Too much information!
By Lara Nieberding
The Internet is an over abundance of information. Have you ever researched a product online? Do your eyes bug out of your head when you see all the “Os” in the word Google at the bottom of your search? How do you sort through all your options?
I would like to thank Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager of The Virtual Nation, for her comment that inspired my post today. She said when she does research she selects five resources. She looks at those five resources and from that prioritizes them into her top three decision points. Then she makes a choice. After she makes her decision, she moves on. Michelle is a successful virtual professional. Her time is of the essence, as is your time.
It is excessively overwhelming to worry about the 1.3 billion other options you did not consider. How do you sort through all your options? To keep you organized, efficient and productive here is an action plan:
· Organize
o Write down the product/service you are looking for.
o Write down the top ten features the product/service must have.
Unbelievably, writing down these two things is a critical action. As your search progresses, you will be inundated with details of the product/service. It is very easy to get side tracked from what you are actually looking for. Having a written reference will keep you focused.
· Efficient
o After writing down the product/service and the features you need, get online and start a search.
o Out of the search results, select five resources with these criteria:
§ Select one resource from the most expensive or most popular or the one with the best reviews category.
§ Select one resource from the middle price wise, recommendation wise, etc category.
§ Select one resource from the least expensive, least known, etc category.
§ Select one resource from the “looks interesting” category.
§ Select one resource at random.
o Thoroughly research your five resources.
§ Read the FAQ
§ Watch demos
§ Refer to your top ten features list
· Productive
o After thoroughly researching your five options, make your decision.
o Know that you made the best decision you could based on the information available to you at the time.
o Do not doubt yourself. Give yourself permission to let go of the fact that you did not consider the other 1.3 billion resources. Your productivity depends on it.
