Issue 9 - June 21, 2003

Editor: Lynne Bullen
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

Publisher: Associated Secretarial
Copyright © 2003 Associated Secretarial

In this issue:

8. Subscribe/Unsubscribe

1. Editorial

Hello and welcome back to our growing number of subscribers ... and a warm welcome to those of you who are joining us for the first time.

The eight part series we concluded two weeks ago, entitled "So, You Want To Be In Business?" has created quite the response. Several of you emailed me to say how various aspects had made things a little
easier. Thank you! Your comments are very much appreciated.

There were others who wrote to tell me that they'd been in business for some years, but even so, were surprised to learn that they had missed a vital step somewhere along the way. They've had a time to
reflect and go back a few steps ... and now things are back on track and working well. Congratulations! Thanks to you, also. It's nice to know that we're reaching both camps.

In this issue, we're going to talk about what it takes to be a success, whether you're an employer or an employee. Miscommunication, lack of forethought and the way you handle various situations can sometimes make things more difficult and very frustrating. Success depends on how you handle those
situations. Ever felt like you're banging your head against the proverbial "brick wall"? The one thing we don't want you to do is give up! We want you to be the success you know you can be!

Communication is just one thing necessary for a successful business enterprise. The way we communicate our feelings is another. Then there's the technology. Advances in technology for today's business world have taken us forward in leaps and bounds. Think about how you use these two important tools in your business. One this is sure ... one is no good without the other. You have to know how to use both effectively.

I have a very good reason for choosing these two aspects. I was prompted by an email from one of our subscribers.

A very successful business woman wrote to me saying that her secretary was taking far too long to transcribe her tapes and wanted to know how she might address the problem. After a series of emails back and forth between us, we were able to solve this problem. But first, we had to find the cause.

For the "boss" (we'll call her Anne), it was a bit of a revelation.

Anne was feeling really frustrated because recently (about 12 months ago), her secretary of eight years was becoming slower and often getting things wrong when it came to transcribing recorded material. Anne and her secretary had a wonderful working relationship and Anne was finding it hard to broach the subject for fear of offending "Sandy". After all, it was not every transcription that was taking longer than expected, but it was a good 80% of them! Too much to just "sweep under the carpet". What on earth was going on?

I asked Anne what equipment she used to record her dictation. To my delight, she said she used a digital recorder. I asked if she would be comfortable sending me a sample of her recorded material. Not just any recording but one that took her secretary an unusually long time to transcribe. She was happy to do so and attached a 20-minute voice file (.dss format) to her next email.

After listening to the recording, I felt I knew what the cause of the problem was. Anne had not realised that when she dictated her reports and correspondence, her voice was being "drowned" by other sounds close by.

Her favourite place to do her dictation was in her garden (weather permitting). In that garden she had (about 12 months ago) added a small, Japanese-style water feature which was pleasing to the eye. It also created that peaceful sound of the gentle flow of water. Many birds gather in Anne's garden and often scratch around and call to each other. It sounds like Anne has her own little piece of paradise.

Now, you probably wonder why I'm bothering to mention Anne's garden, water feature and the beautiful birds. What have they got to do with dictation? Truthfully, quite a lot. Together, they created that wonderful ambience, but unfortunately, this superficial noise was interfering with the clarity of Anne's recording.

When I explained to Anne that I believed this was the most probable cause of Sandy's slowness and lack of accuracy, she listened to the recording herself. Anne agreed that this was most definitely the problem. She had to stop and go back several times in just the first five minutes of the recording, because even she wasn't sure about a word here and there.

To my surprise, Anne revealed that this was probably the first time in 15 years that she'd bothered listening to what she had dictated. She had always taken it for granted that her clear speech and years of dictating, things would be just fine. About the only thing she did do was to check the first 30 seconds to see if her voice was "there".

To Anne's surprise, Sandy had been reluctant to say anything to her for fear of upsetting her "boss". Anne shared our email chat with Sandy. She and Sandy had a "heart-to-heart" and guess what? No more
frustration for Sandy ... things were finally clear. Anne was happy that her secretary ("the best" according to Anne) was again, the efficient person she'd always known Sandy to be!

So, what can we learn from this? To me, two things stand out.

