The real estate industry is experiencing massive changes in the digital era. With new online technologies, businesses are improving the overall customer experience while also being more competitive. This means that it is increasingly important to stay up to date and find out things like what a title company does in Florida. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the ways real estate businesses can go digital and reap large rewards!
1. A New Education Landscape
Anyone interested in venturing into the real estate industry needs to be educated. This does not mean that you have to go to school and take a series of courses and get a degree. In this digital era, education is more affordable and accessible. For instance, you can take a commercial real estate course online to become more knowledgeable. Through online modules, you can learn at your pace while completing assignments on deadline.
2. Build a Website
Being digital in real estate is also possible by creating a website, which will help establish your online presence. This is an opportunity to promote the properties that you are selling and to build brand awareness. To build a great business website, start by having a simple, catchy, and easy-to-remember domain name. Make the website intuitive, user-friendly, and relevant. Offer something valuable to the visitors.
3. Use Search Engine Optimization Techniques
It is not enough that your business has a website. Many real estate agents probably have their websites as well. To stand out, pay attention to your search engine optimization strategies. For instance, you need to conduct keyword research to know the search queries your target market is using. This will make it easier to conquer the top Google search results.
4. Start an Email Campaign
Your online marketing strategies will not be complete without tapping the power of email. It is a valuable tool to connect with new leads and to nurture a relationship with your existing client pool. The open rate can be low, which is one of the biggest challenges for real estate companies. Find a way to make emails more interesting and engaging. One of the best ways to do this is through personalization.
5. Tap Social Media
Social media marketing is another good way to use digital trends to promote your real estate business. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are some of the best platforms that you can use. Consider the target audience to decide which channel is most effective in getting your message across. It is also crucial to ensure that you have engaging content for your social media strategies to be effective.
6. Host a Virtual Tour
Gone are the days when giving prospects a tour of the property you are selling could be done personally. Nowadays, you can do it virtually. By using digital technologies, it is easier to give your clients an idea of the property that you are selling. Using 360-degree cameras and 3D rendering are some of the best things that can help.
Digital technologies are changing the real estate industry. As mentioned above, from training and education to hosting a virtual tour, there are plenty of ways you can use the power of digital platforms to succeed in the real estate world.
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Sales into your business is always going to be an important aspect and one of the big priorities for your company. After all, the sales you make, be that in products sold or services ordered can be what your business is measured on year on year. So any entrepreneur will always be looking at ways that you can boost those sales opportunities. But have you thought of everything? Here are some suggestions to try that could see you making a boost in your sales figures this year.
Pop-up shops at events
Many businesses have their website that has a functioning ecommerce system, and also they have perhaps a physical store. But is that your only option? The answer is no. There are many events that you could take your business to. This is getting your business in front of a captured audience, and having a pop-up shop gives you the chance to make some sales as well. You could even buy custom tents to help make your business stand out at pop-up shop events. Thankfully there are payment options that you can utilise to make this even easier for your customers and your business.
Increase in marketing and stronger messages
There is always going to be a need for an increase in marketing if you are wanting to further extend your reach and have your business seen by new people. But it isn’t about when you share and how often you do it, it is also about the content that you share. You need to be more sharp with your content. Include direct links in pictures, take advantage of advertising through social media platforms, and enable your customers to see and be interested in exactly what you are supplying. There are some great articles online on how you can increase your social media strategy to boost sales.
Outsourcing jobs to free up your time
One of the biggest issues business owners face is the fact that they have no time. Often this is because as a business owner, you take on too many tasks to ensure your business runs smoothly. As you start to get bigger, you should consider outsourcing certain areas of your business. Things like accounts or IT management, for example. This will then free up your time so that you can focus on the areas that will make the most difference to your business.
