Make a Dazzling First Impression Online

Studies reveal it only takes people between 7 to 17 seconds to form a first impression of someone they’ve just met. 55% of that opinion is based on physical appearance.

You meet and get to know an incalculable number of people in your lifetime—friends, coworkers, managers, business partners, acquaintances, and so on—but for each of them there’s only one first meeting. As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

With statistics like these, it’s no surprise that countless articles and guides have been put together for making a favorable first impression in person. Dress professionally, look groomed, smile, stand up straight, be friendly and confident, ask them about themselves—the advice goes on for quite some time.

But what about if you’re meeting someone online for the first time, when they don’t see your face or your body language?

One solution is to use branding.

Branding means you can add your company logo, color scheme, and more when you work with others online! With YouDazzle, you can customize your web meetings and data rooms with your brand of choice.

Branded data rooms, with your logo at the top!

How can brands help you make a great first impression?

• It’s the first thing your audience sees. Thus, it’s part of their first impression of you!
• It reinforces your image as a professional. Using the same logo consistently lets people see right away the company or image you represent.
• It’s effortless! After you set a custom brand for your data room, you’re set—no more work required on your part!

Upload as many brands as you need, all customized to your liking!

You can upload an unlimited number of brands with a name, logo, and background color. Any data rooms you have, you can then customize with any brand you have.

You might use your company logo, product name, or any image or title you want to represent yourself.

Your brand also appears in all your web meetings.

Now, whenever you share content, collaborate, or meet with clients, customers, and more for the first time online, they’re sure to be impressed. Make dazzling first impressions, all through your data rooms and web meetings.

Recording Meetings and Webinars

Let’s say you have a web meeting coming up soon, and let’s say that due to a series of unfortunate circumstances you miss it. What can you do to make sure you’re still on top of your work?

Or maybe you want to create a webinar combining screen sharing and file sharing elements and distribute it to prospective clients. What’s the best and easiest way to do this?

The solution to these problems is simple, and one YouDazzle now offers: meeting and webinar recording.

As an efficient, cost-saving, and multipurpose function, recording is a necessity for web conferencing programs and allows you to:

• Share your meetings and webinars. As mentioned in the examples above, it’s the perfect way to ensure anyone from absent attendees to interested individuals have access to meetings and webinars.
• Give your full attention. Without a recording feature, meeting participants usually have to take notes if they want to remember what happened. As a result, they’re so busy writing they can’t keep up with or give their full attention to the discussion. With YouDazzle, you don’t have to worry about catching every little detail and can instead focus on actively participating in the conversation.
• Review what happened. Even if you take the most diligent of notes and listen attentively, it’s only too easy for some crucial piece of information to slip by or get written down incorrectly. With the record meeting feature, you can easily double-check what someone said and make sure you have all your facts straight.

However you use it, it’s evident this latest feature makes YouDazzle an even better product for you, your business, company, clients, and customers.

On top of that, using it is a simple two-step process. No need to download anything or navigate through dozens of menus to try and find it—all you need to do is click the icon on the left toolbar that says ‘Settings,’ and you’ll see that the first option provided is to Record Meeting. Simply click that button, and the rest of your meeting will be recorded until you end the session, stop recording, or close the window. It’s as easy as that!

Even better, YouDazzle automatically creates a new data room called Meeting Recordings and saves each recording in it, easily distinguishing them by date and time. These can then be renamed, reordered, downloaded for you to review, or shared with any number of people.

Try YouDazzle today for free and see for yourself how it helps make web meetings easier and more effective!

Why Webinars Work

Sometimes, when you are home, cozy on your couch with your bunny slippers on, don’t you feel a bit sorry for the traveling salesman of yore? Imagine how tough his life was, donning a soft hat, moseying from town to town to show his wares in hopes of a new customer. No wonder his life was the subject of one of the greatest American theatrical tragedies.

Well, it’s not the 1950s anymore, and, to use another cliché, you—and the sales business—have come a long way, baby! And one of the greatest inventions of the last few decades is, without doubt, the webinar.

The webinar is basically the most powerful sales tool you could ever imagine. Just think, with it you can:

• Share data in a rich, immediate way, gathering a quorum of interested people no matter where they or you are. No dusty hat or plane trips needed for you. No travel approvals needed for your prospective client.
• Record your pitch, meaning that even if someone can’t meet with you, they can absorb your story later and even share it with their co-workers and other decision-makers.
• Enjoy webinars (if you have the right solution…hint,hint!) from any device out there, making it easier than ever to reach that prospect no matter where they might be.

The most important part of the webinar is, of course, you. And that is the one thing you and that traveling salesman have in common—you need to dazzle your prospects no matter where they might be.