The first and foremost it's about communication - or in this case, the lack of communication. I realise this sort of situation can be difficult. Timely, truthful and effective communication between parties when something isn't quite working the way it should, is extremely important. In the case of Anne and Sandy, the possibility of one upsetting the other stood in the way of solving the problem, let alone knowing the cause! Neither had been able to bring herself to that comfortable place which allows frank and open discussion -
even though they had worked together for eight years and knew each other well. Funny how that happens!

If you find yourself in similar situations, I suggest that you talk to someone removed from the situation and use that person as a "sounding board". You will more than likely uncover the cause of the problem. Once you've done that, you should be able to broach the subject without any unpleasantness resulting. I say, "should" because it's the way that you broach the subject that will affect the outcome. Don't blow it. Choose your words carefully, be aware of your body language, and be truthful. Your success rests first
and foremost with you. The way you react to any situation can make or break you.

The second thing is a matter of knowing how to best use the technology that's available to you. It's all very well to know how to "work" a recording device (or any other technology). It's another to know how to properly "use" that device. Again, if you're to be a success, you need to learn to "use" the technology
available to you, not just how to "work" it. See my article on recording tips in this issue.

Later, Birgitt explains that success has lots to do with how much you're prepared to put into your chosen field. She even reveals to you, one of her heroes.

Lastly, Dr Rachna Jain has some advice for those of you who are having trouble with the "No thanks" response to the hard work behind the planning and presentation of your product or service.

In closing, I encourage you to be open and honest in your business dealings, whether you're the employer, the employee, the supplier, the service provider, the client or the customer.

Learn to properly use the technology necessary for your success.

Don't be afraid to speak your mind, but do be careful how you do it.

If you have an issue with someone, think about best way to tackle it. Put yourself in the other's shoes before you open your mouth. If you don't, you'll open your mouth only to change feet!

Here's to your success!

Lynne
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

2. Article: Handy Tips to Assist your Transcriptionist and save you Money

Take care to ensure that your handwritten material is legible

Poor handwriting can be difficult to decipher and therefore your work will take longer to complete. As most transcriptionists will charge you by the hour, the longer it takes to decipher your writing, the more it will cost you in dollars.

Make sure that your recorded material is of good quality

When recording your speech draft, correspondence or report, etc., use good quality tapes. Make sure that your recording equipment is in good working order and that the recording heads are cleaned regularly. Erase any previous recording or use a new tape.

The following will apply whether you are recording your material on tape or digitally

Before you begin your recording, please observe the following:

Choose a quiet and comfortable place to do your dictating. Do not record your material sitting near a radio, television set, fan, motor, airconditioner. Your proximity to conversations or activities close to you will interfere with the clarity of your recording.
Do not dictate whilst driving in your car; the microphone will pick up road noise dispursed through your tyres and will result in your voice being in the background rather than up front.
Any ambient noise will make recorded material very difficult to hear, as it will override your voice. The longer it takes your transcriptionist to do the job, the more it will cost.
Make sure the microphone is not too far away from you. If you have it too close, it will cause distortion, regardless of the volume.
When recording meetings, forums or interviews, place the microphone(s) close to the participants or close to the PA system's speakers.
Do a "test" by dictating 30 seconds or so and then listen to that recording. Adjust the volume control and the position you take in relation to the microphone. Take special note as to the clarity and volume and check that there is no distortion or ambient noise which will interfere with the the quality of your recording.
Speak clearly. Do not mumble or speak very quickly. Do not assume that your transcriptionist will "fill in the gaps".

The recording process

Commence your recording stating the day and date. State clearly the nature of the material; (eg Correspondence, Report, Meeting, Quote, Proposal, etc.)

If the material is correspondence, begin with the name and address of the entity to whom it is addressed. Spell names and clearly state the address to which the material is to be sent. (There are often times when the target may have more than one business, or a preferred address, depending on the nature of the material).

If the material is specific to a particular profession, trade or industry and the correct terminology is required (eg Scientific, Medical, Legal, Architectural, Insurance) spell the words to ensure accurate transcription of your recorded material.

Do not leave long gaps in your recording. Use the pause facility if you need to find papers or if you are interupted.

