It can be more difficult to build trust and rapport during a web meeting than in person. Here are seven mistakes to avoid on your next video call—so you can take your sales leads to the next level.

1. You Get Distracted. Whether it’s your spouse texting about what’s for dinner, or the rowdy co-worker two cubicles down, anything that detracts your attention from your client will annoy him. Sure, you’re busy, and you may be tempted to check your email while on the call, but don’t. Your lapse in attention will make your client feel like he isn’t your #1 priority, and it may decrease the likelihood of you closing the deal.

2. You Neglect What’s Behind You. Whether you’re working from your kitchen or in an empty meeting room, be aware of what’s behind you. A lamp sprouting out of your head might not be the best way to go. It’s easy to remove pictures from the wall and relocate hardware. I recommend placing your company logo or conversation starter within view. It can help break the ice early in the call. For more, check out my blog on how to set up your workspace for virtual meeting success.

3. You Ignore the Hubbub Around You. Also be aware of who is around you. Aim for silence, so everyone on your web conference can focus. If you must take a web conference from a public space in your office, ask your co-workers to keep the noise down.

4. You Don’t Use Video Clips (or Have Them Ready if You Do). Nothing communicates more information per minute than video, so use it! Not all conferencing options out there let you upload and show clips during presentations, so make sure this is something you’re getting. Also be sure to upload all of the clips before your meeting starts.

5. You Skip Practicing Your Presentation. Just like you would for an in-person meeting, you need to know what you’re presenting, inside and out. Work on deleting the vocalized pauses from your speech (“uhs” and “ya knows”). If you use gestures, make sure they can be seen on camera. Practice with your webcam ahead of time to see how your presentation will look to others.

6. You Disregard Your Attire. Have you noticed how people on television typically wear solid colors and few patterns? New research shows you can dress to be more creative and confident at work, so pay attention. Patterns don’t render well, and may hurt your client’s eyes. Focus on clothing that does not distract from your message.

7. You Don’t Listen. Even if you initiated the call, make sure you’re taking time to listen to your client. It is your role to be an advocate for all of your clients, and you do that by not interrupting and by hearing them when they voice a concern. Pause after speaking to give your client a chance to respond with her own thoughts. Ask effective questions. And don’t overlook what your client is saying with her body. Nonverbal communication can speak volumes if you’re paying attention to it.

Web conferencing provides an amazing opportunity to connect with clients you couldn’t otherwise meet with face-to-face. All of these errors are ones that can be avoided, with a little preparation, so pay attention, and you’ll be on track to make your relationships more profitable.

What ways are you making your video and web conference calls more effective?

I also recommend you watch the recording of this Selling Power webinar—5 Ways to Win with Qualified Prospects.

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

Here’s is a list of a few of the options currently on the market. If you’re currently looking for a new audio, web or video conference solution look for one that offers all four. Although you might spend the majority of your time at your desk, the moment you step out of the office, you’ll see the value each one brings.

Dial-in: Also known as the “old school” option, dial-in gives your meeting participants a phone number and password to join the conference.  Most platforms give you the option to provide local numbers for those joining internationally. When scheduling a call, consider adding the phone number and password in the “location” field of your meeting request so those joining via smartphone, can simply click the number/password combination to immediately connect.

Road Warrior Tip: Look for meeting solutions that provide hosts with a consistent phone number so you can save your number as a contact in your phone. Likewise, look for a provider whose passwords are 10 digits or less. It may seem like a small difference today but when you’re on the road each digit counts!

Example: iMeet® Offers Four Ways to Join a Meeting - Dial-in, Dial-out, VoIP and App

Dial-Out (aka Connect Me or “Call my phone”): The Connect Me option asks for your phone number so the meeting can dial out to you directly. Once you pick up the phone, you’ll be asked to confirm the call by pressing “1” to join the conference. Dial-out is a time saver for those looking to avoid long phone numbers and passwords. This option works best if you have a mobile app to place the call for you. If not, ask the host to call you from the meeting via the “invite guest” feature.

Road Warrior Tip: Some meeting solutions will save your most recent numbers or allow you to save a “favorite” so that next time you ask it to dial you directly you won’t have to enter the number.

Example: GlobalMeet® Saves Your Recent and Favorite Meetings

VoIP: Voice over Internet Protocol or “call over the internet”/”call my computer” is a great option when you’re internet connection is strong and your cell phone or land line options are limited. Most VoIP options are only found in the desktop version of your meeting solution, however some now offer VoIP via smartphone as well.

Road Warrior Tip: Because VoIP calls the meeting room over the internet instead of the phone network, it is typically a no- or low-cost option, however not all meeting solutions provide a quality VoIP experience. Look for platforms that can run at full speed even on limited bandwidth (i.e. coffee shops, airports, etc.).

Mobile App: The most road-warrior friendly virtual meeting solutions provide mobile apps for download. With a tablet or smartphone app, you can host or join a conference on the go – a true digital nomad delight! Not only can you join the audio but today you have the opportunity to join the web and video conference as well. Share a presentation from your virtual file cabinet, meet face-to-face with video and exercise your right as meeting host by inviting new participants, adjusting participant volumes or recording the call.

Road Warrior: Look for a mobile app that remembers the conferences you join the most so joining reoccurring meetings is quick and painless.

On my journey to PGi’s 30+ global offices, I’ve relied heavily on iMeet® and GlobalMeet® to keep business moving forward while I’m on the road. Both browser-based solutions keep the mobile worker in mind with no downloads, several mobile apps to choose from and best-in-class international support.

When evaluating your next conferencing platform, keep your road warriors in mind.

Does your team work on the go? Make sure your team is as teleworker-friendly as your virtual meeting solutions with Digital Nomad Tip #25: Is Your Team Teleworker Friendly

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

 For my first tip, I’m keeping it short and sweet. Building up your street cred takes time, but I have no doubt that you’ll be blown away by my ingenuity.

