| I reckon most people waste at least three minutes | | | | much time I'm losing. And from today I will stop |
| every hour, probably a great deal more. Taking | | | | selling downloadable products on eBay and process |
| phone calls from sales reps. selling something you just | | | | them on CD instead. All-in-all, that will save at least |
| don't want, for example, creating all eBay listings | | | | three hours a week, thirty six hours a year!Let me |
| from scratch rather than using 'fill in the blanks' | | | | treat you to a few more ways to cut down on |
| templates for repeat products, checking how many | | | | wasted time and help you spend more time listing |
| of those 100 emails in your box today are genuine | | | | items to sell.TIME SAVING TIPS* Make a 'To Do' list |
| and how many are spam or scams, arguing with | | | | at the start of each day. Divide it into three lots: |
| unreasonable buyers whose sold aim is to ruin your | | | | 'Urgent', 'Important', 'Only if Time Allows'. Allot each |
| day. And so much more.Let's say you waste just | | | | task to the appropriate section and mark items 1, 2, |
| three minutes every hour and you work an eight | | | | 3 and so on, ranked most important to least |
| hour day, five day week. Let us see how all that | | | | important. Start on 'Urgent' items and work your way |
| wasted time adds up.Three minutes lost each hour is | | | | through these, in number sequence, from 1 to |
| 24 minutes per day, 120 minutes each week. Two | | | | however many tasks time allow. Don't even consider |
| hours.Two hours each week is eight hours a month | | | | doing 'Important' and 'Only if Time Allows' items until |
| (actually more because this figure is based on four | | | | all 'Urgent' tasks are completed.* There is an allowed |
| weeks - 28 days - whereas most months include 30 | | | | exception to doing all Urgent tasks before |
| or 31 days).Eight hours is an entire working day lost | | | | commencing less important tasks. If Urgent tasks are |
| each month.One working day lost each month is 12 | | | | tiring, and you really are beginning to jade, it's better |
| working days over the whole year.MORE THAN | | | | to focus on less important tasks for a while rather |
| TWO WEEKS you lost, just because you did things | | | | than make mistakes on Urgent matters.* Make a |
| you should not have done, you failed to create | | | | new 'To Do' list at the start of each working day, |
| systems to shortcut repetitive tasks, you responded | | | | beginning with all outstanding Urgent tasks ranked, |
| to emails and phone calls and letters you really should | | | | again, in order of importance. Add any earlier |
| have ignored.Did that surprise you? It certainly | | | | 'Important' and 'Only If Time Allows' tasks that might |
| surprised me because in reality I waste far more | | | | have gained urgency. You'll be amazed how many |
| than three minutes each hour, it's more likely ten, or | | | | tasks you once considered Important, even Urgent, |
| fifteen. Because I daydream a lot (a.k.a. researching | | | | no longer need your attention, because they're no |
| on eBay), I continue replying to difficult people who | | | | longer important or they've been resolved |
| are never going to buy from me (at least I hope | | | | elsewhere.* If the phone isn't an important feature |
| they never do), I watch the final few minutes of | | | | of your business, put it on answer and monitor calls |
| auction endings like a hawk to see just how much | | | | as you work. Pick up on important ones, let |
| my listings fetch.We must all begin to value time, and | | | | photocopier salesmen waffle on in the background.* |
| remember that time really is money!Let me tell you | | | | Learn to type faster and therefore list more items |
| where most of my time is wasted. It's with difficult | | | | each day. QWERTY is the formula used by the |
| people, they're the bane of my life, I get them every | | | | world's fastest typists and it isn't difficult to learn. |
| day.They email saying: 'Your download page isn't | | | | Anyone can reach 35 wpm - words per minute - in |
| working!!!! Get it sorted or I'm leaving negative | | | | short time and knowing how to use the QWERTY |
| feedback'.I reply saying: 'The page is fine, perhaps | | | | system means your fingers will never get tangled and |
| you are using a search engine to find the site. I try | | | | you'll make fewer mistakes. Ask about courses at |
| to keep download pages free from search engine | | | | local Adult Training Colleges or learn to type online |
| directories to avoid unauthorized access, so important | | | | free of charge at or Use Turbo Lister to list items in |
| people, like yourself, are the only ones to receive my | | | | bulk and upload your listings while you're relaxing, so |
| products. Please try the browser instead, that will | | | | you'll won't tie up the computer at any time during |
| work'.They reply: 'Don't be sarcastic with me. I know | | | | working hours. You can download Turbo Lister free |
| you don't think I'm important, if you did you wouldn't | | | | from your eBay account. It saves lots of time and |
| hide the page. I repeat, get it sorted out or I will | | | | also allows you to create custom templates and so |
| leave negative feedback'.And so if goes, often for | | | | cut time normally spent listing items individually.* Add |
| most of the day, until finally I refund the payment | | | | a signature file to your PayPal email address, telling |
| and the individual goes away.That same procedure | | | | buyers you have received their payment and that |
| can take twenty minutes out of my day, several | | | | their goods will be despatched very soon. This saves |
| times a day, over the week that makes ..... you get | | | | a lot of time normally spent contacting buyers |
| the drift I'm sure!So, now that I've analyzed the | | | | individually and no one will ever guess it's coming |
| problem, just for this article, I'm shocked at how | | | | from an auto-responder and not a real person. |