But don’t worry, we have you covered. Visit our homepage and sign up for our free training module on how to be a dazzling virtual presenter. And then settle back down on the couch and get ready to wow the world, no hat—or, hey, even shoes—required.

Present with Confidence

There are many advantages to today’s virtual business world. You get to work from home and eat pizza at your desk in your PJs while jamming away on your documents. You don’t get stuck at the water cooler with that same guy—you know the one—every day. And you don’t have to do nearly as much business travel, meaning you can make all those critical sales presentations right from your desk, eating that pizza in your PJs. Awesome, right? Well, if we’re honest, not really.

Any great salesperson will tell you that to make a sale you have to win hearts and minds. And it isn’t easy to do that from thousands of miles away. Also, presenting without a room full of people offering you reassuring nods can be a bit daunting. How do you present with confidence in web meetings when you don’t even know what the person on the other end is doing while you present, never mind what they are wearing!

At YouDazzle, we’ve worked hard to give you the tools you need to present with confidence and get the results you need no matter where you might be. Here’s just a few ways how:

• Make your data room your new conference room: YouDazzle’s professional, secure data rooms mean you can easily send your audience to get the documents you are referring to, making information sharing effortless and effective.
• Provide that missing “personal touch” with co-browsing: Make your sales interactions more interactive and convert more leads by viewing your website and other sales materials in real-time with your prospects, recruits and customers. No more hoping folks visit your website and buy. Be there live to answer questions, solve problems and build stronger relationships. Shop together, fill out forms together, and grow your business.
• Meetings can be spontaneous again—no matter where you are: Simply share your personalized web address for real-time meetings. Instantly share your files and screen from any computer or device, including iPads, iPhones and Androids. Much simpler and faster than 1st generation web meeting products like GoToMeeting and WebEx, YouDazzle is the only way to share files live from tablets and mobile phones.

So, relax, take a deep breath. Have another slice of pizza even. And get ready to dazzle your prospects. And don’t forget to reward yourself for your success with a new pair of pajamas! (Seriously, we think you might need some.)

Top Ten Tips: How to Dazzle Your Customers and Even Wow Yourself

Here at YouDazzle our goal is to deliver a cloud solution that is simple and intuitive for professionals of all shapes and sizes.  Sure, our product is as easy to use as it gets but, as with all great things, there are lots of extra tips and hidden tools just waiting for you to discover them. So, to get you started, here is a top ten list of what you should know:

1.)  Changing settings- Easily change the settings of your users from guest to admins. You can even easily delete users off of your data room if you would like.

2.)  Adding a host- To add a host to your plan simply hover over account and select “add host to your plan”.  Add co-workers, colleagues and peers to your plan so they can set up their own data rooms and host their own web meetings. Remember, their usage will be applied to your plan limits and customized branding.

3.)  Renaming a file- You can rename a file directly within your data room. Simply click on the pencil icon to the right of the file to rename.

4.) Moving files- Looking to include one file from one room to another?  Simply move one file from one data room to another one by selecting the file or files you wish to move and then “move/copy”.

Now select the data room you wish to move or copy your file to. If you elect to copy, the file will be copied to that room while remaining within the current room.

5.)  Meeting URL- Did you know that your meeting URL will always remain the same?  Your meeting URL is located under invite once you have clicked on “start live sharing”.

6.)  Multiple types of files- With YouDazzle you can add links to webpages, maps, and videos. Once in the viewer the individual can click on the image to be taken directly to the URL or view a video directly in your viewer.

7.)  Real-time analytics- Use YouDazzle to share files rather then email in order to take advantage of the analytics that allows you to view if the individual has actually viewed the document you sent!

8.)  Dealing with huge, emailed files- Received a large zip file in your email?  Forward that email directly to your data room.  Just make sure that email is registered with YouDazzle to protect your privacy.

9.)  Dropbox- Sync your YouDazzle account with Dropbox for even easier access on the go. Download the Dropbox app onto your phone and view your files!

**To sync with Dropbox simply select “create data room” and select “sync with Dropbox” before you have finished created your data room. This will walk you through the process of syncing your Dropbox account.

10) Easy Access- Add YouDazzle to your iPhone or iPad home screen for easy access.

**While on www.youdazzle.com within Safari on your iPhone or iPad select the arrow icon, the 3^rd icon on the bottom of the screen. Now select “add to home screen”. Next type in a name in which you would like the icon to show up as on your home screen and select “add.” Now you will see the icon on your home screen of your iPad or iPhone!

