipment. On July 26th, 8 am – 12 pm, you can bring the items you wish to recycle to the ASBA office parking lot (4130 E Van Buren Phoenix) Free!! If you have a large load, you can call Westech Recyclers and speak to Tom Holland at 602-256-7626. The pick up is free if you are an ASBA member.
This pick up is for non-functioning equipment or really, really old equipment (3 years+). If you have functioning equipment, here are some worthy organizations to donate to:
Cell phones
Computers, printers, etc.
�
July 20, 2008
Create Your Own Bullets
Make your document stand out with custom bullets. Examples: We used a picture of a diver for a document about a swimming pool project. We used a leaf in a submital package on a building that we knew was going for a LEED certification. I use my logo as bullets in some of my project proposals.
- The picture you want to use has to be saved somewhere on your hard drive so you can access it.
- Place your cursor where you want to start the bullets. Or if you've already created the bulleted list, select the entire list.
- Click Format on the menu bar > Bullets and numbering
- Click the Customize button in the bottom right corner of the window.
- Click the Picture button on the right near the top of the new window.
- Click the Import button in the bottom left corner of the window.
- Navigate to the location of the picture you want to use.
- Select the graphic file. Click the Add button.
- Your graphic will be added to the list of bullets.
- Select your graphic.
- Click OK 3 times to close the various windows.
- A little bullet of your graphic will appear in your document.
May 22, 2008
New Graphic Design for Marketing Literature
Building on a marketing idea developed for a national trade show, Hollow Metal Xpress wanted to update their graphic design for all of their marketing literature. YCL worked with HMX to develop a plan of action. We didn't want to re-do all of the literature immediately! The first step was to create new door cut sheets. We next developed a matching set of black and white sheets that could be easily printed for submittal packages, training, etc.
Original cut sheet
New design
Black & white version
Original cut sheet
New design
Black & white version
April 1, 2008
2 Time Zones in Outlook
If you do business in multiple time zones or even have family in a different zone, here's a great Outlook tip. You can see 2 time zones on your Day and Work Week calendar views.
1. Go to your Outlook calendar, click View and select "Day" or "Work Week."
2. Right-click the vertical bar showing the hours of the day.
3. Select "Change Time Zone."
4. Select “Show an additional time zone.”
5. Pick your desired time zone, give it a name in the Label box, and click OK.
Now you have two parallel time bars next to your appointments, so when you’re thinking about planning a meeting with your colleagues in the Bangkok office, you’ll know when they’ll be most likely to be awake.
If you choose Arizona as a time zone, Outlook is smart enough to recognize that AZ doesn't participate in Daylight Savings Time so that option is shadowed. Cause we're special!
Bonus Hint: If you need to check more than two time zones at a time, you might want to try a World Clock like the one on timeanddate.com. You can set up a Personal Clock then link to it from your Desktop.
1. Go to your Outlook calendar, click View and select "Day" or "Work Week."
2. Right-click the vertical bar showing the hours of the day.
3. Select "Change Time Zone."
4. Select “Show an additional time zone.”
5. Pick your desired time zone, give it a name in the Label box, and click OK.
Now you have two parallel time bars next to your appointments, so when you’re thinking about planning a meeting with your colleagues in the Bangkok office, you’ll know when they’ll be most likely to be awake.
If you choose Arizona as a time zone, Outlook is smart enough to recognize that AZ doesn't participate in Daylight Savings Time so that option is shadowed. Cause we're special!
Bonus Hint: If you need to check more than two time zones at a time, you might want to try a World Clock like the one on timeanddate.com. You can set up a Personal Clock then link to it from your Desktop.
New Web Site for Steel Dor!
Check out the new site completed for Steel Dor in Tucson, AZ. http://www.steeldor.com/
Steel Dor manufactures metal and wood doors. They sell to distributors across Arizona as well as individual companies. They had a LOT of information to publish including electronic order forms, product specifications, installation instructions, etc. We used doors as their navigation buttons for the site.
One very unique feature on this site is the Daily Insult. There's a link at the bottom of each page. Steel Dor employees have a great sense of humor. Tim Troutman, in particular, has an interesting view of the world. He shares some of his favorite insults with us.
Steel Dor manufactures metal and wood doors. They sell to distributors across Arizona as well as individual companies. They had a LOT of information to publish including electronic order forms, product specifications, installation instructions, etc. We used doors as their navigation buttons for the site.
One very unique feature on this site is the Daily Insult. There's a link at the bottom of each page. Steel Dor employees have a great sense of humor. Tim Troutman, in particular, has an interesting view of the world. He shares some of his favorite insults with us.
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