Gail Z. Martin - 30 days to virtual productivity success : the 30-day results guide to making the most of your time, expanding your contacts, and growing your business

The Internet has changed the way we understand productivity. If you can remember a time before Google, YouTube, and Amazon, then you may remember needing to trek to a library to find information, open a phone book to find contact data, and travel to a real store (or use a catalog) to buy anything.

Times have changed.

The downside of being able to access the world at the click of a mouse is that we often extend the expectation for immediate results to the rest of our lives. Computers, the Internet, and mobile apps have led to tremendous time savings and undoubtedly contributed to gains in productivity. But the other part of the equationbusiness development, expanding your contacts, and growing your businessrequire equal parts tech savvy and old-fashioned patience and people skills.

This book attempts to bridge the divide between sheer computer (or mobile) processing power and the outcomes you desire: less wasted time, more productive personal business connections, and ultimately, more business growth. Some of the tips deal with programs and apps which you may have not yet discovered, but which can make your time more productive. But some of the most important information in the book focuses on the strategy behind the actions, a mind shift that is necessary to get the most out of the gadgets that surround us.

Real productivity, as well as successful business development, begins with a plan and a clear understanding of the intended audience. Its an interesting paradox that although todays technology now makes it easy for us to reach millions of people with our messages, real results spring from focusing only on those ideal customers who are going to be most receptiveand most likely to buy.

In this book, Ill be using the term business development to encompass the collective gains from enhanced productivity and effective networking that produce growth. There are other factors that can also contribute to growth, including the savvy use of social media along with online PR and marketing (which I cover in two separate books). For now, well focus on taking a strategic, action-oriented approach to boosting productivity and increasing networking effectiveness, while not losing touch with the human connections that are at the true heart of growth.

The first seven chapters provide the foundation for the strategy that will carry you through the rest of the book. These chapters help you focus on your strategy, goals, and audience to get the most out of the tips, tricks, and techniques presented later in the book. Without a solid foundation, the tools wont be as effective, so I highly recommend taking the time to read (and think through) the first seven chapters first.

Navigating this new online world requires taking risks, being open to innovation, and having a clear understanding that this is uncharted territory. Welcome to the frontier, where fortunes are made and lost, and anything is possible.