Prospecting new and existing customers
There will always be customers that make enquiries through your website. There will always be people that fail to check out on that last page, and then there will be the customers who have already bought from you. These are prime people, and so you may want to consider contacting them and offering great deals. Repeat business from existing customers by offering a referral or discount code. Asking customers who failed to check out if there was a reason why and solving a problem. This could be a great way to increase revenue.
Let’s hope these options have you boosting your sales this year.
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Cybersecurity is one of those overriding concerns in modern business. As there are more data breaches making headlines affecting a wide variety of companies, it seems that nobody is exempt from cyber terrorism or crime relating to technology. This means it’s crucial for you to look at your vulnerabilities. While you can set up various types of systems to protect your company, one of the most vulnerable areas of your business isn’t a technical one, it is a human one. Your employees are prone to human error. And we’ve got to make sure that we train our employees to understand the best practices of IT. What sort of tactics and practices can help you in this situation?
Investing In Employee Training
From a technical perspective, we can outsource components to a network services company or IT specialist, so they have the responsibility, but when we look at our in house components, it’s crucial for employees to grasp cybersecurity as a maintenance issue rather than something that they learn once in a blue moon. We’ve got to remember that cyber terrorism is a constantly evolving entity, which means that we’ve got to upregulate our systems and our approach to protecting the company. While we can invest in components like software patches and outsourcing technical duties to another company, we still have to invest in the people that we see each and every day. We have got to commit to a wide variety of tactics, so our teams know what is out there and what they can do to combat it. Partly we have to invest in training, but we’ve also got to change our mindset. It’s so easy to blame the employee that opens the phishing scam attachment rather than addressing the mentality of the employees in general. This is where training becomes essential.
Working On The Best Practices
It’s so easy for us to say that password security is an essential component because everybody knows to an extent this can protect most of us from phishing scams or cyber-attacks. But getting your team to do this is an entirely different ballpark. Working on the best practices with something like changing passwords is partly to do with your employees, knowing the traits of a strong password, but also understanding the outcome of not following these processes. On a basic level, a password needs to be long with multiple characters, and it’s changed on a regular basis. But remember that in order to ensure compliance from your workers, building a reminder to change passwords through regular feedback as well as password management tools can help your employees to keep on top of these issues.
Focus On Cybersecurity Awareness
The people in the IT department may know the sorts of data breaches out there but you can’t expect your employees to follow the trends in the news. You may know which way the signs are going, but it can still prove challenging to understand how regularly these things occur. There are numerous resources that you can take advantage of that provide detailed information on the latest cybersecurity breaches, but you also need to remember that this message needs to be loud and clear. Distributing this information through your team is about consistency. If you continue to share the information on a regular basis, along with the repercussions, this puts the message across. At the same time, you don’t want to bombard your employees with too much information that they don’t bother reading it.
Integrate Cybersecurity With New Employees
The onboarding process is the perfect opportunity to introduce your employees to the best practices. If you incorporate it into your training process from day one, you are able to go over the rules but also explain the importance of these best practices. Again, it’s about reiterating how much of a threat data breaches are. You need to create clear cybersecurity guidelines through important regulatory documents but also initiate a complaints procedure should a breach occur. When your employees hear about a potential breach, you must create an environment where employees share information rather than trying to cover up their mistakes.
Implement It From The Top Down
From the perspective of the executives, communicating the need for regular training in terms of cybersecurity practices is about highlighting its effect on the bottom line. Yes, there is no shortage of news relating to data breaches, but you’ve still got to make a case for it when money is tight. Looking for an executive buy-in is about making your case clear with regards to the costs but also going in with a comprehensive plan as to how the training would be undertaken. It’s also crucial to point out the costs of a data breach. Based on experience, once you highlight how more expensive a data breach is in comparison to training and onboarding practices, it’s likely executives will opt for the latter.
Implementing Regular Drills
We test the fire alarm on a regular basis, so why don’t we incorporate data breaches? When we train employees on a new piece of software, there comes a time where we have to let them fly by themselves. Allowing them to experiment in an environment with their new skills gives you a clearer picture of the potential problems that can occur and if your employees are ready to deal with them. Testing your business with a live-fire simulation can be a massive undertaking, but you can do it through smaller simulations like spot-checking your employees to see if they know the principles of combating a phishing scam email.
