After a very short while operating your internet business you’ll notice that you just don’t have enough time to do all of the things that you think you “have” to do. I certainly felt that way. I mean – you download from you ISP to your desktop computer – 200 or 300 emails at a time and it soon gets overwhelming. So what did I do? Flounder – then learn what others were doing.
The first thing you need to do is make sure you have a good email processing program. I use Eudora Pro but understand Pegassus is just as good. There is an excellent article comparing the two – posted along with lot of other great internet marketing articles – by a variety of authors at my web site at http://www.williecrawford.com So I won’t bother repeating the comparison here.
When I log in at my ISP: Eudora sends any email I’ve composed since my last log on; downloads any emails that have come in since my last download; and sorts my mail.
SORTING MY MAIL – That’s a biggie. I have filters set up that look for key words in the from, subject or body field of the message. When the program spot any of these it filters my mail, diverting certain messages to pre-labeled folders, responding to certain messages with precomposed messages, and deleting certain messages automatically. It’s a wonder to behold -filtering 300 message in under a minute – so that I only have to deal with maybe 30 messages directly. These are usually internet newbies asking for advice which I gladly give.(Orders that I get are filled automatically too.) I enjoy helping people just starting their own internet-based business and I give them as much of my free advice as they desire. The others messages I process when I visit that folder – or if it’s something filtered to the trash – never.
What do I filter to the trash? Any message with just question marks, or nothing in the subject field, and messages from certain individuals, firms, or domain names that are know for spamming! Setting up very specific filters takes only seconds, and I never have to deal with certain spammers ever again. Spamming hurts your business more than it helps – and if you haven’t learned that by now, then I cannot afford to be associated with you anyway. Rules of the net also tell you that it’s bad manners to send a message without a subject. If you have so little respect for your prospects’ time that you can’t tell them why you are writing in the subject, then sorry – but your messages should be deleted – unread. At the same time – I have enough appreciation for your time to always tell you why I am bothering you in the subject of my messages!
My filters direct my favorite ezines to folders created especially for them. I may read several issues at once – when time permits. Other ezines – that I may or may not have requested – I peruse. If they offer anything useful I quickly process this information. Most of my “learning” is from reading articles by those who share their mistakes with me. I cannot afford to not scan these ezines, but each one only takes minutes. There are so many ezines out there now.
If I come across an article, an ad, or anything that interests me, I send it to the appropriate folder. I have folder labeled “As Soon As Practical,” “Today,” “Follow Up,” “Good Idea,” and folders for different products or services that I handle – and I get to these folders in that order. If whatever you send me doesn’t conveniently fit in one of these folder, it will either be acted upon when first read or never acted upon. If I come across something I want to save or use later in my ezine or on my web site, I compose a message right away and take whatever action is desireable. This is the biggie for me taken from the offline world – you can usually only afford the time to handle each piece of paper only once. Pick it up, decide what to do with it, and do it. Email is the same way. If you don’t act upon it when you first open it, the next time that you open it you have to decipher it, and decide to do it, and commit to act upon that decision all over again. Why not just go through that though process only once. Which issues a dire warning — make your offers ones that will be acted up when first looked at – otherwise they are destined not to be acted upon at all.
The other area of time management I want to touch upon briefly is autoresponders. When I first started out there were days when I responded to over 200 requests for information or free reports that could have easily been processed by autoresponders. Now – 90% of the free information/reports that I offer are sent out by autoresponders. They give my prospect free information – instantly, and in-a-way, prequalifiy my prospects. Those that I end up dealing with directly have already read my literature and are really interested in my products or services. If you are not using auto-responders then you are spending too much time composing and sending emails that could be processed much cheaper by machine. My ISP provides unlimited autoresponders with my account – so my business is largely on autopilot.
Just a few quick thoughts on time management. For my free report on other time management techniques email willie@williecrawford.com?subject=moretime, for my free report on what ezines I feel are worthwhile reading – email willie@williecrawford.com?subject=ezines For my free report on what web site host I recommend and use to send out my autoresponder messages, as well as trust enough to host my own site, email willie@williecrawford.com?subject=autoresponders and For a complete FREE internet marketing education visit my site at http://www.williecrawford.com where I soon hope to have over 130 very informative internet marketing articles posted. I want this site to be your Internet Marketing Bible. willie@williecrawford.com
Willie Crawford has been teaching Internet marketing for
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