Posts Tagged ‘Handhelds’

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Be Prepared For Your Next Meeting

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

It doesn’t matter if you are a sales person or a warehouse manager, we all go to meetings.  Some of us go to multiple meetings a day while others may attend a single meeting a week or month.  All meetings may be different, however, they have a few similarities when it comes to being prepared.

The first step is to determine if this is a paper meeting or a paperless meeting.  In the new world of “going green” you will find that paperless meetings become the accepted norm.  However, I have yet to attend a paperless meeting without seeing at least one piece of paper floating around and a few scattered pens and pencils.  To start, let’s assume your meeting is a traditional paper meeting.  You will want to have a nice Padfolio or Organizer that you keep all your documents and note pages in.

If you are the one hosting the meeting, make plenty of copies of all the documents you plan on going over.  The better solution would be to email PDF copies of these documents to all meeting attendees prior to the meeting so they can familiarize themselves with the content.  Electronic documents also give them the option of printing each page out or keeping it electronically.  If you are printing copies, do so ahead of time so the flow of the meeting does not get interrupted by the famous statement: “I don’t think I have a copy of that.”

Having a little more of a high tech meeting?  Be sure to download all attachments to your laptop or iPad prior to leaving your office.  You already have your device powered on and connected to the network, take advantage of that.  Technology has a way of sometimes letting us down when we need it the most.  The meeting location may not have internet access, or you might not have a good wireless signal.  If you can’t access your email server, those important documents that were sent to you are useless right now because you can not open them up.  Get prepared before you step out the door, or out of your cube/office and you will do just fine.

Now for the most important piece…a calendar!  A majority of meetings generally involve scheduling a followup meeting or they relate to an event that occurs on a specific date.  It doesn’t matter if you have a full size paper calendar, pocket calendar, BlackBerry or iPhone…just make sure you bring a calendar with you.  This should go without saying, but also ensure this calendar is up to date with all your professional and personal appointments.  Keeping one master calendar helps prevent scheduling conflicts or missing out on a personal appointment.

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Remembering Not To Forget in 2010 – Part 2

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Referring back to my last post about missing an appointment…what should I have done better? What can you do to prevent yourself from being in the same, awful position?

First, no matter what, write it down! Whether you have your calendar with you or not, write it on something. A napkin, a receipt, even your hand – anything! And if you have to, write it more than once! If you can put it in your date book or type it in your cell phone or blackberry, the act of writing it or typing it anywhere, on anything, will create a deeper memory of the experience. Your brain has to process not only the information, but the physical act of logging that thought somewhere outside of your head. The more you commit the information to more areas (locations) of your memory, the better the chance that you won’t forget it.

Second, tell somebody! I should have told my wife and kids what the new time for my appointment was and asked them to remind me to write it down when we get home. Create a chorus of people who can reinforce the new piece of information. Could you just imagine us driving home with my kids repeatedly singing a jingle to the beat of their latest pop or rap idle, “dad’s new appoint is at noon not at 3 – oh yea!”. Avail yourself of more memory capacity by having other people help you remember stuff.

Candidly, I’ve heard other people refer to their memory lapses as “sometimers disease”, or “intellectual interludes”, or even call them “brain farts”. Anyone know what I’m talking about?

Lastly, send yourself a voice message, an email or text message. Use the technologies available to all of us and protect yourself. You may find this a little desperate or over the top, but we’re talking about preserving precious opportunities here! Regardless of our profession, we’re in very competitive businesses, and missing an appointment can be a deal-breaker.

Think about it – what feels more ridiculous? Sending yourself a text message so you won’t forget something important or getting that phone call that says you missed your really important appointment? Texting yourself may be embarrassing, but missing the appointment is exponentially more embarrassing and potentially very expensive! If you can’t use either of the two previous suggestions, protect yourself and use all of your memory aid devices and tools to help you be more efficient.

Though we’re all human and will never be perfect, we must do everything possible to keep ourselves at the top of our game, for our business partners and customers we serve, as well as, for the family we protect and provide for.

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Remembering Not To Forget in 2010 – Part 1

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

In the middle of a very busy day last week, I got a phone call from a friend regarding a potential client they had referred me to meet with. Sounding very bewildered she said, “I just got a phone call that you missed your appointment with the customer I referred you to today?” (This is the place where you insert every form of “Oh no! I’m so sorry!” “I blew it!” or any of those other responses that may also involve a few choice words. You know what they are.)