As technology is such a major investment and the fact that we rely on it to do 95% of our tasks, we need to make sure that our employees know how to use it properly. Many organizations invest in sophisticated equipment but don’t have the means to operate it. When our employees need to understand how to use the equipment, we can guide them, but we’ve also got to give them knowledge of the best practices underneath. Cybersecurity is such an important issue that if we communicate it so much, our employees can switch off. But by following a few of these processes, you can start to educate everybody across the board.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/internet-3484137_960_720.jpg601960StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2020-01-30 18:00:122020-01-30 22:41:01Across The Memory Board – How To Educate Our Employees On The Best IT Practices
In today’s global business environment one skill you must have is the expertise of setting up a conference call using video. This is usually to have a meeting with colleagues, clients or business partners that are in a different state or country. Video conferencing gives you an affordable way to do so, which saves your company a lot of time and money.
Unfortunately, many conference call meetings end up being a waste of time for all participants due to poor planning, inadequate technology or user error when setting up the call. Some people have come to hate conference calls because of poor meeting coordination, technical glitches and lack of participation from colleagues. It is a common occurrence for example that participants get distracted from the meeting and nothing gets accomplished.
Successful video conferencing meetings are very possible if you take the time to prepare for the meeting. Keep reading for six important tips that will make you an expert at setting up conference call using video.
1. Always Test Your Equipment and Connections
At least a day before the meeting you should test your equipment and network connections to ensure that they are in proper working order. Testing a day in advance will give you enough time to replace any faulty equipment and get failed connections fixed. Testing out your equipment also gives you the confidence to operate the technology during the actual conference meeting.
Some of the things to look out for while testing includes making sure lighting in the conference room is adequate. Also, be sure that everyone sitting in the meeting room will be visible on the conference screens. Cameras and microphones should be well placed around the room such that all participants can be seen and heard.
Also, ensure that you set up your conference equipment and connections around half an hour before the meeting. If the meeting starts at 9 am that is not the time to start connecting the call and switching on your speakers. Doing this beforehand will help the meeting start on time.
2. Have a Meeting Facilitator to Guide the Meeting
The facilitator is usually the organizer of the meeting. Send out an agenda and any documentation prior to the meeting to allow participants to prepare adequately for the meeting.
During the meeting, the facilitator should limit side discussions amongst participants and should check that everyone is fully engaged and contributing to the discussions. Any irrelevant debates should be quickly cut off to ensure that the meeting is concise and ends on time with all items on the agenda covered.
When sending out the meeting invitations provide backup connection options if the main conference line goes down. Alternative connection options for the meeting include phone dial-in codes and conference calling on apps such as Skype, WhatsApp, and Zoom.
3. Make Use Of Visual Presentation Aids Through Screen Sharing
Visual presentation aids used during the conference call will prevent the participants from getting bored by the discussions. The meeting facilitator can share their laptop screen with those in the meeting. This means that the document or presentation on the facilitator’s screen will be seen on the conference room’s screen as well as the laptops of remote participants.
The facilitator can also make changes to any documents as discussions take place. When screen sharing remember to disable any notifications from email or chat applications. Use the best screen sharing software to make the meeting go smoothly.
4. Have Protocol for All Participants
At the beginning of your meeting go over meeting protocol so that the conference call runs smoothly. For example, you may request remote speakers to turn off their microphones except while speaking. This reduces disruptions from background noise.
Additionally, all participants should turn on their cameras and ensure they are visible by everyone else in the conference. To prevent people from speaking over each other, the facilitator should ask participants to give visual cues before speaking and he or she may select the people allowed to speak.
5. Record the Call
It is important to record the call for record-keeping purposes. Recorded calls will be useful for participants that were absent from the meeting but need to know what was discussed.
