Timely Tips October 2007: A Third E-mail Account?

A Tip from Randy's Upcoming Taming the E-mail Beast: 35 Key Strategies for Better Managing Your E-mail Overload (and Regaining Your E-mail Sanity!)


in this issue
A Third E-mail Account? Excerpt from "Taming the E-mail Beast"
HELP ME Select My New Book Cover!
E-book Version of Taming E-mail Now Being Sold
New Open Courses in Toledo and Detroit
Learn About Randy's Marketing "Secret"


Dear Timely Tips Reader,

I just love this time of year. Don't you? We spent a couple of hours decorating our house for Halloween yesterday - it is definitely "spookyville" here at the Dean household now. And the leaves have finally started changing too - about three weeks behind schedule - but those brilliant reds and golds and yellows have finally made their annual appearance. (By the way, if you will be attending either the Michigan Chamber of Commerce conference later this week or the National Association for Pupil Transportation Officers conference next week, be sure to stop by and say "Hi!")


A Bonus This Month - This Month's Tip an Excerpt from My New Book, "Taming the E-mail Beast"

As you know, I've been working feverishly on bringing a new book to market that details my key strategies for better managing your e-mail activities. In coming months, I'm planning on sharing several tips from this book as my Timely Tips for that month. The first tip is a pretty simple tip that I recommend all readers consider: having a third e-mail account that would act as your Internet/E-commerce account (your first two accounts would be your professional, work-related account and your personal e-mail account for messages with your family and friends). The basic reason for having this account: to have an e-mail account you can use for all of your e-commerce/Internet activities where you need to submit a valid e-mail address to complete your Internet/e-commerce transactions. Having this third account allows you to keep your work and personal accounts more "hidden" from junk and spam e-mail providers.

To read the more complete excerpt on this third account from Taming the E-mail Beast: 35 Key Strategies for Better Managing Your E-mail Overload (and Regaining Your E-mail Sanity), visit this page:

http://randalldean.com/timelytips1007_tamingemailexcerpt.html


Speaking of Taming the E-mail Beast, HELP ME pick my cover!

My designer has done something very fun for me - he has provided me with THREE possible cover options for my new e-book (and ultimately paperback version) of Taming the E-mail Beast. One is pretty much a classic contemporary cover design, but the other two are a bit more daring and, shall I say, fun. One required a pretty entertaining photo shoot, and the other incorporated the development of an actual "e-mail beast".

I don't know which one I like the best, so I'm asking for your help. I've posted the draft cover versions for all three designs on my website - I'd love to get your vote for your favorite!

Simply click here:

http://randalldean.com/tamingemail_draftcovers.html,

and you'll go to a page where you can link to each of the three possible designs. Then, send me an e-mail with your vote for your favorite (and least favorite!). I'll compile the results and announce the winning design in next month's Timely Tips.


E-Book Version Now Being Sold

Right now, we are completing the final tasks to complete the e-book version (which will be followed soon after by the paperback). I've posted a special pre-publication offer for this e-book on my site - check it out at: http://www.randalldean.com/offers.html.

Don't forget my offer for you to receive a full three-chapter sneak preview of the book - simply send me an e-mail at randy@randalldean.com requesting your sample chapters and we'll e-mail this PDF document to you right away.


Finally, Some Open E-mail and Time Management Courses by Randy Dean!

I've had many of you requesting for some time for me to offer some open courses again, but my crazy corporate, college, and conference speaking and training schedule has limited my ability to provide these open courses. But, as we approach year's end, I finally have some options for you!

In early December, I'll be offering two open course options, each in conjunction with a different group. First, on Tuesday, December 11, I'll be offering my half-day "Time Management for Busy Managers, Leaders, and Professionals" course in Sylvania, Ohio (right near the Michigan border just north of Toledo). This course will be in conjunction with the Employers Association of Northwest Ohio.

Click here for more information:

http://www.employersassociation.com/training/2007T/10-2%20Leadership%202010.htm

or click here to register: http://www.employersassociation.com/reg_Leadership2010.htm

Then, on Friday, December 14, I'll be leading my half-day "Taming the E-mail and Info Overload Beast" course in conjunction with the Detroit IMA and Orchards Children's Services in Southfield, Michigan (just north of Detroit). If you have interest in registering for this course, contact Chuck Phillips of the Detroit IMA at cphillips@detroitlions.com. Chuck will provide you with pricing and registration information. Be sure to mention if you are an active member of the Institute of Management Accountants, as IMA members will get a discount on their registration fees for this course. (Regardless, the expected costs for both of these courses will be lower than the expected rates for a series of open courses we're planning after the first of the year in conjunction with the release of the new book - more information on these courses coming very soon!)


It's Been a Great Year!

This has truly been a breakout year for Randall Dean Consulting & Training, LLC. We've been hearing about the economic downturn here in Michigan for some time now, but RDC&T has certainly bucked that trend. This will mark our fourth straight year of business growth, and we are now projecting approximately a 65% increase in revenues for this year over last. Thanks to all of you for being a big part of that!

Many have been asking about how I'm marketing and promoting my firm to allow for this growth and success. Well, I do have a little marketing "secret" that I've been using for about a year now, and this secret has really worked to propel my firm forward. If you are working in a firm that provides client services, sells products or services via the web, offers information products, is interested in offering web-enabled consulting or training services, provides training or speaking program services, and/or wants to open up a whole new low-cost way to market or promote your business or products, you too might want to check out this "marketing secret". I've set up a web page on my site to tell you a bit more - check it out at http://www.randalldean.com/randysmarketingsecret.html.