 Hold on to your seats – here goes:

Today’s tip category is entrepreneurship:   #PGiTipster says that startups can be the hardest biz out there. Set realistic goals and begin by drafting a 2 year plan.

 Think you have what it takes? Start sharing your own business tips using hashtag  #PGiTipster today!

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

So you’re a fresh-faced entrepreneur with a killer idea for a new start-up. You’re looking to keep things small at first so you can stay agile, allowing you to flexibly respond to what are sure to be quickly changing demands. In fact, you may even spend the first few weeks or months working out of your house or the coffee shop down the street. But eventually the demands get too high, or you need to present a more professional face to meet with investors, or, believe it or not, you actually miss interacting and networking with other office workers. Coworking might be the answer for you.

As more and more innovative entrepreneurs enter the tech-hungry marketplace, eager to try and capture the start-up magic of smash hits like Instagram and Pinterest, small businesses are increasingly turning to non-traditional work environments. The shift towards teleworking and coworking as a means to promote flexibility and lower operating costs has caused the burgeoning workplace-as-a-service (WaaS) industry to thrive, growing revenues by 10% for three years straight.

The shared office space affords mobile workers all of the amenities of a traditional office without burdening entrepreneurs with the overhead associated with corporate leases. Sure, sometimes the Wi-Fi at the Starbucks is all you really need to get your work done for the day, but occasionally you do need access to a conference room or printer. Additionally, collaboration is an essential part of any business big or small, and while intuitive video conferencing software solutions like iMeet® and GlobalMeet™ make online collaboration a breeze, coworking spaces offer meeting and conference rooms for the more traditional approach. Not only do these spaces allow for easy collaboration between members of your team, but it also exposes you to employees of other companies and potentially even other entrepreneurs who are tackling the same challenges you are. Mentorship is huge for young start-ups and after-hours schmoozing with the other tenants of your coworking space could even lead to new business solutions, as was the case for Invoke Media, who landed a deal with the tv show The Voice after networking at a #shift event in New York!

More importantly, operating out of a coworking space addresses one of the most common pain points for young entrepreneurs. At the outset of a new start-up, the entrepreneur is forced to wear a ton of hats: HR, PR, IT, you name it! In fact, in a survey of entrepreneurs where they were asked what they considered to be the most difficult part of small business ownership, 53 percent answered “covering multiple jobs.” While a shared office space doesn’t address all of these areas, in particular it relieves you of the burden of managing networks and office equipment. One of the key selling points of a coworking space is consistent and high-speed internet access, a necessity for any business. With your technology being securely handled by the coworking company, you as an entrepreneur can focus on growing your idea into the next big thing!

Would you ever consider working out of a shared space, or does the traditional office suit your style? Or are you a coffee shop person? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Image Credit: treehugger.com

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

This announcement comes hot on the heels of PGi’s recent strategic alliance with Deutsche Telekom and further validates the value of our services in the European market.

Pictured left to right are Peter Smyth, Director of Marketing & Product Development, eircom, and John Stone, PGi EVP Europe, and Managing Director.

eircom has extensive scale and a strong enterprise customer base in Ireland, which is a solid complement to PGi’s deep expertise in the virtual meetings space. Together, we look to provide Irish companies with solutions that help them collaborate in more meaningful ways whilst increasing business productivity.

With iMeet, we created an entirely new way to meet — a simple, personal and mobile solution that brings creativity and the human element back into every meeting. iMeet gives users their own personal meeting room online that unites video conferencing and audio conferencing with social networking and file sharing — the first robust, integrated solution of its kind.  Now, leveraging eircom’s market leading brand and proven expertise in the telecommunications market, I am excited to help Irish businesses everywhere meet in new, refreshingly human ways — regardless of device, location or time zones.

GlobalMeet has an easy-to-navigate use interface, requires no software downloads for meeting guests and offers a unique “connect me” feature that automatically calls attendees, making dial-in numbers and passcodes obsolete.

Given Ireland’s strategic position on the edge of Europe, the Irish market represents a significant opportunity for conferencing solutions to catapult Irish business activities on a global scale.

This strategic alliance fills a void in the Irish marketplace for collaboration solutions which connects business in a simple, personal and mobile way.

For more information, please read our press release here or visit our new partner website.

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Ayesha Khanna, president with Points of Light and driving force behind its Civic Incubator program. By uniting new ideas with emerging entrepreneurs, the Points of Light Civic Incubator inspires entrepreneurs, strengthens early-stage civic ventures and places people at the center of change and innovation. The program launches and supports civic-minded entrepreneurs as well as early stage ventures, social enterprise efforts, business mergers and joint ventures. With the support of Points of Light, entrepreneurs can initiate and develop new initiatives designed to put people at the center of change.

The Civic Incubator is a comprehensive and specialized program that empowers civic entrepreneurs to transition their ideas into programs, social enterprises and nonprofit-/joint-ventures. At the center of global civic change are those individuals whose insights and visions have the potential of effecting wide-ranging benefits. I interviewed Khanna on the specific role that mentoring plays within the Civic Incubator program and how her involvement has impacted her own life and career. As we talked, I found myself feeling naturally inspired, and I hope that our conversation affects you similarly.

LG: What are the mission and goals of your organization?

AK: The Points of Light Civic Incubator is serves as a catalyst for innovation and new ideas to engage people to drive positive change by supporting entrepreneurs and their startup ventures. Points of Light engages a wide spectrum of the population to support new ideas and help create solutions to address our country’s most intractable problems.

LG: How does mentoring play a role within Civic Incubator on both individual and organizational levels?

AK: Mentoring offers a critical dimension to the support of entrepreneurs, new ventures and expanding teams. We connect volunteers with advisors and various businesses. Our mission is to drive positive change in the world, to engage people and to get people to engage with each other. It’s an amazing cycle once activated, and observing the process is one of the most exciting parts of my job.