If you're using tape, before you turn the tape over during the recording, say "continued on side two". It's a good idea to repeat the last sentence from the first side so that there can be no confusion. (This does not apply to digital recordings).

Upon finishing the letter, report, etc., say "end of letter, report".

Upon finishing your recording session, say "end of session". This will ensure that your transcriptionist is not listening for more material. It will also ensure that if you have forgotten to erase previously recorded material, the transcriptionist will not continue typing. Note: Many recordings you make will have similar
information - ie names, terminology, locations, etc.). It's not unusual for a transcriptionist to believe that this "older" material is part of the current material).

Check that your recording is really there. It's easy to press "Play" instead of "Record", which means that none of the material you dictated will have been recorded.

Always keep a record of where your tapes are and what's on them. Make yourelf a sheet on which to record the following information:

- The number of the tape - date of recording - the name of entity to which the material pertains (eg Mr Smith, XYZ Insurance Co., ABC Stationery Supplies) - a brief explanation of what is on the tape (general correspondence, report, memo, etc.) - the date you give your tape to your transcriptionist, name of transcriptionist - the date by which the tape and the transcribed material is to be returned. You may find that not all of these will be applicable to you.

Make sure that your transcriptionist is aware of any deadlines. It's good practice to hand write or email your transcriptionist a message with the following information:

- Tape/Recording number - Entity to which material pertains - List attachments pertaining to material which is to be presented with the transcribed material - Mention any specific instruction which do not ordinarily apply - date by which you require work completed.

Special instructions for material recorded on tape

When not in use, always keep your tapes in their plastic covers. This will protect them from damage, and prevent dust and other debris from entering the tape casing.

Keep your recorded material away from heat, extreme cold or humidity. Never leave your tapes in your car.

Keep your tapes well away from magnets. Don't leave them on top of your stereo speakers or other magnetic fields. If you do, you risk loosing recorded material.

Renew your tapes frequently. Continued use of "old" tapes may result in the stretching of the tape, and therefore increases the risk of the tape catching on the capstan wheel in your machine or your transcriptionist's machine.

Special instructions for digitally recorded material

Make sure you set the date and time before you commence your recording.

Download your recorded material to your computer as soon as possible after your recording session. This will ensure that older material is not lost by recording over it. It will also ensure that your downloaded material won't always have the same date showing on the computer file.

A final word

Do not keep batteries in your recording device. This is especially important if you only occasionally use your device. If there are long periods of non-use, your batteries may corrode in the device and damage connections. Take them out upon finishing and replace them when you're ready to use the device again.

Which ever device you use for your recording purposes, remember, for optimum results, take care of your equipment with regular cleaning and maintenance.

Lynne Bullen is a successful businesswoman whose talents include Public Relations; Editorial and Commercial Copywriting; Design and Facilitation of Seminars, Forums and Workshops, and helping small business to grow and prosper.Lynne Bullen Strategies was registered and commenced business in 1991 to offer VA services to the small business owner. She is also the Founder of Associated Secretarial ...the perfect solution. Lynne is happy to share her knowledge to help others achieve their goals. lynne@associatedsecretial.com.au

3. Resources

The Small Business Support - Network was born in 1997 to help Australian businesses with free ideas, advice and ongoing support to help you to start, grow, manage, network and promote your business, featuring the basics of what you need to do business online. http://www.ozsmallbiz.net/

Time Stamp - A freeware MS Windows program you can use to easily track time spent on a project. It enables you to time how long you spend on a task, including features that let you take "slack time" for a phone call or break. Times for various tasks can be linked to an hourly charge rate for accurate billing.
http://www.syntap.com/products_timestamp_productinfo.htm

Come On Aussie Dot Com features some famous Aussie ideas, lots of great new ones, some BIG Aussie stuff, Australian record breakers and, of course, lots of new Oz small business web sites.
http://www.comeonaussie.com/index.html

4. Article: Success

What makes a person successful? How does the ordinary, man-in-the-street become a success? Had to think a bit on that one. Actually, it's not really that complicated.

What makes a successful person? Amazing talent, friends in high places, born with a silver spoon? They may help, but I think you'd probably find that a lot of successful people didn't start from such stellar beginnings. Whether you are a success or not is something that's totally under your control.