“I don’t believe it, you’re right. Can I get in my car right now and still get in to see them?” I asked her – with desperation in my voice. She said she’d call them and call me right back. As I waited to hear the fate of my appointment, I used the time to berate myself for my HUGE mistake. I was really hard on myself. My berating was deep and powerful.

Now, rewinding to the night before. I was out with my family, and my friend called to say that my appointment time for the next day had been changed to an earlier time. I said fine … I can make it at noon instead of 3 o’clock. Then I hung up and went back to the family. Are you seeing the mistakes yet?

Back to the moment of my dilemma, my friend gets back to me to say that I can go at my original time of 3 o’clock. Whew! Yes! This time I’ll be early – early enough to do my best groveling! After apologizing about 30 more times for my stupidity (this doesn’t make her look good either!), she says not to worry. Regardless, I still felt horrible! Over and over she says it was just a mistake and that things happen. We’ve known each other for a long time and she knows I’m nowhere near irresponsible. She also explained how she defended my blunder to the young assistant she spoke with, by explaining that when they are over 40 they will understand how these things happen. Gotta love having people like that on your side!

Yes, we are all human – but these kinds of mistakes often don’t turn out so well. Too often, you do what I did and your chance with that client is gone. The old adage is still true — you only get one chance to make a good first impression. Missing the appointment does not bode well for making a good impression.

So, what should I have done better? What can you do to prevent yourself from being in the same, awful position?

Find Part 2 Here.

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Why You Need an iPad for Business

Friday, February 12th, 2010

A couple weeks ago, Apple announced their new “magical and revolutionary device”, the iPad.  Since their announcement, there have been a lot of questions flying around as to the usefulness of this new device in the workplace.  Most people simply see the iPad as something that would be fun to have but really isn’t necessary to purchase.  We’ll if you spend any time in business, here are a few reasons why I think the Apple iPad is something you might want to consider:

Apple iPad

The Apple iPad - Image Copyright Apple, Inc.

For the Conference Room

  • Most of us at work are tied to our desktop computers…that are stuck at our desks.  So what happens when you need to go into a meeting?  Generally you pick up a binder or portfolio, maybe even a legal pad, and you print out anything that you need to use for your part in the meeting.  Well, instead of that, just grab your iPad and make way for the conference room ready to go.  Once there, you can use it to take meeting notes or enter some tasks that can automatically sync with your Outlook to-do list so they will be ready when you get back to your desk.
  • What if a colleague is talking about a big project and keeps referring to a spreadsheet, but nobody printed it out?  Use the iPad to access the company file server wirelessly and open up the document in question.
  • Need to schedule a follow-up meeting on a topic?  Just open up the company calendar and figure out the best time to meet while you are still in the room with everyone.
  • Ready to make that proposal or pitch to the boss?  Don’t print out information pages…Have your Keynote/PowerPoint presentation loaded up on the iPad, flip it around and show it off in amazing interactive color.

For the Sales Traveler

  • Don’t walk in to a potential sale with a stack of printouts and a legal pad!  Load up all the sales brochures on the iPad and you are ready to do business!
  • What happens if you are meeting with a customer to sell Product A, but after talking with them for a few minutes you realize that Product B is a better fit for them?  If you printed out everything for Product A…you’re stuck!  You would have to reschedule the meeting and potentially loose traction with that customer.  Or, you have all your products loaded up on the iPad and you simply switch to a different folder that contains all of Product B’s information.  Problem solved!
  • This not only keeps you fully prepared for the meeting without wasting any time, but it lets you conduct a personal Keynote/PowerPoint presentation without bringing along a laptop and projector.  Also, if there is a file you forgot or you need an updated file, using the 3G capability, access your company file server remotely and download what you need.
  • Have you reached the negotiation phase?  You pull out the printed contract and your pen…you scratch out a few parts, or make notes in the margins.  What’s the point of that?  Open up the draft contract on the iPad and make real-time changes to a live document!  No longer do you have to finish up with the pen and say “Let me make these changes and I’ll email the new copy to you.”  Finish up the work on the document and email it to them right from their own conference room!

For the IT Guru

  • Servers need to be checked in on from time to time, that’s just the way it goes.  Why not have the ability to check in on the lifeline of your company from anywhere?
  • Using a VPN connection, you can keep up with everything that is going on with your network, whether you are in the server room, out in the field, at home, or sitting by the pool (my personal favorite).  There are a lot of applications available to monitor server stats as well as remote desktop applications that let you sit down at your server console from anywhere in the world!
  • Maybe you manage the company website?  At a conference, your boss announces a new sale or promotion that needs to “go live now” but you are at the conference with him/her…pull out the iPad, make the changes and make your company (and your boss) look good!