Mentors play many different roles within the Civic Incubator. Since mentoring encompasses a wide range of skills, mentors are able to employ their skills in diverse applications—it’s really up to them. Many volunteer their time by mentoring for an organization, a project or even an issue. It’s really about what they find meaningful, where their heart is. Whether sharing insights about how to think about a challenging issue, working as a peer, sharing business knowledge with a startupor guiding someone through a complex process, a mentor’s unique wisdom can benefit a team or organization.  We are fortunate to have mentors at all levels throughout Points of Light.

LG: Tell me about some things happening with the Civic Incubator right now.

AK: A exciting new “Venture in Residence” in the Civic Incubator – Fuse Corps – launched on May 21st as founders and new fellows celebrated at the Standard D School. I serve on the board and am a co-founder of Fuse Corps and our mission is to build a movement to solve the biggest challenges facing communities across America by enlisting the country’s most entrepreneurial leaders into public service for a 12-month fellowship working in the offices of governors, mayors and community organizations.

LG: Do you personally mentor anyone? If so, how many people?

AK: I have mentored young people in the past through the Atlanta community program, Kids-4-A-Change, as well as many young professionals. I also seek out mentors myself.

LG: What are some qualities that you look for in a potential mentee?

AK: Within the Civic Incubator, we will help mentees seek entrepreneurial leaders to be a part of a team, people who will connect with their network and can contribute wisdom and insight. In a more general sense, we’re looking for individuals who value what the mentoring relationship offers and are actively looking for ways to support and team with social entrepreneurs with emerging solutions to address critical community issues.

LG: How long have you been mentoring individuals?

AK: Since college,  when I mentored a “little sister” in the community near Franklin & Marshall College. I have always gained so much from the mentoring relationship, more than the mentee, I believe.

LG: How have past mentors led you to where you are today?

AK: Great question! I’ve learned so much about navigating the organizational culture, how the dynamics of the for-profit sector works and what’s involved in transforming organizational cultures. I’ve had plenty of “tough love” sessions during which mentors both challenged and supported me and my team. Merrick Furst, founder of the Flashpoint Accelerator at Georgia Tech, is a great example of an individual who understood this balance and continues to support us achieving our goals.

LG: How would you describe your mentoring process? Approximately how much time per week/month does it take up in your schedule? What technology tools do you currently use in your mentoring process, if any?

AK: Informal mentoring is more organic; you don’t really have formal appointments. However, consistent communication over a period of time is a key factor. With Merrick, we’d meet for an hour several times during a week. Other mentors will do this via email or phone. Technology can definitely enhance the mentoring process—we used a blog platform that supported the mentoring process and allowed us to comment and communicate as a group. It was phenomenal to be able to exchange dialog and feedback in real time during an intense creative process. It helped us build a community.

LG: How do you feel that mentoring has changed your life? What do you hope to gain from a mentoring relationship? What do you hope to give?

AK: Having someone believe in and support you is genuinely life-changing and gives you a safe space to test ideas and openly discuss challenges. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had critical leadership experiences. Mentoring has been integral to my experiences as a professional in all industries and sectors. I still want to gain more insights in particular areas: to learn about leadership in new areas, to work specifically with teams in our Accelerator Program and to continue providing young professionals with insights that can help them—and me–to grow. Again, we come back to the cycle. As a woman in a male-dominated profession in management consulting, it was  especially important to have female mentors and to be a mentor to young professional women, to build a network of trust and community.

LG: What is your perspective on reverse mentoring (i.e., when the mentee shares knowledge and perspective with the mentor that benefits and broadens the latter’s experience)? Do you find that reverse mentoring is a natural part of the mentoring process, or does it require more deliberate cultivation?

AK: It’s phenomenal and, if you’re open to it, the dynamic can be a natural part of the mentoring process. Both the mentor and mentee need to embrace this kind of relationship, but we can all learn from each other. It’s an interesting evolution of the mentoring process that can add a powerful dimension to the mentor-mentee relationship.

LG: What kinds of skills, knowledge or wisdom can you share that you’ve gained from your mentees?

AK: So many things. I’ve learned negotiation skills. It’s helped build my confidence. I’ve gained insights in areas where I can learn more and received advice on how to grow, succeed and develop on a professional level. Content expertise, new knowledge and ways of thinking of things, personal advice, new networks . . . I could go on and on. There’s a lot of value in reverse mentoring!

LG: How does mentoring someone differ from managing them? Which do you enjoy more and why?

AK: Mentoring is sharing perspective and partnerships, whereas managing relies more on motivating either an individual or a team to achieve performance and to be held accountable; there are similarities, but they alsorequire different skills and approaches. When you are managing someone, you’re using some mentoring skills, but when you drive accountability andresults, the approach is different from encouragement. In some ways, there’s more freedom in mentoring because you’re accountable to the relationship but not to the results.

LG: What “single” bit of advice would you give to someone starting out as first-time mentor?

AK: Don’t assume that you know what the mentee needs. Ask and listen. You may hear something totally unexpected and provide support in ways you never imagined.

LG: And last but not least, my “Favorite Five Questions”:

1. What excites you?
   AK: Passion and commitment of young people to change the world.
2. What scares you?
   AK: Anything bad happening to my family. And the extremism that’s developing in the world.
3. What new artist are you listening to?
   AK: Adele. Her voice . . . she’s so inspiring!
4. Who motivates you?
   AK: People who are confronting and solving difficult issues: journalists, people who put themselves in harm’s way to bring us the truth. I have family members in India who are activists, journalists and health professionals, and they are doing this very thing.
5. What are you looking forward to most in the future?
   AK: Getting to know my seven year old daughter as she grows older, and coming out of these difficult economic times. I feel optimistic about the future and think there’s a lot of good ahead.

For more information, learn more about the Points of Light Civic Incubator on their site or read the recent Mashable article.

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

What if you could connect with your clients without the downtime or the costs that travel causes? Welcome to the Innovation Manifesto.

