5 hotkeys that help me multitask effectively

When I am researching qualified prospects and taking notes on each individual company, it can lead to a huge cluster and leave me feeling disorganized.  My last job in sales required me to run about 3 programs at all times with several browser tabs open at the same time.   Staying productive and efficient can be a challenge when you have an overwhelming amount of information in front of you and it can take a lot of petty time to get the job done. 



Photo Source" https://davescomputertips.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/keyboard-hotkeys.jpg

Hotkeys are keyboard shortcuts designed to save time by eliminating the need to ‘click around’ to get to where you need to be.  Here are some hotkeys for Windows (should be similar for Mac OS, switch CTRL with Command) that have saved me a lot of time and led me to be more productive when multitasking:

1)     CTRL+X/C/V

a.      You probably knew these ones already.  If you didn’t:

                                                        i.      CTRL+X will cut highlighted data

                                                       ii.      CTRL+C will copy highlighted data

                                                     iii.      CTRL+V will paste whatever is copied/cut on your clipboard

2)     ALT+Tab

a.      This one is probably my favorite.  This will switch you to your last program in use (provided it is still open).  This is very useful if you need to input individual data from one program to the next or referencing something quickly and switching back.  Keep ALT held and continue pushing tab until you get to the program you desire

3)     CTRL+Tab

a.      This will switch between tabs on your web browser      

4)     Tab/Shift+Tab

a.      When filling out a form, for example, hitting tab will take you to the next field.  Shift+Tab will take you back to previous field

5)     CTRL+Z/CTRL+Shift+Z

a.      Did you just accidentally delete a bunch of important data? No problem.  Hit CTRL+Z to undo changes quickly.  Adding shift to that formula will redo changes made

I am aware that I may be preaching to the choir on some of these hotkeys, but I wanted to share the ones that have helped me multitask most effectively.  Do you have a favorite that isn’t listed here?  Leave your favorite in the comments.  

Using Excel Features to Optimize Efficiency (advice appreciated!)

As an app relations associate, it’s my duty to seek out and reach out to relevant app publishers that may be a good fit for AdAdapted to partner with.  Excel is a very useful tool for keeping track of prospects, lead generation...hell, basically the whole sales process. 

Over time, I include the following fields by default (in regard to email marketing)

·       Contact name

·       Company name

·       Email address

(to name a few)

I have started to gather additional info that is relevant for our salespeople to know

·       Contact title – are they a COO or CMO? Helpdesk?

·       # of app reviews/review score

·       Type of app (recipe, shopping list, loyalty cards, etc.)

Here’s where I could use some help

·       Learning more hotkeys that make a difference (ctrl+x/c/v/z/r has helped me tremendously so far…on Windows OS)

·       Unique values – I would like to build master list with ALL company/app information but spit out specific information to separate sheets (ex. Company, app, client name and email are extracted from master list and placed into a separate sheets)

·       I need a unique way to track activities!  - I would like to keep records of all contact history.  I know this is standard with a lot of CRM software but I would like to find a way to do this on my own

·      Pivot tables – I believe I created one here:

              

^I would like to automatically track this information in weekly intervals as well as automatically track # of company’s reached out to (touched)

Ultimately, my goal is to continuously improve the efficiency of our prospecting process using Excel.  I understand that I can find tutorial videos on Excel functions and features but currently, I am unsure of which videos to pursue!  I am receptive to any advice/angle and I would greatly appreciate yours.  Thanks! 

Why you should keep track of and organize your work files

Since I began as an intern at AdAdapted (less than a month ago), I have learned very quickly the importance of keeping my files organized.  So far, I have sent 138 emails to 42 companies (some companies had more contacts than others), and I have achieved a response rate of 2.17.  This equates to 3 responses from 3 different companies that I reached out to.

I would not have these figures if I hadn’t spent an hour searching for all the csv files for my email campaigns.  The only problem is the fact that it took me an hour to retrieve all the data I needed!  Seems like I wasted time.

The point I am trying to make here, or the moral of the story, is that you should organize day by day to avoid adding an hour of busy work to your already-busy schedule.  In this scenario, I needed to create a new spreadsheet to consolidate all of my outreach stats and info.  Had I kept it consolidated from the start, this wouldn’t be an issue.

Lesson learned!

Why are CPG advertisers cutting back on digital ad spend?

Why are CPG advertisers cutting back on digital ad spend?