If participants know the call is being recorded it allows them to be fully engaged in the meeting without having to worry about taking proper notes or minutes.
6. Be Aware Of Yourself and Your Surroundings If Calling in From a Remote Location
Participants dialing into a video conference meeting from remote locations have their own set of tips to follow. First of all, you should confirm that your video conferencing equipment works properly and test it before the conference call.
If you have a modern laptop it should come with a camera and inbuilt speakers and microphones. In this case, all you will need for the conference call is your laptop and perhaps a pair of earphones for better sound quality.
When taking part in a conference call from a remote location ensure you choose a place with little background noise. Be aware of your environment and what other people at the conference will see. For example, taking part in a call from a disorganized office will reflect badly on you.
Keep in mind that all your actions can be seen by other participants so behave appropriately and dress appropriately. Avoid having bright lights behind you as these will make it hard to see you.
Have Successful Results When Setting Up Conference Call Using Video
In order to have a productive conference call, it is necessary for you to prepare for the meeting. Send out the agenda well in advance when setting up conference call.
Allow participants to get ready for the meeting and be sure to test out your conference call technology before the meeting. Remember that you should always be professional and practice good communication skills.
For more tips and advice, check out more articles right here on our blog.
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Equipping a business appropriately often proves to be one of the most important steps of all. When the furniture and fixtures within a place of business do a good job of supporting the activities that take place there, everything becomes a lot easier.
Certain materials tend to be well-suited to use in particular types of commercial furniture and other assets. Stainless steel, for instance, is often used in the construction of tables that end up being perfect for businesses. There are four good reasons to consider buying a stainless steel table for a business, and a quick look at each of them follows.
1. Stainless Steel is Strong
High-quality stainless steel tables like those described at aeromfg.com are readily available. One of the reasons why steel is such a popular choice is simply that it is so strong.
The very word “steel” has become virtually synonymous with strength in everyday usage, with works ranging from movies to popular songs playing on the association. Although the strength of steel varies depending on the alloy, it is always considerable.
This fact alone can make a stainless steel table perfect for a business where significant loads are common. Many such assets can support loads of hundreds of pounds or more without an issue. Even when weight-bearing capacity is not a primary concern, a business that owns a steel table will often welcome the material’s strength.
2. Stainless Steel Resists Corrosion
As its name suggests, stainless steel has an inherent ability to resist certain types of degradation. Chemicals and dyes that would permanently stain other surfaces will generally leave no marks on stainless steel.
The trait at play in this case is actually even more valuable and fundamental than this fact would suggest. Stainless steel not only resists staining, it shrugs off many corrosive influences that would undermine the structural integrity of other materials.
3. Stainless Steel is Easy to Clean and Maintain
Whether used for prep work in a restaurant or as a workbench in a lab, a stainless steel table will also always be easy to clean and sanitize. Steel’s complete lack of absorbency ensures that contaminants remain on its surface, where they can easily be wiped or scrubbed away.
Sanitizing agents like bleach can also be used on stainless steel without worry. Overall, stainless steel is one of the easiest materials to maintain, which often makes it perfect for commercial tables.
4. Stainless Steel is Affordable
There are some exotic materials that might be a match for stainless steel with regard to performance. In no case, however, will a competitive alternative also be as affordable.
Although a high-quality, commercial-grade stainless steel table will generally cost a significant amount of money, the amount of value implied by that price tag will inevitably be a lot higher. Stainless steel tables not only excel in many commercial environments, they do so at prices that are every bit as impressive.
The Perfect Type of Table for Many Businesses
Stainless steel tables are regularly found in business facilities of many kinds. Tables are inherently versatile assets, and stainless steel is just as much so in its own valuable ways.
While there will be times when a table made from a different material will be more appropriate, stainless steel quite often shines when used to make commercial tables. For the four reasons above and a number of others, it will often be wise to consider buying one for a business.