Regardless, thanks to all of you for your continued support and patronage! And have a wonderful Halloween. (Don't eat too much candy!)

Until next time, Stay Timely!

Timely Tips September 2007: A Quick Tip for Air Travelers

This simple step could save you the hassle of checking bags and waiting for your luggage after flights.


in this issue
A "Permanent" Clear Plastic Toiletries Baggie
A Follow Up to Last Month's Multiple Monitors Tip
Randy Is "Linked In"
Look for Next Month's Tip Soon!


Dear Timely Tips Reader,

I sure do love this time of the year, with my annual trips to all of business schools and universities. What better place is there to be than a college campus in late summer and early fall? It was nice seeing so many of you again recently at East Carolina, U. Pitt, Ohio State, U. Chicago, and Purdue. And here in a couple of weeks, I'll be leading my staff open enrollment sessions at Michigan State. I hope to see a few of you there too. Obviously, with these campus visits, as well as a slate of corporate, governmental, and association appearances over the last two months, I've been spending some time in airports again recently. I wanted to share a quick tip that will help you not only save time getting your luggage, but also with packing for your trips.


Keep a Permanent Clear Plastic One Quart Toiletries "Baggie"

As most air travelers know, the Transportation Security Administration recently ruled that air passengers can now only carry on liquids or gels in a clear plastic one-quart bag, and each of those liquids or gels must be in three-ounce or less containers. If you can't meet these requirements, then you must pack your liquid or gels in your checked luggage.

Now, if you are just heading out for a quick trip, checking your luggage causes you significant added time, not to mention the risk from losing that luggage. Because of this, my wife gave me a great suggestion I'd like to share with you. She said, "Why don't you just make up a permanent clear toiletries plastic bag that is always ready for a trip?" I thought this was a great idea, and went to the local drug store and bought a collection of 3-ounce-or-less toiletries, and created my own permanent clear plastic one-quart toiletries travel bag. It cost about $10 to buy the needed items, but this $10 has saved me big time in terms of time saved.

I keep this toiletries "baggie" in my laptop bag, and it is just ready to go anytime I travel. I now no longer have to spend time packing up my toiletries -- they are always ready -- be that for a flight, road trip, or trip by train. If I am flying, I simply need to take the bag out of my laptop bag at the security screening checkpoint and put it through the luggage scanner so the security agents can see the contents.

And, with my "carry on legal" piece of luggage and my laptop bag, I no longer have to check any luggage, which saves me 10-15 minutes on the front end of each flight checking bags (just print your boarding pass online and go straight to the security checkpoint), 30-45 minutes on the back end waiting for my bags to be unloaded, and another 5-10 minutes packing toiletries for each trip -- this is close to an hour of time saved every time you fly!

So, if you are an avid traveler, head over to the grocery or drug store, and stock up on your 3-oz. or less travel size toiletries, get your one-quart clear plastic baggie, and make your permanent travel time saver!


A Great Follow Up Suggestion on Last Month's Multiple Monitors Timely Tip

As you remember, last month I did a Timely Tip on the productivity benefits of using multiple monitors at your workstation. Avid Timely Tips reader Tunga Kiyak of Michigan State University's Broad School of Business had this great recommendation regarding the use of multiple monitors:

"If you are using multiple monitors, you must use a utility called "Ultramon" (http://www.ultramon.com), which puts a separate task bar on your second monitor, so that you can manage the windows on each monitor separately. In addition, it allows you to easily move windows from one window to the other, or stretch your windows across two monitors. Check it out! Unfortunately, it costs $39.95.

There is also a free alternative to it out there, called MultiMon that I've heard good things about (http://www.mediachance.com/free/multimon.htm), but I haven't tried it myself (I had already bought Ultramon when I heard about Multimon, so I had no motivation to test it.)"

So, if you've decided to make the move to multiple monitors, here are a couple software options that will make your transition that much smoother!


Randy is "Linked In"

Are any of you users of the popular online social networking tool called "Linked In"? I really like it, because if you or any of your contacts make moves, job changes, and so on, rather than having to send out announcements to everyone of your moves, you can simply update your Linked In profile, and your network can keep track of you. I've been building my Linked In profile and contacts list for several months now -- to see my profile, just go to www.linkedin.com and search "People" with "Randy Dean" in the search field.


I'd love to get many of you, my Timely Tips readers, linked to me in Linked In. If you would like to link up, simply send me a "Get Linked" request to add me to your network. And, if you have ever attended one of my speaking or training programs and have really found the information valuable and entertaining, I would greatly appreciate your posting of a "Linked In" recommendation for me. Thanks in advance! I look forward to linking up with you.


Until Next Time ...

Obviously, this Timely Tip is coming in right at the end of September. Look for a new Timely Tip very soon -- with the next one including an excerpt from my new book on effective e-mail management -- Taming the E-mail Beast. If you'd like to learn more about the book, visit my web site at www.randalldean.com, or just send me a quick e-mail to request a three-chapter sneak preview. If you'd like to take advantage of a couple very nice pre-publication special offers, visit www.randalldean.com/offers.html.

Enjoy this beautiful early autumn weather, and until next time, Stay Timely!