For the Marketing Master

  • This one works like the Sales Traveler, in that you can take your entire portfolio with you everywhere you go.
  • One crazy example: Are you designing an add that is going to be displayed inside the local subway and you are meeting with the client…on the subway?  That is not the kind of place where you can easily pull out your laptop, wait for it to boot up and then open up your potential campaign!  Space and time are limited and your business is on the line.  Pull the iPad out of your bag and instantly it is on and ready to go.  Show off your newly designed ad campaign, and even hold it up in front of where your ad could potentially be hanging.  Think of the possibilities!
  • Sitting at the coffee shop and Finally! the idea pops into your head that you have been worried about for the past week with your deadline approaching!  Don’t grab a napkin or your sketch pad and pencil.  Grab the iPad and open up a sketch application where you can draw out your idea in full color!  Finish your sketch and your coffee, then email it to your design department so they can get the ball rolling by the time you get back to the office.

For the Photographer/Videographer

  • If you’re meeting with a client for the first time to show off your skills, take your portfolio with you on the iPad!  Easily show off large sizes of your best shots in stunning, bright color.  They weren’t sold after showing off images from your last shoot?  Open up another set of shots that might appeal to them!
  • On location doing shots for a catalog and the boss/client wants to see how things are going?  Don’t turn your digital camera around and scroll through the images on a 2 inch screen!  Using the optional camera attachment, you can plug your camera’s USB cable or SD card directly into the iPad and import your latest photos to show them off on the 9.7 inch full color display…no computer necessary!
  • You are more of the video type?  Instead of handing over a DVD or explaining what your video is like…let them see it!  Have your demo reel loaded up and ready to play full screen.  In fact, show off some of your entire portfolio.

Are you convinced that the Apple iPad has a place in the business world?  And this is only the beginning!  As more applications are written, the possibilities truly are endless.  Whether you are a doctor who wants to carry around your entire patients chart/history with you into the room, or you’re a warehouse manager walking around with the real-time inventory in your hand…there is a business use out there for the iPad.

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Posted in Handheld Technology | 2 Comments »

Shortcuts Make Your Phone Easier

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Every day, more and more people are making the switch from a normal cell phone to a smartphone.  The RIM BlackBerry still holds the top spot in total smartphone users with the Apple iPhone pulling up a close second.  Are these devices actually making our lives easier, or do we get frustrated because simple tasks take too many steps?  Here are a few shortcuts that might make using that smartphone of yours just a little easier.

RIM BlackBerry Tips:

  • When you are reading an email or an online article and would like to scroll faster than the wheel can spin, just tap the Space Bar to move a whole page down at a time.  To go back up, Shift + Space Bar moves you a whole page up at a time.  If you are at the bottom and want to go to the top, press the “T” key to move your cursor to the top of the page.
  • Since we are speeding up email.  When you are finished reading a message and would like to read the next one, press the “N” key to switch to the next message.  Want to go backwards? Just press the “P” key to go to the previous message.
  • Need accents or special characters?  Just hold down the letter that needs the accent and roll the Trackball/Trackwheel to scroll through the available marks.
  • Typing an email in a hurry?  Double tap the space bar at the end of a sentence to insert a period and be ready to type the next sentence with a capital letter.
  • If you are typing with just one hand, instead of pressing the shift key and then a letter to make it capital, just hold the letter for a second and it turns capital automatically.

Apple iPhone Tips:

  • If you need those accents or special characters, just hold down the letter that needs the accent and a pop-up appears with the available options.
  • Speed up your emails by tapping the Space key twice to insert a period and start off the next sentence with a capital letter.
  • Find yourself at the bottom of your email list, a website, or an email?  Just tap the clock at the top of the screen to scroll all the way back up to the top.
  • If you want to insert different punctuation in your email or note, instead of tapping on the “.?123″ button, using the punctuation, then tapping on the “ABC” button to resume typing…just tap and hold the “.?123″ button and slide your finger over to the punctuation you want and let go.  This will insert that punctuation and automatically return you to the standard keyboard.
  • Typing in an email address and wish that “.com” button was there?  Well, it is…it’s just hiding.  Tap and hold the ” . ” button and you will get a pop-up with the common “.com, .net, .edu, and .org” options.

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