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Going Digital in Real Estate: How to Do It Right
/in Online Marketing and Website Development/by StrategyDrivenThe real estate industry is experiencing massive changes in the digital era. With new online technologies, businesses are improving the overall customer experience while also being more competitive. This means that it is increasingly important to stay up to date and find out things like what a title company does in Florida. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the ways real estate businesses can go digital and reap large rewards!
1. A New Education Landscape
Anyone interested in venturing into the real estate industry needs to be educated. This does not mean that you have to go to school and take a series of courses and get a degree. In this digital era, education is more affordable and accessible. For instance, you can take a commercial real estate course online to become more knowledgeable. Through online modules, you can learn at your pace while completing assignments on deadline.
2. Build a Website
Being digital in real estate is also possible by creating a website, which will help establish your online presence. This is an opportunity to promote the properties that you are selling and to build brand awareness. To build a great business website, start by having a simple, catchy, and easy-to-remember domain name. Make the website intuitive, user-friendly, and relevant. Offer something valuable to the visitors.
3. Use Search Engine Optimization Techniques
It is not enough that your business has a website. Many real estate agents probably have their websites as well. To stand out, pay attention to your search engine optimization strategies. For instance, you need to conduct keyword research to know the search queries your target market is using. This will make it easier to conquer the top Google search results.
4. Start an Email Campaign
Your online marketing strategies will not be complete without tapping the power of email. It is a valuable tool to connect with new leads and to nurture a relationship with your existing client pool. The open rate can be low, which is one of the biggest challenges for real estate companies. Find a way to make emails more interesting and engaging. One of the best ways to do this is through personalization.
5. Tap Social Media
Social media marketing is another good way to use digital trends to promote your real estate business. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are some of the best platforms that you can use. Consider the target audience to decide which channel is most effective in getting your message across. It is also crucial to ensure that you have engaging content for your social media strategies to be effective.
6. Host a Virtual Tour
Gone are the days when giving prospects a tour of the property you are selling could be done personally. Nowadays, you can do it virtually. By using digital technologies, it is easier to give your clients an idea of the property that you are selling. Using 360-degree cameras and 3D rendering are some of the best things that can help.
Digital technologies are changing the real estate industry. As mentioned above, from training and education to hosting a virtual tour, there are plenty of ways you can use the power of digital platforms to succeed in the real estate world.
Increasing Your Sales In Your Business: The Best Ways To Do It
/in Managing Your Business/by StrategyDrivenSales into your business is always going to be an important aspect and one of the big priorities for your company. After all, the sales you make, be that in products sold or services ordered can be what your business is measured on year on year. So any entrepreneur will always be looking at ways that you can boost those sales opportunities. But have you thought of everything? Here are some suggestions to try that could see you making a boost in your sales figures this year.
Pop-up shops at events
Many businesses have their website that has a functioning ecommerce system, and also they have perhaps a physical store. But is that your only option? The answer is no. There are many events that you could take your business to. This is getting your business in front of a captured audience, and having a pop-up shop gives you the chance to make some sales as well. You could even buy custom tents to help make your business stand out at pop-up shop events. Thankfully there are payment options that you can utilise to make this even easier for your customers and your business.
Increase in marketing and stronger messages
There is always going to be a need for an increase in marketing if you are wanting to further extend your reach and have your business seen by new people. But it isn’t about when you share and how often you do it, it is also about the content that you share. You need to be more sharp with your content. Include direct links in pictures, take advantage of advertising through social media platforms, and enable your customers to see and be interested in exactly what you are supplying. There are some great articles online on how you can increase your social media strategy to boost sales.
Outsourcing jobs to free up your time
One of the biggest issues business owners face is the fact that they have no time. Often this is because as a business owner, you take on too many tasks to ensure your business runs smoothly. As you start to get bigger, you should consider outsourcing certain areas of your business. Things like accounts or IT management, for example. This will then free up your time so that you can focus on the areas that will make the most difference to your business.