Kiss the faceless productivity sink of conference calls goodbye. Then say a vide-hello to increased productivity, collaboration and teamwork—no matter where your team members are located.

Last week, I shared how to compare vendors and select the right features when shopping for video conferencing products. Now we’ll look at the how to calculate the ROI you could get from using them. (Aberdeen estimates an average return of 120%!)

STEP #1: The Questions to Ask

1. How easy is it to connect?

There’s nothing that will start a meeting off on the wrong foot like asking participants to input a long sequence of numbers. In fact, more than 50-75% of web conferences start more than five minutes late, thanks to difficulties in joining the meeting (Wainhouse).

2.  What’s the quality?

Audio should be crystal clear and not drop your connection. Videos should stream without hiccups. “Can you see me now?” is NOT a question you should have to ask.

3.   How can participants connect?

Does the program require users to download a file, or can the video meeting be accessed online? Is there an app participants can download to their smartphones or tablets?

4.  What will this cost me?

Are there setup or support costs? Will you have to pay per-minute or per-user?

5.  How do we access support?

The web conferencing service you use should offer 24/7 support, as well as multiple ways to access it (i.e. web or telephone).

STEP #2: Calculate Revenue

So now we get down to the nitty gritty: Will web conferencing not only save you money, but accelerate revenue?

If you spend more than $1,000 a year on business travel, and have more than one employee who could benefit from video conferencing, then yes. Most companies spend significantly more than this.
Say you have one salesperson who makes 10 three-day business trips from LA to New York each year. Your costs for his flight, accommodations and travel expenses would be around $14,000, and he’d lose about 200 hours of productivity. (Polycom Calculator)

Now multiply this amount with the number of employees you send traveling.

On the other hand, if you invest in web video conferencing, your cost should be less than $50 per user each month. Your staff stays in the office, and doesn’t lose productivity from travel.

Here’s a formula to determine your own ROI:

[Set-up costs + a year’s worth of monthly fees + extra costs]

–

[Saved travel costs + increase in productivity]

=

Your ROI

If you’re not sure how well a video conference platform will work for your needs, ask for a free trial to see if it provides what you need.

What’s your ROI?

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

Video conference? Present slides? That’s right. Even in the world’s fastest moving train, 6,000 miles away, it’s possible to host a video or web conference when you have the right technology.

Hear from PGi Australia/New Zealand Sales Director on how he hosted his latest video presentation from the back of a taxi.

Over the past year, I’ve traveled to PGi’s 30+ global offices, hosting meetings virtually and in-person in 12 different time zones and in a variety of office and “not-so-office-like” locations (i.e. McDonald’s, airports, busses, under mosquito nets, etc.).

To host a meeting outside the comfort of the cubicle walls, you’ll need to ensure your digital tool belt is stocked, your environment is meeting-compatible and most of all, you’re up for the challenge.

Below are five steps you can take to ensure your next “meeting-to-go” is a success.

1. Find meeting technology that’s made for mobile workers. This is tip #1 for a reason! Finding a solution that is not just mobile-friendly, but truly compatible with a mobile workers’ surroundings can mean the difference between a meeting and a meeting attempt. You’ll want to find a solution that is not only designed for multiple devices, but also one that’s “forgiving” of the mobile working environment, in that it can work around weak cell signal, fleeting internet and a noisy background, as well as accommodate guests from any part of the world, on any device.

Earlier this year, I reviewed the GlobalMeet® Web Conferencing app for Blackberry. The recently updated app allows hosts to start or join a meeting on the go, send our invites, adjust participant volume, see who’s it talking with Active Talker, lock, mute or record their call, all from the app.

2. Take note of your surroundings. Even with a solution that anticipates connectivity issues, it’s best to know what you’re working with before dialing into the call. Does your cell have signal in that specific spot? What about your WiFi connection? Or background noise? Find a solution with dial-in, dial-out and call over the internet (VoIP) options. Apps or browser based/download-free solutions will require minimal bandwidth ensuring your meeting time isn’t spent troubleshooting.

When we landed in Tokyo, we rented a mobile hotspot “MiFi” router which gave us 3G internet almost everywhere in Japan, making internet connectivity a non-issue. I highly recommend the mobile hotspot for any traveling worker.

3. Store your files in the cloud. It’s easy to pull of a presentation in my iMeet® room when I’m on the go, because I can easily email files directly into my room and then present them during my meting regardless of whether I’m at my desk or not. Guests can then download files directly which spares me from circulating last-minute files.

iMeet also offers an integration with Evernote so meeting notes, along with other shared files can easily be accessed while in a meeting.

4. Double-check your meeting time. What of the biggest challenges in hosting a meeting from  is knowing when a meeting should take place. If you’re in the same region, it’s less of an issue but imagine trying to decide when to schedule a meeting  for all four of your international participants. I use SameTimeAs.com for quick and easy international scheduling. It works well in a mobile browser and will accept almost anything that resembles a date, time or location.

International Scheduling with SameTimeAs.com

5. Remove evidence of remote working. Before the big show begins, remove any mobile worker evidence, especially when joining a video conference. Throw on your suit jacket, find a distraction-free background for your webcam and lower you microphone volume if needed.

When working abroad this year, I tried to make sure my meeting participants rarely knew when I was half-way around the world. Meetings remained on-track and on-topic as opposed to derailing into a conversation about location.

Whether you’re working from home or blazing through Japan’s countryside, these tips can help you plan for a successful meeting on the go.

Have you ever hosted a meeting outside the office? How did you pull it off?

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

 1. Be a Part of the Big Picture. Remember that being an intrapreneur isn’t the same thing as starting a new company. You’re promoting a new idea from within your company that ties in with the businesses main objectives. You’re also testing the idea on your company’s dime, which brings us to our second tip:

 2. Don’t Forget that you’re an Employee. Sure, you’re in charge of a new venture for the company, but that doesn’t excuse you from corporate calls, meetings, emails and forms. You may have a special idea, but you need to strike a balance between corporate expectations and creative time.