==> Know your craft

You'd think that knowing what you're doing would go without saying, but you might be surprised by the number of people you talk to that are not happy about a particular product or service they received.

Recently, we went to visit a new client who wants a web site. We chatted for a while, going over the ins and outs of life online. At one point, our new client mentioned that he did have some trouble browsing the web with his email program. Say what?!!

His computer had crashed and he sent it off for repair. When he got it back, Internet Explorer wasn't working, so the "repairman" took it away again. When the "repairman" returned it, he explained to our bemused client that he couldn't get Explorer to reinstall, but that was ok, because he could use his MS Outlook email program to browse the net.

I won't repeat what I was thinking about the "repairman" - this might fall into the hands of children. This "professional" passed off a shoddy result as "ok". I wonder how he sleeps at night?

Know your stuff! If you don't know something, don't just hope nobody will notice - find out! Ask someone, take a course, buy a book, go to the library and research it - get the answers. Hand your client exactly what they asked for and then some - and they'll be happy.

==> Find your niche

Maybe you're an accountant. You've studied hard, got your qualifications and you're good at what you do. But, you find that helping a small businessman set up his fledgling business is a lot more satisfying than crunching numbers. Or maybe, you've been a secretary for years, know the ins and outs of office
administration, but you really want to write children's books.

Why go on for years in a job that you don't enjoy or leaves you feeling dissatisfied at the end of the day? If you're not happy doing what you're doing, change it. Find your passion and run with it. It will make all the difference.

==> Persist

Scratch the surface of any successful person and you will find, just below the surface, someone who didn't give up, despite all the set backs and heartache. They had a dream and they kept going.

Persisting when everything seems too hopeless, too complicated or just plain too hard is the most difficult thing you'll ever do. Many people find they can't cope and so give up.

Years ago, when I first started out in my own business, someone emailed me something that I've hung on to - and it's stopped me (many times) from throwing my hands in the air and screaming "enough!". Here it is - maybe it'll help you too:

Failed in business in 1831
Ran as a state legislator and lost in 1832
Failed in business in 1833
Fiancée died in 1835
Nervous breakdown in 1836
Ran for state elector in 1840
Defeated for Congress in 1843
Defeated for the Senate in 1855
Defeated for Vice Presidency of the United States in 1856
Defeated for the Senate in 1858
Elected President of the United States in 1860

"You cannot fail unless you quit." - Abraham Lincoln

Birgitt Thursby is a successful virtual assistant and web site designer, specialising in helping small business - birgitt@bpthursby.com.au
http://www.bpthursby.com.au/

5. Article: How to Survive "No, Thanks." In Business

When owning or operating a business, it's inevitable that sometimes, people will not buy your product or service. This might occur early in the contact cycle, or it might occur later, after you've expended some amount of time, money, and effort. While this never feels good, here are 10 ways you can minimize its impact on you and your business.

1) Maintain a very high level of regular self care. This means that you make a commitment to your health and needs for sleep, exercise, good nutrition, and relaxation. It means that you have adequate reserves of time, money, and resources so that you have more than you need in all these areas. If you don't, today, have "more than you need" getting to this level should be one of your first priorities. There is little worse than "needing" a client to buy so you can meet your monthly rent payment. Take strong action to increase your reserves.

2) Find a different spot to stand in. This means that you find a way to shift your perspective on the process. Some will take rejection and use it as an excuse to never try again. Others will find a way to use the experience and make it in something bigger, more generative, and more powerful. Which approach is more likely to foster success?

3) Consider that the solution might be "not this way - try another". This means that this event might, actually, give you a guidepost of how to move forward on your next attempt. If you can, find out why the prospect did not buy your product or service. A simple follow-up call can show you ways to improve your selling process for next time.

4) Remind yourself that it's not personal. This means, don't make the person's decision as reflective of your talents, or your abilities. Some people are not right for you or your company, and some people are. When someone has said "No" be glad. They wouldn't have been happy with what you offered, and may have cost more (in time, effort, special requests) in the long run. It's easier to do this, by the way, when you don't "need" the sale - see tip #1.

5) Decrease the time you spend with people who don't respect you, your product, or your service. This means, instead, spend more resources cultivating people who value what you offer. Generate an "ideal prospect" profile and stick with this. Your bottom line will reflect the difference.