Bonus Tip: With so many features it may be hard to know when to use our file sharing option and when to use our screen sharing option. We recommend using screen sharing to share files with clients, present presentations, and collaborate with co-workers. Screen sharing is perfect for walking individuals through a website or a sign up form–just make sure you don’t have chats or other sensitive information on your desktop.

So, that’s our top ten. What’s yours? Share your tips with us and the greater YouDazzle community so we can continue to build the best Cloud solution out there.

There is A Cure for the Summertime Blues

It’s that time of year again. Kids are counting down the last days of school. People at big corporations are putting in for their two weeks off in July. Everyone is asking you where you are going this summer. And, if you are like most small business owners, your answer is pretty basic: to my desk. It’s enough to get you down, especially when the temperature is going up.

But we have a cure for those summertime blues. It’s the cloud and YouDazzle.

Until now, people who were self-employed or running a small business couldn’t go anywhere. Say, for example, you are a marketing consultant. No client wants to hear that you are going to the beach for a week with limited connectivity because frankly who wants to lug a laptop onto the beach, even if there was available WiFi….which somehow I doubt exists at beaches anywhere, even in California. Plus, what are you supposed to do when that client inevitably asks for you to lead a meeting or better yet simply find a file when not even your rental cottage has connectivity? It’s enough to make a grown professional return all their sunscreen to the drugstore and shut the office shades until summer is over and everyone else is back in their work caves too.

But now, with YouDazzle, your phone or device really can be your office. YouDazzle lets you not just attend meetings but even host meetings from your phone. And with branded data rooms where you can store and share all types of files, from Word docs to PDFs to Excel spreadsheets to videos to CAD drawings and more, you never have to worry about not being able to access and share your information while you are away. You can even co-browse with your clients and help them make a purchase while you sit under a shady elm as your kids play. Whether you have an iPhone, iPad, Android or newer Blackberry device, you can put your office in your pocket and head out to enjoy the sunshine this year.

So, yes, Virginia, there really is a summer vacation. And this year, even you get to have one.
So go get some sunscreen pronto!

Screen Sharing: When (and Why) It Matters

First off, let me say that for many of us (myself included) screen sharing has meant getting a glimpse at a co-worker’s personal emails as he scrambles to pull up a PowerPoint. Or laughing at someone’s personal IM from her adoring boyfriend, which pops up when, of course, she is presenting to a potential customer. So, given these true horror stories, why would anyone ever dream of screen sharing. Because screen sharing is grown up—now it is about co-browsing.

And because, like most powers, in the right hands, it is amazing.

Screen sharing takes web meetings from talking to doing. It takes sales from leads to closes. It takes budgets from pending to finalized. By sharing a screen, you can share information in real-time. So, yes, screen sharing isn’t important for a static presentation. But for those times when you want to engage with customers, colleagues and prospects despite the miles, screen sharing is critical.

Here are some sample case uses:

• Filling out forms: There is nothing more frustrating than filling out a new form. Even when people PDF you samples of what you do step by step, it is still a nuisance. With screen sharing, you can walk a customer right through the sign-up process and get the sales done right then and there, with minimal hassle for the customers—and you.
• Sharing information in real-time: From working on budgets and documents to simply surfing to a cool new website with highly relevant information, screen sharing let’s you get information in a much more timely manner, making decisions rather than adding to to-do lists.
• Remote training and support: Get your sales force up and running in no time no matter where they are, knowing that they understand you and your product—and that they actually completed the necessary training! And when people need help, it is no problem.
• Most of all, communicate with your branding: when you screen share you can be in control of your own destiny and you can be sure to project your company’s brand the way you want to, whenever you want to.

This list is just a start. How do you use screen sharing? Together, we can use screen sharing to take over the world (no evil laugh included at the end of this sentence!)

Virtual Handshakes and Mobile Meetings: A Day in the Life of Bill and Sally

Ever get the feeling that technology has depersonalized the world? And that despite all the claims of social networking, it is getting worse the faster and faster we move forward? Worst of all, ever notice how technology impacts business, where something as simple as a handshake or a face-to-face meeting can be the difference between a sale and a dead end?

It doesn’t have to be that way. There really is power with technology’s promise. And its name isn’t Facebook, it is the cloud. The cloud has evolved to the point where it can be a truly effective sales tool, allowing you to share not just files, but videos and your desktop—all in real time. And with built-in security, file tracking and analytics, it gives you the control you need to run your business efficiently. Best of all, by leveraging the power of the cloud, the content you want to share is available to any device—desktop, smartphone or tablet.

Let’s take Sally and Bill, a couple in Portland, Oregon.  Sally is an architect and Bill is a digital creative designer.  They were both looking for an easy way to collaborate with their clients and teams.