 3. Set Goals you can Achieve in 6-12 Months. When creating a new venture for your company, you’ll want to be able to give frequent status reports. Choosing short term goals allows you to provide your superiors with a roadmap of where your idea is headed and what you need to get there.

 4. Focus on Ideas that Drive Revenue. While any idea could be a great one, focusing first on ideas that boost profit ensures your ability to keep on with your projects. Don’t ignore your other ideas though; instead allow them to be side projects that you continuously come back to and eventually build into revenue-boosting powerhouse products.

 5. Build Relationships with Key Decision Makers and Choose your Collaborators Carefully. Being connected to the right people in your company can mean the difference in having a great idea and seeing it come to fruition. Also, you’re going to need help, so choose people with different strengths and backgrounds to collaborate with. Balancing out your team allows for a more creative environment. 

 6. Pick a Collaboration Tool that Works for you. Perhaps members of your collaboration team work outside of your office. Using video conferencing software like PGi’s iMeet or GlobalMeet as a brainstorming technique allows you to visually connect with your team members, which strengthens your relationships by letting you talk, share and collaborate on a personal level.

 7. Prepare for Disaster. You probably won’t get it right the first time, so having a back-up plan is crucial. And never penalize someone whose idea doesn’t end up paying out. Otherwise you’ll stifle creativity by creating a hostile environment.

 8. Celebrate your Wins.  Success rarely happens overnight, so remember that you’re on a journey to an end goal, and this venture is more of a marathon than a sprint. Celebrate your milestones to keep you and your team motivated.

 9. Love what you do. Believe in your idea.  It’s that simple. Otherwise it’s best to move on before you or the company become too invested. 

 10. Get Started! If you have an idea for your company, share it. No matter how small your idea is, if you believe in it, put it on the table.

 These tips should aid the process of intrapreneurship, but if you’re looking for more information on how to begin an intrepreneurial endeavor, I recommend this article that focuses on teaching big businesses to think like entrapreneurs.

 Are you an intrapreneur, or would you like to become one? What other tips can you offer to intrapreneurs? Share your thoughts on the PGi Blog!

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

Startup companies seem to be taking over the world. Just think Google and Facebook, and big companies start shaking in their boots. After all, how can a global company with 100,000-plus employees stand up to the power of the innovative and nimble entrepreneur? Over the past decade, we’ve seen innovations that  rocked our world — medical devices that save lives, mobile technology from sci-fi novels and social media that revolutionizes the dissemination and consumption of information. So how can your mid- to enterprise-size companies contend with these powerfully small innovators? 

Here are three ways to help your midsize or enterprise biz think like a start-up:

Be big, but think small.
In our increasingly Internet-centric world, being a late responder could bring a big business to its knees. Whether it’s responding to negative social media or keeping up with the speed of product innovation, start-ups around the world are beating big business — a perfect example is Pinterest’s astonishing overnight success. The key to surviving in this fast-paced global ecosystem is adapting your business from the traditional big-business beast of burden to a business incubator — and starting to think like a start-up. (Read more.)

The business incubator concept — also called a start-up incubator — originated in the 1950s to create special programs to develop rising entrepreneurial companies into successful businesses. Today, many of our most successful companies started in an incubator, notably innovation giants Facebook, Google and Dropbox. In a large company, the business incubator takes mentorship and turns it on its head — and accelerates the product innovation cycle in companies large and small.  By providing expert and executive-level resources and advice to “start-up” employees with a good idea, companies can foster a culture of innovation and creativity, while improving the idea-to-production speed to keep up with the Pinterests of their industry.

Identify the strengths of individuals to create Intrapreneur Teams.
Innovation expert and EMC Innovation Network Director Steve Todd hypothesizes that a successful intrapreneur must have the following “habits”: productivity, initiative, collaboration, time management, visibility, building bridges and concept-to-distribution finish. But creating a large enterprise company of 300,000-plus 7-habit-equipped employees is next to impossible. The great news is that executives and managers can create a cast of employees that each embodies one or more of these traits.

A successful team includes experts in each of these “habits” to foster creativity and innovation outside the traditional corporate “box.” You have your workhorse, the idea man/woman, the collaborator, the project manager, the internal salesman, the connector and the finisher — all working towards a common goal of seeing an idea to fruition. With potentially hundreds of these Intrapreneur Teams working together on the company’s next innovative product or service, big businesses speed up the innovation process and transition from the reactive responder to proactive industry thought leader. All because of small teams with the traits for creative intrapreneurial success.

Shorten the “yes” chain.
Perhaps the biggest innovation obstacle facing corporations is that a new idea must rise up a long chain of “yes” to get to the final executive-level decision maker. And, more times than not, the idea never makes it to the final “yes.” In sales, companies are constantly trying to shorten the sales cycle to close business faster, so why is shortening the innovation cycle not a priority within your company?

With the business incubators and Intrapreneur Teams in place throughout your company, you’ve shortened the “yes” chain substantially. Yet to truly stand up against your small-and-lean business innovation rivals, it is vital that workable ideas and creative innovations hit the table of that final decision maker constantly. Idea Teams comprised of spokespeople from the Intrapreneur Teams are a great way to facilitate this open-door creativity process. After all, who knew that entry-level accountant had such crazy brilliant ideas?

How do you think like a startup? How does your company foster creativity and innovation? And how do you facilitate brainstorming and creativity with teams that work all over the world? Share your intrapreneurial spirit and ideas with our community.

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

With your head stuck in the numbers, you forgot to warn them about all of the pre-meeting downloads. The seconds ticking by turn into minutes and, all of a sudden, they’re getting frustrated because their time is being wasted.  Clearly not the great first impression you were trying to make – especially if you’re a start-up trying to get your business off the ground.

If you’ve ever had a web meeting, chances are, you know what I’m talking about. Software downloads take forever and some company firewalls simply won’t allow it. Who in their right mind wants to start the meeting process 20 minutes before the meeting actually begins? Definitely not me.

