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.

Celebrating Our Digital Independence, One Meeting At A Time

Ah, the 4^th of July! Barbeques, fireworks, family fun…freedom. Yes, freedom. It’s at the core of what we value and celebrate as Americans. And, although we may not be fighting Red Coats or throwing tea in Boston Harbor anymore, we are still expressing our freedom every day. Here are some of our favorite acts of rebellion in our digital age:

• No more downloads: There is nothing more exhilarating than joining a meeting without having to download yet another piece of software onto your already messy desktop. Meetings from everywhere and anywhere with no delays. That must be what our forefathers had in mind.
• No more email clogs: Breaking PowerPoints into chunks to share them with co-workers or, worst yet, prospects is about as good an idea as making the turkey our national bird. With online data rooms, we can soar overhead and avoid the mess that email file “sharing” brings.
• No more dial codes: Is there anything worse than having to fumble around with dial codes to join a meeting? Imagine what would have happened if Paul Revere had had to rely on many of today’s conferencing solutions to let his countrymen know the British were coming.
• No more unnecessary expenses: Online conferencing and data sharing don’t have to break the bank. There is no reason that there can’t be reliable, affordable and secure choices out there, choices that don’t involve an IT department as crowded as the Mayflower. Thankfully, the cloud has delivered just that for us—simple, easily deployable solutions that make our lives easier without pinching our purse strings.
• No more traffic:  This has got to be our favorite. Today, with powerful web conferencing and online data sharing options, you can work from anywhere anytime. So don’t battle the 4^th of July traffic this week; work from home—or better yet, a vacation home—and miss that terrible commute.

And that, my friends, is the greatest freedom technology has brought us so far. So enjoy the 4^th, cherish our freedom, and don’t forget to save a hot dog for us!

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.)

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!

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!

Why Working From Home Works

It may be an election year so a lot of people are offering a lot of economic solutions, but the fact remains: the economy—unless you are about to become a Facebook millionaire—still stinks. Even if there is some improvement, it is unpredictable at best. The only silver lining has indeed been the tech sector, which seems to be improving rapidly, with talk of another gold rush to come.

The cloud has continued to come into its own in 2012, with more and more businesses and tools being built around the cloud. The cloud is a lynchpin for this upturn in the tech economy and all that it stands for—flexibility, power, ease of use—can also be said about working from home.

According to an employment review from eLance, the number of businesses seeking independent contractors who work remotely doubled in 2011. Plus, 83 percent of businesses surveyed planned to let half their employees work from home over the next year. In addition, the report predicted that working at home is on track to be a $500 million industry, with 650,000 new jobs created for remote workers. So, it may be a bad time to be looking for a desk job but it is a good time for working from home—and working in cloud services, which is itself a $1 billion market.

Working in cloud services not only gives you a great way to ride out the tough economy by building your own businesses with no overhead, it also gives you the kind of cutting-edge skills that you need to get into the lucrative technology marketplace. And the cloud—and YouDazzle—is flexible enough that you can work on your time from wherever you want. These days home really is where the heart is—be that working from your local coffee shop, your kids’ school or (much better yet) a remote, Wi-Fi-enabled Greek island.

So, don’t let the economy get you down: take advantage of this endless downturn to make an upturn in not just your skill set but your quality of life. Because another study from Home Office Computing Magazine found that 98% of people are happier working from home, 96% would recommend working from home and 88% would never return to the office…How’s that for poll numbers that would make any politician deliriously happy! And, just think, that could be you.  Take that, Facebook millionaires!

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.

Unleashing the Power in the Cloud

YouDazzle publicly unveiled today and we’re so excited!  Our CEO, Cary Cole took part in a short Q&A discussing the market and what makes YouDazzle so unique.  

Cary Cole, Founder and CEO

There are many definitions of cloud computing. How do you define it?

The term cloud computing gets thrown around a lot these days by all kinds of companies, so it’s no surprise that people are confused. Simply put, cloud computing is a better way to run your business. When you access an application that runs in the cloud, you just log in, customize it, and start using it. Companies that use cloud computing don’t have to worry about upgrades, maintenance, security, backup, hardware tuning or any of those concerns. Cloud computing offers an easier way way of managing your data and your business, and at YouDazzle we have harnessed the power of the cloud to enable easier collaboration.

Why is the cloud so powerful? What is YouDazzle doing with that power?

There is a fundamental shift in how people communicate and collaborate today, which is being driven by social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and advances in mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad, which are replacing the desktop.  Every day, 124 million people in the US alone tap into the cloud. By 2016, that number will be close to 200 million. The way we look at it, the Cloud will change the way the world lives, works, plays, and learns. Our goal is to provide a rich but simple way for anyone to collaborate and interact on any device.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a serial entrepreneur who loves to build successful companies that help people. I have been founding companies since college and have been very fortunate to have been involved with some really successful businesses.