Sally uses YouDazzle to upload and share her latest CAD drawings and renderings with her clients, contractors and builders. She has a weekly web meeting with the contractors to discuss blueprints, identify budget, and resolve scheduling issues early in the project. Sally is constantly on the go so she has the ability to view the latest CAD drawing directly on her smartphone. Her meetings may not be face to face but her busy clients and colleagues appreciate the new face to face: device to device communication that is easy and detailed.

Bill is a digital, creative designer who designs marketing campaigns, develops brand identities and viral videos.  He was looking for an easy way to share client deliverables, manage timelines, and client approvals.  He collaborates with his clients via his branded YouDazzle data rooms.  He receives real-time notification when a file has been viewed along with comments that drive his project workflows forward.  He can peer into the analytics and learn how his business development efforts are progressing and whether his prospects have viewed his portfolio samples or not. He may not be looking his clients in the eye—but he is going one step further and understanding their behavior.

Sally and Bill are like thousands of YouDazzle customers working and collaborating in the cloud. They may not be gathering at the water cooler with  co-workers, but they are using the cloud to find a way to let distances disappear—and even make you closer. By sharing details never before possible and making work mobile in a way people didn’t dream of even a few years ago, YouDazzle is helping personalize technology and empower a new generation of businesses. And there’s nothing wrong with a virtual handshake…especially in cold season!

Mobile Web Meetings: They Not Only Matter, They Really Can Exist!

There are many reasons why our lives are better when we can host web meetings from our mobile devices. It gives us flexibility and portability. It makes it easy to hold a meeting on the fly from wherever you are. And, even more importantly, it lets us as businesspeople connect with our customers, partners and prospects no matter where they are.

The stats on smart phone usage and mobile web browsing are just staggering. Consider this recent 2012 data from mobiThinking:

• There are 5.9 billion mobile subscribers—that is 87 percent of the world population—with smart phones showing the largest growth.
• There are now 1.2 billion mobile web users worldwide.
• 25 percent of mobile Web users in the US are mobile users alone. In other worlds, they do not use a desktop at all.

That last statistic is pretty staggering but so obvious. People are not only ditching their cameras in favor of their phones, they are now putting away their desktops (not surprising when increasingly people work without physical desks!). Why lug around their work when it can fit in their pocket?

Let’s face it, we are living in a mobile world and to give your business a competitive edge you need to be mobile too. This is especially true for busy network marketers, who are often holding meetings and growing their businesses on the fly. With reliable, powerful mobile web conferencing, you can conduct business wherever you are.

And don’t forget that we are also living in the age of instant gratification so you have got to get a solution that requires no downloads. Make it simple and they will come—and stay to hear what you have to say.

So, don’t wait to try out mobile web conferencing. It is no longer the wave of the future—it is happening now.

Why the Cloud and Network Marketing Are Perfect for Each Other

There have been so many great pairings that at first glance didn’t seem obvious. Felix Unger and Oscar Madison. Sonny Bono and Cher. Acid wash and jeans. Throughout the years, we have been surprised and delighted by what unusual pairings can accomplish. So while at first blush someone might wonder why the cloud would ever pair up with network marketing, the truth is that this is a match made in heaven, a match that will last . . . unlike some of those others we just mentioned.

So, why are network marketing and the cloud so perfect for each other. Let us count the ways:

1. Cloud computing, the number one business opportunity in the world, is powered by relationship marketing and social networking. No one does relationship marketing and social networking better than network marketers. In fact, Network marketers invented “viral marketing” and are experts at monetizing their social networks.
2. The time to tap into the cloud is now because the opportunity is about to explode. There are more than 200 million small and medium businesses that want to move to the cloud in the US alone.  File sharing and web meetings are already multi-billion dollar business and are becoming core business tools. The need for YouDazzle is endless.
3. YouDazzle is a gold mine. Not only is this a tool that you can use to simplify your own life while wowing prospects and building your business, but YouDazzle is a business in and of itself. And in using YouDazzle you are learning the hottest technology around, cloud computing.
4. And perhaps the most important reason that network marketing and the cloud go together: network marketing is bringing a personal touch to cloud computing that is sorely needed. So many individuals and businesses never get going on the cloud because the move seems daunting and there is no one there to give them the TLC it takes to make a move. Network marketers, as we said, are expert “people persons”. They will be able to get these small and medium businesses up and running in no time, bringing the cloud to the masses like never before.

So, are you intrigued? Looking for a new adventure yourself? Then consider joining our team. Visit https://www.youdazzle.com/opportunity to learn more.