Just this week, my homework assignment for a marketing research class was to find a marketing-related article, analyze and present it.  The article I chose focused on Procter & Gamble and Unilever and how they are both cutting back on digital advertising spend.  Both companies keep these actual figures private, but there are other indicators that lead to the conclusion that they are pulling in the reigns:

•  P&G overall ad spend has dropped 41% year over year
•  Unilever drops 59%
•  Both have substantially (>15%) decreased # of websites they advertise on

The obvious conclusion most would come to is that they are decreasing digital ad spend drastically, but that doesn’t mean it’s true.  Here are some alternative conclusions I came to based on the data:

• Reducing # of sites advertised=more precise advertising
• Do they need to target so specifically though?
• May pull back the reigns until better metrics become available
• Clear up the ‘murkiness’ of digital ad supply chain
• Unilever may just be following suit with P&G
• Historically, they have copy P&G’s strategies (safe move)
• May not be as big of a trend based on this
• CPG products are commonly perceived as necessities

Here’s a link to the Google Slideshow I created regarding this:

Check it out!

Constructing an email when you're offering revenue

Sending an email to a company or a person offering a product or service can be a huge challenge.  One of the reasons it is so challenging is the fact that you are asking a stranger for money in exchange for a product or service.

My case is a bit different when it comes to reaching out to app publishers.  The main difference is that I am offering these publishers a solution that can increase their revenue and improve their overall brand perception (native ads vs. 'pop-ups').  I would compare it to sending an email to someone telling them they have won the lottery.  There are a lot of factors at play here:

1) Authenticity - the receiver will probably think it is too good to be true and disregard the email, likely not even opening it.

2) Finding ways to build rapport - It is often ambiguous, especially with cold calls/emails, however, there is a lot of info on the web that can help gain conversational ammunition.

3) Balance between being personal and being professional - You don't want to sound overly eager, or desperate, but at the same time, you don't want to sound robotic and scripted.

Branding yourself when you are an introvert

For me, networking, or planning to meet a stranger to find ways to benefit each other, seems daunting.  I used to be an extrovert, expressing myself all the time with no real reason.  Now that I am older, I consider myself to be reserved to the point of introversion.  Not to say I don't like talking to people anymore, I just don't like talking without adding value to a conversation, (whether the value is for me, the other party, or both).

This puts me in a pickle because I don't prefer meeting people in such an organized manner, but I need to meet more people to progress myself further in my career.

I believe that this all starts with establishing your definite chief aim in life (a little tip from Napoleon Hill).  Personally, I do not know what this is, but I've narrowed it down to a few options:
1) Strive to be an entrepreneur
2) Become a marketing/business operation efficiency consultant
3) Work at a marketing firm/advertising agency

One of the main reasons I am interning is to learn more about all three of the above.  I've learned that letting the gurus know what your aim is will lead to a clearer career path.

5 Organizational Tips from a Procrastinator

Image source: https://fiveablog.wordpress.com/tag/burning-the-candle-at-both-ends/

As a child, I loved playing Goldeneye on the N64.  For a few weeks, it was all I really wanted to do (still an intermittent struggle), even if I had loads of homework to do.  My mom would always make sure my homework was done before I started gaming and it drove me nuts because I was not yet able to think 'big picture'.  One thing she told me back then that has stuck with me to this day is,

"Business before pleasure"

An easy concept for anyone to understand, but difficult, at times, to actually practice the idea.  Now, as an adult, my mom is no longer making sure that my homework is done before I start playing CS:GO. 

FREEDOM!

On the contrary, actually; it takes a lot of effort to hold yourself accountable. I find that the majority of the time, things that need to be done suck compared to things I want to do.  Putting off tasks that need to be done will hinder your capacity to have fun doing the things you want to do.  Sometimes, the process of doing what needs to be done will yield a lot of joy, even if the joy merely came from completing the task.  Either way, putting off what needs to be done will lead you to a fun place: behind.  When I get behind, I feel like I am continuously playing catch-up; burning the candle at both ends.

5.  Know your weaknesses

If you think you're a procrastinator, then you probably are.  Acknowledge it.  Chronically procrastinating will exhaust you and you will find yourself overwhelmed with relatively small tasks.

4.  Be resourceful

You're not alone. There are people that will happily assist you provided you are asking them for help and not telling them to help you.  Plan to reciprocate and make sure you acknowledge them for helping you.

3.  Keep a calendar

Don't trust your memory alone.  It can be challenging to plan ahead, but you will find that knowing what needs to be done day-by-day is worth every minute spent planning.  For me, the simple task of writing important dates down will almost always make me remember what I need to do (often, I won't even have to consult the calendar again once it's written down; catch-22).

2.  Bite off what you can chew

This becomes less difficult the more you use your calendar.  Remember, that you are ultimately in charge of your own schedule.  Don't agree to a date until you are sure you'll be able to follow-through.  It's far more disappointing to get stood up than to agree meeting at a later date.

1.  Sleep

Know when to quit for the day.  Don't let your night persona ruin your morning persona (sometimes, your whole day).  You're a lot more productive when you're well-rested.