If only you had just flown out there to present in person. It’s costly to your wallet, difficult to justify the ROI of regular business travel, and the environment costs are especially painful, but worth it – right?

Read more…

Wrong. Travel does not have to be the answer. With secure cloud innovation that offers meetings with no guest downloads, meetings are easy to join and your extra hard drive space can now be saved for more important things like impressively large charts depicting cash flow and new ventures in corporate acquisition. Consultants and new businesses alike already have enough to worry about with impressing clients with impeccable deliverables. Connecting to the meeting and to your client should not be a pain point. Not yours, and not theirs.  

As the economy fluctuates and businesses crack down on corporate spend, consulting and start-ups always take a major hit. The ability to cut travel, form a personal connection virtually and present conclusions on-time with ease will give you an edge on the competition. As a former risk consultant, who often dealt with short-for-time clients who became agitated quickly when unable to access the meeting, cloud-based tools are essentially replacing the need for high blood pressure medicine. Not really, but they do take a lot of stress out of an already stressful occupation.      

Sign up for a 30 day free trial of GlobalMeet and impress clients with giving them what they truly want – results.

Have a great story about a presentation gone wrong? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

Not all video conferencing tools are designed with the end user in mind. For example, many platforms can work okay when two people want to connect, but what happens if you need to host a meeting of 10—let alone 500?

With so many video conferencing solutions on the market, it can be hard to find the right one unless you’re some kind of telecom expert. Here are some of my secrets for choosing the right features, support and scalability in your video conferencing solution.

STEP ONE: Assess the Pain

Also look at how your team is currently trying to reach your objectives.

• Are you spending thousands of dollars unnecessarily to travel to client sites?
• When your sales team connects with buyers, is each interaction meaningful and profitable?

Ask your salespeople for their pain points in interacting with prospects and customers. Unless you want to keep getting the same results, you need to do something different.

STEP TWO: Determine Use + Get Rich Quick

Today, riches go to the companies that create the richest customer experience. We’re in the Age of the Customer. We’re customer obsessed:

A customer-obsessed company focuses its strategy, its energy, and its budget on processes that enhance knowledge of and engagement with customers and prioritizes these over maintaining traditional competitive barriers.

(SOURCE: Josh Bernoff of Forrester)

Before you dive into the cost or even the features, consider how you will use video conferencing to create value for your customer. This means profit for you.

Consider these hypotheticals:

• Do you frequently speak to your virtual team members one-on-one over the phone?
• Do you host client webinars every month?
• Are you looking for other ways for your salespeople to interact with prospects that doesn’t involve travel?

Don’t underestimate how much people appreciate efficiency. Traveling to visit a customer takes time and money from more than just your company—an in-person visit is time-consuming for your client. Video conferencing can reduce the amount of time she must spend with your team member, which will free her up to do more important things… such as sign on your dotted line.

Get Executive Buy-In

Before shopping vendors, it’s imperative that you outline how your company will use video conferencing. Sit down with management to understand its goals:

• Are executives looking to cut travel costs?
• Multiply face-to-face time with potential clients?
• Do they want the company to be more green?

Make sure the solutions you consider will help you meet these goals.

Get the Right Features

Make a list of the features that are most important to reaching your goals. Some features are nice-to-haves, but others will be necessities that you don’t want to overlook when shopping.

Ease of Use: Video conferencing software is only beneficial if it is easy to use. How frustrating is it if you (or your clients) have to remember a call-in number and passcode, and then download additional software. Keep in mind your end user (not just your team) and select a program that is foolproof to use.

Audio Options: Integrated audio tends to be easiest for users, as it provides a direct connection option without those pesky telephone codes. With one click, participants should be able to get into your meeting room and hear speakers.

Cloud Based App: We’re quickly moving away from video conferencing solutions that require large downloads to our computers. By 2015, it’s expected that 70% of all tablets shipped will be used for business (Frost & Sullivan), so it’s important to have flexibility in where we access the web meeting app. The most popular video conferencing programs have applications that can be accessed via computer, tablet or smartphone.

File sharing: In addition to connecting face-to-face over video conferencing, participants often need to quickly access documents. Considering that 20% of permission-based emails never reach their recipient (EmailStatCenter.com), email isn’t always the best way to get documents to meeting attendees quickly.  And uploading, sending and receiving files through an FTP is time-consuming, so it’s faster and easier to have file sharing built into the conferencing platform than to rely on sending documents through other means.

Scalability: Look for flexibility in your video meeting solutions, especially if you plan to use web conferencing in multiple ways, and/or plan for your business to scale. (One of our customers increased their number of sales meetings by 300% after they started using iMeet!). For a one-on-one meeting, you may require website sharing, but for larger meetings with, say, ten people, you might also need web chat and file sharing capabilities. Make sure you can start at whatever point you want with the solution you choose. Then, make sure it can scale with your company as it grows.

There are many web conferencing platforms out there; Make sure the one you choose offers all the features you need for successful meetings online.

(Don’t miss Part 2 of this post: Get to ROI with Your Web Conferencing Software.)

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

PGi had one goal in mind when creating iMeet – abolish soul-sucking meetings. The iMeet experience is unlike any other product on the market. It expands on basic video conferencing, giving users their own personal online meeting room that integrates with their favorite social media and file sharing applications. A cloud-based application, iMeet was designed to be simple, personal, and mobile, giving you the freedom to collaborate whenever and wherever. And with a slick interface that helps bolster your creative juices, we know that your meetings will be more productive and enjoyable. 

Thomas Edison transformed our world through his ingenuity and creativity. We’re ecstatic to exemplify his legacy of innovation – one meeting at a time.

What were some of your favorite products awarded at last night’s Edison Awards? Be sure to leave a comment below or learn how iMeet can bring you better video meetings with a free 30-day trial.