6) Keep moving on. Very often, we take a "no" and we think about it...re-live it... plan what we'll say next time...in short, we live the event hundreds of times when, in fact, it was just, really, a few minutes in our life. The best antidote to this is to take the next action, and the next, and the next. Keep moving forward and don't dwell on the past.

7) Broaden your definition of success. The number one reason people feel bad when someone says, "no" is because they feel a strong attachment to the outcome. Instead of looking at outcomes, or being attached to how things turn out, perhaps you can look at success as getting out there in the first place. How would it be if you went for effort rather than outcome, even sometimes?

8) Start a success journal - immediately. For every No you've ever experienced, you probably could list tens (if not hundreds) of situations in which people said "Yes!" to who you are or what you offer. When you feel upset or down about one particular situation, aim to list at least 100 things you've succeeded in already.

9) Shift your focus from what happened. Distract yourself by thinking of all the good and fun things you want to attain or achieve. Whatever you think about gets bigger in your life, so make sure you're thinking good thoughts. Take each experience as an isolated occurrence, not the absolute, ultimate truth.

10) Commit to routinely attracting more customers than you need. "No, thanks" is much easier to handle - economically - when you have a steady flow of qualified prospects streaming in. If you aren't in this position, be sure to revisit your marketing plan and recommit to daily marketing actions. It's easy to get away from
this when business picks up, and harder to generate momentum when business goes down.

Taken together, these strategies will help you overcome "No, Thanks." while building a more successful business.

About the Author: Dr. Rachna D. Jain is a sales and marketing coach and Director of Operations for SalesCoachTraining.com. To learn more or contact Dr. Jain directly, please visit
http://www.salesandmarketingcoach.com, and sign up for her free newsletter, Sales and Marketing Secrets. © 2003, Dr. Rachna D. Jain. All Rights in All Media Reserved.

6. Sponsors

Got a big project coming up? Need more staff? Stop!!! Don't employ anyone else. Why? The Virtual Assistants have arrived and are ready, willing and able to provide you with professional
secretarial and administrative tasks without the on-costs and overheads ... and they do it at their office!. Associated Secretarial will provide you with top quality work, on call and on time. Click here and find out why people are saying, "Associated Secretarial "

Digital-e --- Info To Go!, your source for ebooks, e-courses and information to help you achieve your dream of your own creative home-based business. http://www.digital-e.biz/

Need to convert MAC files to PC or the reverse? Don’t know how to do it? IPD System Services does! Need one-on-one training in use of Microsoft Products or MYOB? Contact IPD. They also offer Computer sales and support (hardware and software), Internet installations and set-ups (Dial-up, Broadband - ADSL). If you want to become master of your computer technology - rather than a slave to it, contact IPD System Services Pty Ltd - mailto:dawnd@ipdsys.com or phone Dawn on 08 8331-7255.

7. Feedback

Do you have any questions or ideas: news@associatedsecretarial.com.au?subject=feedback

8. Subscribe/Unsubscribe

To SUBSCRIBE to this newsletter, please send a blank e-mail to
associated_secretarial-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

To UNSUBSCRIBE to this newsletter, please send blank e-mail to
associated_secretarial-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Copyright & Privacy

From the Eagle's Nest: Copyright © 2003 Lynne Bullen and Associated Secretarial (articles by other individuals copyrighted as indicated). Prior to using Lynne's articles please e-mail her at lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au - she will provide her bio and a URL link. Thank you.

We respect our subscriber's privacy and will NOT sell, rent or otherwise distribute any subscriber details to any third party, for any reason.

If you think a friend may find this ezine useful, please forward it to them in its ENTIRETY, including a note telling them why. Otherwise, they may think that we have sent it to them without their permission - thank you!

news@associatedsecretarial.com.au
PO Box 181 Para Hills South Australia 5096

Your privacy is important.
We will never rent, sell or otherwise distribute your details to any other third party.

© 2002-2004 Associated Secretarial & From the Eagle's Nest - All rights reserved
This page was last updated on: 20 January, 2004
Associated Secretarial & From the Eagle's Nest ~ P.O. Box 181 Para Hills South Australia 5096
Site design & maintenance by B & P Thursby Digital Services