1. Clever computing with Debbie - 2 productivity tips

2. Great stealable marketing idea - million dollar communication

1. Clever computing with Debbie

Here's two great tips to save you time

Outlook: Make calendar items stand out with colour. Try this, it's brilliant.
Why not create a band of colour to help you visually prioritise your calendar meetings, appointments and event? For example every time you type in the word committee meeting it can turn blue; type in staff meeting and have it coloured green.

It's simple to set up. Right click on any day. Select automatic formatting. Type in a name and select a colour. You can hone it very finely by selecting the condition button.

Excel: Keep your column heading from moving when you scroll
Isn't it most annoying when you're working with a big Excel spreadsheet the column headings move out of sight? Keep them immobile by "freezing them". Here's how.

If your column headings are in Row 1; Highlight the entire Row Two. Then go to the Window Menu, and select Freeze Pane. It's as simple as that. Now the headings will remain frozen while you scroll up and down to your hearts content. It's better than splitting the screen because splitting does not make any of the sections immobile.

2. Great stealable marketing idea

I never thought I'd have a similar story to tell
Back in 2000 I had a wonderful story about a plastic manufacturing firm which after sending out prospecting emails gained a new client worth one million in annual revenue.

Prospecting emails are neigh near impossible to get through in this spam day and age. But it doesn't mean that the medium is not effective with your existing clients and people that know you.

I had a wonderful conversation with Bob last Tues. He and his wife run their own travel agency, but their story is a great message and easily adaptable.

Proactively drive business
"Debbie, Beth and I set up shop about 15 years ago. We weren't in a shopping centre (i.e. no foot traffic) so we knew we would have to be smart and proactive with our marketing." Bob told me. Continuing he said "From day one, I knew a database would be very important for us, so we were very meticulous in our data collection. We specialise in cruises, so for example we would go beyond the norm and enter into our database what cruise ship our customers went on and how long the trip was."

Move before anyone else
"We belong to a select nationwide group of travel agents working with cruises. When our wholesaler told the group of a new (never done before) cruise around Australia they were putting together - we knew we had only two days before the information was going to hit the public. So we jumped on it.

What Bob and Beth did

1. We went through our database and selected everyone that had cruised on that ship or had been on a 3 to 4 week cruise.
2. We sent them an email suggesting they act urgently - they literally knew about this only two days before the rest of Australia (a letter would have taken too long).
3. We gave them a special offer - 1/2 price travel insurance.
4. We knew we had a lot of elderly people that don't read their emails daily - so we sent a follow up letter and brochure.

Million dollars from an email
Their result? The subheading above says it all. They sold 60 passages on the ship, bringing in over a million dollars in revenue.

"Bob" I asked, could any other company have done this? Does anyone else have a database as detailed as you for targeting?" "My guess would be less than a handful in the whole country" was his reply