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

A recent infographic caught my eye about how the Internet is allegedly ruining our brains. In particular, I was struck by the idea that while technology allows us to be more efficient with easy multitasking, the constant demands we’re making on our brains is contributing to stress and creating a drain on creativity!

We’re all guilty of it. Be honest: how many tabs do you have open right now in your browser? How many applications are running? How many times, while reading this post, have you glanced at your inbox? As a technology geek, it honestly never occurred to me that being able to do more things in more ways could be a detriment to my performance. After all, multitasking is simply part of doing business in an always-connected world where information is shared instantly.

So how do we deal with this problem? It’s clearly not a simple matter of less tabs and applications; the frustration of constantly having to reopen a frequently used program or website certainly won’t help that stress issue. What we really need is software that provides an opportunity, or even a place where we can maintain connectivity while shutting out the stress and noise of two monitors filled to the brim with tabs and programs.

iMeet is just such a place. The elegance and simplicity of the interface creates an inviting, comfortable space far removed from the noise of all of our tabs and inboxes. Additionally, there are a couple of tips to make iMeet a truly stress-free meeting experience.

Tip #1: Don’t E-mail It.  Share it in iMeet!

As the host of an iMeet meeting, you can share that video, web page, PowerPoint, or image directly within iMeet. This keeps everyone focused on one window and avoids the frustration of clicking away to dig through your inbox, find the attachment, open it, and click back and forth between the file and your meeting.

Tip #2: Take Notes!

Instead of having a word processor open or an actual pen and notebook handy during a meeting, why not use the integrated Notes feature that’s part of every iMeet room? You can take room-wide notes for the benefit of all attendees or notes for just yourself. You can even have the notes e-mailed to you or sent to your Evernote account with a single click!

Tip #3: Go full-screen!

While iMeet has several features that promote stress-free multitasking, sometimes a meeting can be more meaningful by purposely avoiding those features.  In most browsers, pressing the F11 key will let you go Full Screen, removing the toolbars and framing of the window and leaving you with just your content. While this is handy for a variety of reasons around the web, in iMeet the feature is a revelation.

It truly lets you feel that you’re in your room, having a chat with your guests and learning more about them via their pictures, webcam stream, and cube profile. By focusing on people through a full-screened iMeet, we can get a respite from the cacophony of a busy web-based workday.

Of course, there are also other, lesser-known dangers involved with multitasking:

What about you? Are you a hardcore multitasker? A tab junkie? What tricks do you use to avoid web fatigue?

Photo courtesy timesunion.com

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

 In The Atlantic article, writer Stephen Marche interviews the world’s leading expert on loneliness, John Cacioppo, who discovered that the way you use Facebook  determines whether the site – and social media in general – improves or harms your social life. 

 Marche wrote, “In one experiment, Cacioppo looked for a connection between the loneliness of subjects and the relative frequency of their interactions via Facebook, chat rooms, online games, dating sites and face-to-face contact. The results were unequivocal. ‘The greater the proportion of face-to-face interactions, the less lonely you are,’ he says. ‘The greater the proportion of online interactions, the lonelier you are.’”

 Think about it. If you’ve seen the The Social Network, you know that Facebook was created to connect college students with other students across the United States. As its popularity grew, Facebook expanded to include everyone in the world and was eventually picked up by businesses as an interactive business card. Facebook and other social media outlets, like Twitter and LinkedIn, allow us to connect and potentially propel our social and professional networks to astronomical heights. So why are so many of us hindering our personal and professional growth by using Facebook antisocially?

 I’m currently coming to the end of a year-long social experiment where I gave up Facebook to see how real my 1,000-plus social relationships  were and whether removing my virtual ties to close friends would result in more face-to-face get-togethers.

 What I found was surprising.

 My absence on Facebook affected my friends’ feelings of connectedness to their social networks. They were upset that they couldn’t  view what was going on in my life, but they were even more upset that I had virtually checked out of theirs. During my Facebook hiatus, one of my friends posted photographs of a shared college trip, and while she appreciated comments from her Facebook friends, she felt disconnected because I would have contributed the most relevant comment. Video conferencing became the go-to virtual alternative for my friends cross-country and overseas, who wanted to see the living version of their long-lost friend. “Turn on your webcam!” they’d plead.

 There is no way to backpedal from your virtual social network, especially with Facebook forging 125 billion friendships every day. We need to accept this shift in communication and use social tools to develop more meaningful connections. We need to contribute to social interactions, not just peek through the social curtain. Read and reply. Like and engage. Tweet and retweet. And that’s how you use social media socially.

What has been your best experience with social media? Have you ever felt that it weakened a relationship? How much more meaningful are face-to-face conversations then phone calls? Share your thoughts on the PGi Blog!

 At PGi, we understand the importance of face-to-face in our business and personal lives. Making meaningful, human connections is an innate desire for each of us. And our award-winning, anthropologically researched human collaboration tools iMeet and GlobalMeet don’t force you to hide behind a screen or telephone (unless, of course, you’re having a bad hair day). Instead, we help you connect, visualize, talk, share, collaborate on a personal level  with your clients, coworkers and friends to strengthen your relationships – and meet face-to-face and connect with all the major social networks, right inside your video and web meetings. Try it free for 30 days.

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

1. Q: How does PGi train its own sales reps to use iMeet?

A: Our reps live and breathe with the application. We record our online training sessions and review video presentations with sales leaders.

2. Q: Can you use iMeet with social media tools and social networks?

A: Absolutely. Once I have my room in iMeet, I can post it anywhere. I can invite prospects via LinkedIn or Twitter.

3. Q: Can iMeet share documents?

A: Yes. A file cabinet is part of your iMeet meeting room. You can put PowerPoint and video in your file cabinet and bring them to any video meeting.

4. Q: How many people can be on an iMeet video call?

A: At one time, 15 guests can be live with streaming video. They can collaborate and build relationships throughout the sales cycle, not just at the beginning and end. Instead of having phone calls and exchanging emails in between quarterly in-person meetings, all you have to do is send out a link to whoever you want in your video conversation.