Prospecting new and existing customers
There will always be customers that make enquiries through your website. There will always be people that fail to check out on that last page, and then there will be the customers who have already bought from you. These are prime people, and so you may want to consider contacting them and offering great deals. Repeat business from existing customers by offering a referral or discount code. Asking customers who failed to check out if there was a reason why and solving a problem. This could be a great way to increase revenue.
Let’s hope these options have you boosting your sales this year.
Across The Memory Board – How To Educate Our Employees On The Best IT Practices
/in Risk Management, Talent Management/by StrategyDrivenCybersecurity is one of those overriding concerns in modern business. As there are more data breaches making headlines affecting a wide variety of companies, it seems that nobody is exempt from cyber terrorism or crime relating to technology. This means it’s crucial for you to look at your vulnerabilities. While you can set up various types of systems to protect your company, one of the most vulnerable areas of your business isn’t a technical one, it is a human one. Your employees are prone to human error. And we’ve got to make sure that we train our employees to understand the best practices of IT. What sort of tactics and practices can help you in this situation?
Investing In Employee Training
From a technical perspective, we can outsource components to a network services company or IT specialist, so they have the responsibility, but when we look at our in house components, it’s crucial for employees to grasp cybersecurity as a maintenance issue rather than something that they learn once in a blue moon. We’ve got to remember that cyber terrorism is a constantly evolving entity, which means that we’ve got to upregulate our systems and our approach to protecting the company. While we can invest in components like software patches and outsourcing technical duties to another company, we still have to invest in the people that we see each and every day. We have got to commit to a wide variety of tactics, so our teams know what is out there and what they can do to combat it. Partly we have to invest in training, but we’ve also got to change our mindset. It’s so easy to blame the employee that opens the phishing scam attachment rather than addressing the mentality of the employees in general. This is where training becomes essential.
Working On The Best Practices
It’s so easy for us to say that password security is an essential component because everybody knows to an extent this can protect most of us from phishing scams or cyber-attacks. But getting your team to do this is an entirely different ballpark. Working on the best practices with something like changing passwords is partly to do with your employees, knowing the traits of a strong password, but also understanding the outcome of not following these processes. On a basic level, a password needs to be long with multiple characters, and it’s changed on a regular basis. But remember that in order to ensure compliance from your workers, building a reminder to change passwords through regular feedback as well as password management tools can help your employees to keep on top of these issues.
Focus On Cybersecurity Awareness
The people in the IT department may know the sorts of data breaches out there but you can’t expect your employees to follow the trends in the news. You may know which way the signs are going, but it can still prove challenging to understand how regularly these things occur. There are numerous resources that you can take advantage of that provide detailed information on the latest cybersecurity breaches, but you also need to remember that this message needs to be loud and clear. Distributing this information through your team is about consistency. If you continue to share the information on a regular basis, along with the repercussions, this puts the message across. At the same time, you don’t want to bombard your employees with too much information that they don’t bother reading it.
Integrate Cybersecurity With New Employees
The onboarding process is the perfect opportunity to introduce your employees to the best practices. If you incorporate it into your training process from day one, you are able to go over the rules but also explain the importance of these best practices. Again, it’s about reiterating how much of a threat data breaches are. You need to create clear cybersecurity guidelines through important regulatory documents but also initiate a complaints procedure should a breach occur. When your employees hear about a potential breach, you must create an environment where employees share information rather than trying to cover up their mistakes.
Implement It From The Top Down
From the perspective of the executives, communicating the need for regular training in terms of cybersecurity practices is about highlighting its effect on the bottom line. Yes, there is no shortage of news relating to data breaches, but you’ve still got to make a case for it when money is tight. Looking for an executive buy-in is about making your case clear with regards to the costs but also going in with a comprehensive plan as to how the training would be undertaken. It’s also crucial to point out the costs of a data breach. Based on experience, once you highlight how more expensive a data breach is in comparison to training and onboarding practices, it’s likely executives will opt for the latter.
