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I recently changed one aspect of my daily routine to what I’ll call the “first things first” routine.  For a while I was doing my daily planning, then slogging through all my emails, and then eventually getting to some of my most important “to dos” and project items related to my core job.

Then a few weeks ago I was listening to a podcast I subscribe to, and one of the people being interviewed was talking about how she now resists the temptation to first check email.  Instead she spends the first 30 minutes of her day working on an important item that is looming over her and then gets to the emails.  The funny thing is that this wasn’t a workplace related podcast for me, but was an idea that came off of the August 3^rd Youth Specialties podcast, http://www.youthspecialties.com/freeresources/podcasts, which is for people involved in youth ministry.

Regardless, it was an idea that stuck with me and I decided to tweak my routine around it.  So now, my routine is as follows:

·         Spend 15 minutes planning out my day.

·         Spend the next 30 minutes to 1 hour working on some important item that’s on the forefront of my mind; and that I know is the main thing I really do want/need to get to today.

·         After either completing the item or making sufficient progress on it, I then check my email.

With this routine, I’ve noticed that:

·         I’ve been able to gain positive momentum much sooner each day.

·         Most emails can wait half-an-hour to an hour, or even a day for that matter – I’m not that important.

·         It makes more sense to actually put first things first, and rarely should checking email be first on the “to do” list.

The reality is many of us need to check our email at least three to eight times a day, but do we really need to flip back-and-forth between our core job-related tasks and email every five minutes?  Or do we need to burn our freshest half-an-hour of the day scrolling through our inbox?  Try your own version of the “first things first” routine, share it with your fellow sales and staffing professionals, and  comment on this blog or click First Things First to let us know what routine is working for you in the staffing industry. 

Everett Reiss
Business Relationships Development
The Staffing Cooperative
Check me out on Linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/evreiss
Check us out on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/StaffingCo_op

How are people getting to your staffing company’s website?  For that matter, who is visiting your staffing company’s website?  Right now, you may not know the answer to these questions, but today you can start driving quality traffic to your staffing agency’s website through your disciplined use of Linkedin.  I do highly recommend that you use Google Analytics, http://www.google.com/analytics/, a free tool that measures your web traffic and breaks that information down into many useful forms.

The following two videos will show you how we’ve increased the quantity and quality of your web traffic through Linkedin. 

The first video is geared towards staffing managers and professionals who are starting out with Linkedin and shows you how you can:

·         Publish your company’s website on your profile .

·         Drop into comments your signature with hyperlinks to your website as you participate in discussions.

This second video is for more experienced social networkers and discusses how to use Linkedin to drive traffic to your blog, newsletter, or some other regular content that you are producing.

Let us know how you’ve successfully used Linkedin or or get our feedback by submitting your questions or anecdotes to Linkedin Success Stories.

Click-in for next week’s Linkedin Success Story on “Creating  Valuable Discourse in Your Area of Expertise on Linkedin?”

Everett Reiss
Business Relationships Development
The Staffing Cooperative
Check me out on Linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/evreiss
Check us out on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/StaffingCo_op

How much time are you actively on Linkedin?  Are you wondering if Linkedin is worth your time?  Or is your staff, co-workers, or manager skeptical of the business value behind social networking?  This is the first blog-video of a three part series on “Linkedin Success Stories in the Staffing Industry” that will demonstrate to you and your fellow staffing professionals proven ways you can use Linkedin to:

• Gather valuable professional information that can sharpen your staffing game.
• Drive traffic to your staffing company’s website.
• Strike up provocative discourse in your area of expertise.

Let us know how you’ve successfully used Linkedin or pick our brains on the topic by submitting your questions or anecdotes to Linkedin Success Stories.

Additionally, check out the May 15th blog post we compiled off of a Linkedin discussion that we started on cold calling and leaving voicemails, http://www.staffingcooperative.com/news/?p=35.

Click-in for next week’s Linkedin Success Story on “How to Drive Quality Traffic to Your Staffing Company’s Website Through Linkedin?”

Everett Reiss
Business Relationships Development
The Staffing Cooperative
Check me out on Linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/evreiss
Check us out on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/StaffingCo_op