5. Q: Is iMeet in other countries?

A: We are in 12 countries now and expect to increase that number.

6. Q: Does iMeet integrate with CRM?

A: Not yet, but we expect to by the end of 2012.

7. Q: Does iMeet charge for video time?

A: You get unlimited video and audio for $69 per user per month with iMeet. Price breaks begin at five users, and there are discounts for annual and multi-year deals.

8. Q: Are video calls longer than phone calls?

A: No. Video accomplishes more in the same length of time. And video meetings start on time.

9. Q: How do you invite people to meetings?

A: You can do it with a calendar invite or your iMeet tool. You don’t have to send an 800 number or a password.

10.Q: How long does it take to start an iMeet video meeting?

A: About two seconds. There is nothing to download.

11.Q: Should salespeople be paid more for using iMeet?

A: The nice thing about sales is that you get paid more if you sell more. So as iMeet increases sales, both the rep and the company win.

12.Q: What industries is iMeet best suited for?

A:  We have attracted 70,000 users in 18 months. The fastest-growing departments are sales, staffing and recruiting.

13.Q: What about security?

A: From the start we had to have the best security protection since we sell to 75 percent of Fortune 500 firms.

14.Q: How long does it take to get sales reps onboard?

A: The beauty of iMeet is its simplicity. It is the easiest video platform on the market. In many cases, customers are up and running before we do our first training call.

15.Q: What if the customer does not have a webcam or does not want to be seen on video?

A: That is fine. You can turn the video stream from the customer on or off. An icon will show instead. The real power of iMeet happens when the customer sees the sales rep. Many customers begin without a webcam and then decide they feel left out and get one. Most computers these days come with a camera.

For more, watch our recent webinar, The Digital Sales Call: How to Get Results. The webinar was co-sponsored by Selling Power and moderated by Selling Power CEO Gerhard Gschwandtner.

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

Over the past 10 months on the road, visiting PGi’s 30+ global offices, I have used PGi’s virtual meeting solutions, iMeet® and GlobalMeet®, to join meetings, present important ideas, on-board new team members and keep rapport with my stakeholders. Unlike most enterprise technology, I use iMeet and GlobalMeet because they’re browser-based so it’s quick and easy to start the meeting . They’re also simple and let the meeting be about my guests, not features.

After almost two years of using the products to break down communication barriers at work, I’ve started using them “at home.” Recently, I took my accountant through a few tax documents thanks to GlobalMeet’s screen share and recorded the meeting for my husband to review afterwards. I’ve also been able to make an appearance at my friend’s wedding and share a few words during her rehearsal dinner via iMeet.

GlobalMeet Brings Me Face-to-Face with My Accountant 5K Miles Away

The same technology I use to join my Monday morning status call is my technology of choice for connecting with friends and family. Most knowledge workers are familiar with the rise of consumer technology in the workplace – multimedia, mobility and social networking . However, similar to the BYOD trend, my personal technology choices are taking notes from my 9-to-5 and influencing the technology I bring home.

While abroad this year, I’ve met new babies, congratulated the newly engaged and even approved my mom’s sofa choice through the same technology I use to take my team through an Excel sheet. I believe that this convergence is an indicator of technology that is easy to use and dare I say fun.

Have you used enterprise technology in your personal life? Which business technology will find its way into the consumer marketplace next?

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

• Advice to cut business travel costs — for the environment and your business — with online meetings, flexible work arrangements and telecommuting.
• Top 10 Green Apps to manage gas prices and carbon emissions.
• Use VoIP softphones to save the environment, one phone call at a time.
• Great tips for greening your office without the cost or the hassle.
• Survey to learn just how green you are — and how to become a green expert.

Want to receive the PGi newsletter in your inbox every month? Email us at LearningSpace@PGi.com for monthly tips, tricks and industry advice on green business, telecommuting, presentation ideas, email etiquette and better meeting management.

How are you celebrating Earth Day? Any local events in your community you can share with the PGiBlog community?

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.

While interviewing for my new job at PGi, I had three interviews for a position in Atlanta, Georgia, over 500 miles away from where I was currently living in St. Louis, Missouri. I met with a total of eight different interviewers located across the country and across the globe, ranging from Montana to Hong Kong!

Sure Beats the Drive

All of that virtual globetrotting was as simple as entering a web address, thanks to the flexibility and ease-of-use of iMeet.

iMeet trumps traditional methods of remote interviewing, such as phone interviews, in just about every way imaginable. In particular, the seamless webcam integration, a key feature of both iMeet and GlobalMeet, gives you all the benefits of a face-to-face interview coupled with the freedom of a remote one. With the webcam on, iMeet lets you be more than just a voice. The interviewers truly get to see prospective employees, for better or worse! They get to see how confidently you carry yourself, how comfortable you are talking about your experiences, or they might even get to see you squirm in your seat when a question catches you off guard. I was surprised to find myself preparing for my iMeet interviews in much the same way I would for a face-to-face interview. Rather than just sitting anxiously by the phone, I was straightening my tie, tidying my hair, and taking deep breaths, striving to display a truly professional image for my interviewers’ scrutiny.

The benefit isn’t solely the interviewer’s, of course. When both parties are using webcams, potential employees can interview confidently with the knowledge that they have the full attention of the person in the iMeet cube in front of them. And that, ultimately, is the true brilliance of the iMeet interview: each cube is a real person and that human connection is immediate and deep. To paraphrase a self-proclaimed “old lady,” it was nice seeing the other people in the room. I truly felt that we had met, in spite of being hundreds (if not thousands) of miles apart. I slept a little easier knowing that regardless of the outcome, iMeet afforded me the opportunity to give my potential employer a full and complete picture of who Josh Erwin is, and I never even had to leave my kitchen table.

Do you have a remote interviewing story, good or bad? Share it in the comments!

Map Image Copyright 2012 Google Maps

 

PGi Blog - You can't spell meeting without me.