Implementing Regular Drills
We test the fire alarm on a regular basis, so why don’t we incorporate data breaches? When we train employees on a new piece of software, there comes a time where we have to let them fly by themselves. Allowing them to experiment in an environment with their new skills gives you a clearer picture of the potential problems that can occur and if your employees are ready to deal with them. Testing your business with a live-fire simulation can be a massive undertaking, but you can do it through smaller simulations like spot-checking your employees to see if they know the principles of combating a phishing scam email.
As technology is such a major investment and the fact that we rely on it to do 95% of our tasks, we need to make sure that our employees know how to use it properly. Many organizations invest in sophisticated equipment but don’t have the means to operate it. When our employees need to understand how to use the equipment, we can guide them, but we’ve also got to give them knowledge of the best practices underneath. Cybersecurity is such an important issue that if we communicate it so much, our employees can switch off. But by following a few of these processes, you can start to educate everybody across the board.
6 Tips for Setting up Conference Call Using Video
/in Practices for Professionals/by StrategyDrivenUnfortunately, many conference call meetings end up being a waste of time for all participants due to poor planning, inadequate technology or user error when setting up the call. Some people have come to hate conference calls because of poor meeting coordination, technical glitches and lack of participation from colleagues. It is a common occurrence for example that participants get distracted from the meeting and nothing gets accomplished.
Successful video conferencing meetings are very possible if you take the time to prepare for the meeting. Keep reading for six important tips that will make you an expert at setting up conference call using video.
1. Always Test Your Equipment and Connections
At least a day before the meeting you should test your equipment and network connections to ensure that they are in proper working order. Testing a day in advance will give you enough time to replace any faulty equipment and get failed connections fixed. Testing out your equipment also gives you the confidence to operate the technology during the actual conference meeting.
Some of the things to look out for while testing includes making sure lighting in the conference room is adequate. Also, be sure that everyone sitting in the meeting room will be visible on the conference screens. Cameras and microphones should be well placed around the room such that all participants can be seen and heard.
Also, ensure that you set up your conference equipment and connections around half an hour before the meeting. If the meeting starts at 9 am that is not the time to start connecting the call and switching on your speakers. Doing this beforehand will help the meeting start on time.
2. Have a Meeting Facilitator to Guide the Meeting
The facilitator is usually the organizer of the meeting. Send out an agenda and any documentation prior to the meeting to allow participants to prepare adequately for the meeting.
During the meeting, the facilitator should limit side discussions amongst participants and should check that everyone is fully engaged and contributing to the discussions. Any irrelevant debates should be quickly cut off to ensure that the meeting is concise and ends on time with all items on the agenda covered.
When sending out the meeting invitations provide backup connection options if the main conference line goes down. Alternative connection options for the meeting include phone dial-in codes and conference calling on apps such as Skype, WhatsApp, and Zoom.
3. Make Use Of Visual Presentation Aids Through Screen Sharing
Visual presentation aids used during the conference call will prevent the participants from getting bored by the discussions. The meeting facilitator can share their laptop screen with those in the meeting. This means that the document or presentation on the facilitator’s screen will be seen on the conference room’s screen as well as the laptops of remote participants.
The facilitator can also make changes to any documents as discussions take place. When screen sharing remember to disable any notifications from email or chat applications. Use the best screen sharing software to make the meeting go smoothly.
4. Have Protocol for All Participants
At the beginning of your meeting go over meeting protocol so that the conference call runs smoothly. For example, you may request remote speakers to turn off their microphones except while speaking. This reduces disruptions from background noise.
Additionally, all participants should turn on their cameras and ensure they are visible by everyone else in the conference. To prevent people from speaking over each other, the facilitator should ask participants to give visual cues before speaking and he or she may select the people allowed to speak.
