Nowhere fast
Jackie West
Jackie West writes:
Recently, I felt that I’d been taking two steps forward and three steps back, getting nowhere fast… I’m sure you’ve felt this way too, from time to time.
I came to the conclusion that I really don’t have enough hours in the day…what with keeping up-to-date with client projects and liaison, following leads for new business, endeavouring to keep an eye (and posting) on my Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, reading and learning about what’s old/new/emerging etc, plus the day-to-day administration of my business, participating in various community activities, AND somewhere along the line fitting in a life!
I’ve taken a step back, and a good look at everything I do, and decided to follow some of the 13 Tips for Working Smarter, Not Harder on WebProNews.
On the desk/paperwork/filing front I’d say I’m pretty organised, however, tip number 9 IS particularly relevant to me:
9) Learn to say “No.” You could live to be a hundred and still not have time to do everything you want – that’s the curse and blessing of being intelligent and having high expectations of yourself. The good news is you can choose what to focus on. You have far more freedom than you may realise. Aside from obligations like caring for vulnerable family members and paying taxes, very little of what you “have” to do is morally or legally mandatory. Review everything in your life and ask, “What’s the worst that can happen if I stopped doing this?” Saying “No” sometimes is the only way you can “Yes” to what you really value.
I can’t tell you here what I’ve started to say ‘No’ to, but it’s working – and guess what? Nothing bad has happened….
This month helping me out on the postings front here (smart or what, eh?) are contributions from Andy Long, Richard Stone and Chris Rand – three people I know always work smart themselves… hope you find something to help you work smarter, too!
- Follow our new articles on Twitter!
- Sign up for our free UK Industrial Marketing monthly newsletter
- RSS comments feed for this post
- Posted on 30 Jan 2010 at 03:54 pm
- More stuff from Jackie West
Thanks for your faith in my smart working; I think it goes Hand in Glove with saying no sometimes as well.
Hi Jackie,
‘…endeavouring to keep an eye (and posting) on my Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,’ you say – have you (or anyone) any proof that these have brought you new business? I’m on LinkedIn – but take no real part, other than when I’m asked to be added as a contact: if I know them, I’ll say yes (why not?), but I yearn to know if it is worth bothering with or if it’s a case of ‘my LinkedIn contact list is bigger than yours’ (not difficult in my case!).
Even with sites that purport to offer opportunities – such as BizReef, Business Finder, Business Link’s supplier matching service, CompleteFor, Freelance Network, Hot Frog, Marketing Quotes, No Agencies Please and Supply-2-Government – the actual number of opportunities for copywriters is minuscule and, in my experience, the response from ones that looked likely is total silence from 95+% of those I’ve contacted… which also leads one to ask why are ‘advertisers’ so rude? What is the problem with e-mailing back, if only to say ‘tough’?
Blogs on consumer matters, teenagers on Facebook and actors twittering I can understand, but does anyone involved in buying or specifying mundane B2B stuff really spend their day checking social sites for help and advice?
I am yet to be convinced.
Regards,
Peter Mann
Buzz Associates Limited
45 East Hatley
Cambridgeshire
SG19 3JA
T+F +44 (0) 1767 651115
M +44 (0) 7840 538814
peter@buzzassociates.co.uk
http://www.buzzassociates.co.uk
What’s in it for you? Persuasive marketing, copywriting,
graphic design, PR + a lot more that sells and good service.
PS to the above (or below, depending on where this will end up) – how does one get a line space between paragraphs?
Peter,
Most certainly industrial marketing folk are, increasingly, turning to Twitter. I predict 2010 will be the year for the B2B Tweets!
For me, what has worked extremely well is Blogging – yep, new business has come in as a result. It’s definitely been worth the effort.
LinkedIn – nothing as yet, but it’s been great for me to catch-up with people I’d lost touch with (business-wise) when I moved north. No business – as yet.
Facebook – of late I’ve tended to neglect it. I see the others above as more important to me than this medium – for my business that is.
When I wrote the above article I seriously had to look at what I was doing – and having used the word ‘no’ (politely, of course) a number of times since (to myself as well!) I’m now working smarter – still hard, though, but nothing new there…
I think you have to try these things, give it time – after all, what is it they say – something like, if you don’t buy the ticket you’ll never win the raffle….