5. Record the Call
It is important to record the call for record-keeping purposes. Recorded calls will be useful for participants that were absent from the meeting but need to know what was discussed.
If participants know the call is being recorded it allows them to be fully engaged in the meeting without having to worry about taking proper notes or minutes.
6. Be Aware Of Yourself and Your Surroundings If Calling in From a Remote Location
Participants dialing into a video conference meeting from remote locations have their own set of tips to follow. First of all, you should confirm that your video conferencing equipment works properly and test it before the conference call.
If you have a modern laptop it should come with a camera and inbuilt speakers and microphones. In this case, all you will need for the conference call is your laptop and perhaps a pair of earphones for better sound quality.
When taking part in a conference call from a remote location ensure you choose a place with little background noise. Be aware of your environment and what other people at the conference will see. For example, taking part in a call from a disorganized office will reflect badly on you.
Keep in mind that all your actions can be seen by other participants so behave appropriately and dress appropriately. Avoid having bright lights behind you as these will make it hard to see you.
Have Successful Results When Setting Up Conference Call Using Video
In order to have a productive conference call, it is necessary for you to prepare for the meeting. Send out the agenda well in advance when setting up conference call.
Allow participants to get ready for the meeting and be sure to test out your conference call technology before the meeting. Remember that you should always be professional and practice good communication skills.
For more tips and advice, check out more articles right here on our blog.
4 Reasons Why You Should Choose a Stainless Steel Table for Your Business
/in Entrepreneurship/by StrategyDrivenCertain materials tend to be well-suited to use in particular types of commercial furniture and other assets. Stainless steel, for instance, is often used in the construction of tables that end up being perfect for businesses. There are four good reasons to consider buying a stainless steel table for a business, and a quick look at each of them follows.
1. Stainless Steel is Strong
High-quality stainless steel tables like those described at aeromfg.com are readily available. One of the reasons why steel is such a popular choice is simply that it is so strong.
The very word “steel” has become virtually synonymous with strength in everyday usage, with works ranging from movies to popular songs playing on the association. Although the strength of steel varies depending on the alloy, it is always considerable.
This fact alone can make a stainless steel table perfect for a business where significant loads are common. Many such assets can support loads of hundreds of pounds or more without an issue. Even when weight-bearing capacity is not a primary concern, a business that owns a steel table will often welcome the material’s strength.
2. Stainless Steel Resists Corrosion
As its name suggests, stainless steel has an inherent ability to resist certain types of degradation. Chemicals and dyes that would permanently stain other surfaces will generally leave no marks on stainless steel.
The trait at play in this case is actually even more valuable and fundamental than this fact would suggest. Stainless steel not only resists staining, it shrugs off many corrosive influences that would undermine the structural integrity of other materials.
3. Stainless Steel is Easy to Clean and Maintain
Whether used for prep work in a restaurant or as a workbench in a lab, a stainless steel table will also always be easy to clean and sanitize. Steel’s complete lack of absorbency ensures that contaminants remain on its surface, where they can easily be wiped or scrubbed away.
Sanitizing agents like bleach can also be used on stainless steel without worry. Overall, stainless steel is one of the easiest materials to maintain, which often makes it perfect for commercial tables.
4. Stainless Steel is Affordable
There are some exotic materials that might be a match for stainless steel with regard to performance. In no case, however, will a competitive alternative also be as affordable.
Although a high-quality, commercial-grade stainless steel table will generally cost a significant amount of money, the amount of value implied by that price tag will inevitably be a lot higher. Stainless steel tables not only excel in many commercial environments, they do so at prices that are every bit as impressive.
The Perfect Type of Table for Many Businesses
Stainless steel tables are regularly found in business facilities of many kinds. Tables are inherently versatile assets, and stainless steel is just as much so in its own valuable ways.
While there will be times when a table made from a different material will be more appropriate, stainless steel quite often shines when used to make commercial tables. For the four reasons above and a number of others, it will often be wise to consider buying one for a business.