In my mid-20s I co-founded a company called CompuRAD that was the world’s first teleradiology software company and an early leader in the digital medical imaging industry, which now is a multi-billion industry that benefits millions of people worldwide every year. CompuRAD made a successful initial public offering (IPO) in 1997 and within a year was purchased by Lumisys, a leading Silicon Valley based technology company, which was subsequently acquired by Kodak.

After Lumisys, I continued in the medical industry and helped lead the development of innovative treatments and devices for asthma, emphysema and lung cancer at Broncus Technologies. As CEO, I raised more than $100 million in venture capital from some of the world’s leading healthcare investors and created myriad partnerships with eminent lung centers, physicians and scientists. Broncus’ asthma spinout, Asthmatx, was sold in late 2010 for hundreds of millions of dollars to Boston Scientific Corporation. Broncus currently is expanding its worldwide leadership position in lung cancer navigation and diagnostics.

And, now I’m really excited about YouDazzle.  We’ve built a world-class team and cloud technology that benefits tens of millions of businesses and people. And now we’re combining it with the power of network marketing.

What’s your distribution strategy?                                                                                    

  We will distribute YouDazzle exclusively through network marketers. We are extremely enthusiastic about bringing together the power of cloud computing and network marketing. We’ve developed a hybrid compensation plan that allows Independent Consultants and Independent Affiliates to earn income selling a highly desirable product in the very hot cloud computing market. Independent Consultants can earn commissions on personal sales along with bonuses paid on sales made by their downline. We have a five-tiered front end (which pays out on five levels of Independent Consultants) along with Group and Generational Leadership Bonuses. We also have a Founder’s Program for those who join our team early. We also created a one-of-a-kind program that lets our Independent Consultants bring Independent Affiliates into their network to expand their YouDazzle business even faster.

Why did you decide to use network marketing?

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! YouDazzle uniquely providesnetwork marketers the opportunity to be a leading voice and beneficiary of the cloud evolution. We believe that network marketers provide the strongest foundation to disseminate our important technology to the masses. We are confident that network marketing and YouDazzle are a perfect match!

How does the company support its Independent Consultants?

We are committed to our core to help our Independent Consultants be successful. This starts by providing user-friendly and reliable products that help our consultants and retail customers be more productive and successful. We’ve developed toolkits and training to support our Independent Consultants. We’ve set up a support infrastructure to address Independent Consultant’s questions in a timely manner. We’ve developed and will continue to develop marketing programs and materials to help Independent Consultants build brand recognition and grow their businesses. YouDazzle is also active on social networking sites to build and augment our user ecosystem and provide an area where everyone can share their YouDazzle experiences.

What are your passions?

The three pillars in my life are my family (I am blessed with a wonderful wife and four beautiful children), my work (creating successful companies), and helping others.  As a five-year cancer survivor, I’m passionate about helping others survive cancer. I serve as a board member of the Stanford Cancer Center and am helping Stanford develop a world-class Cancer Survivorship Center. For fun I enjoy cycling, running, skiing, hiking and hanging out with my wife and children.

10 Steps that Will Drive Your Small Business to Success

No one could argue that our world isn’t changing fast—and I don’t mean just technology-wise. Consumers aren’t spending like they once did, manufacturing and shipping costs are fluctuating wildly, and the age of the environment is slowly (finally) being ushered in. On top of that technology has really changed the way people shop, interact and buy – not to mention the way entrepreneurs market their businesses.

Here are ten rules to make sure your business grows and prospers:

1. Find a Niche. For small businesses, it is best to find a niche. A small company with limited resources can efficiently serve niche markets. Concentrate your efforts on a fairly narrow market offering. This entails sticking to what you do best, and becoming an expert in that field. Don’t try to be everything to everyone.

2. Be small, yet think big. The most common question of small business start-ups is “How can I compete with my big competitors?“ Small businesses have inherent advantages over big businesses, including flexibility, ability to respond quickly, able to provide a more personalized service. As a small business owner you have the ability to provide that personal touch to your customers that the big guys don’t.   Often, that personal connection sets you apart and goes a long way to building trust and credibility with your customers.

3. Differentiate your products. Present the benefits of your products and services to your customers, highlighting the unique solutions they offer to their problems. Avoid being a copycat; rarely do imitators succeed in the market. Sometime you won’t be able to look a potential customer in the face given distance, so you can leverage technology to share your product via your screen and really walk a customer through your offering one-on-one.

4. First impressions counts.  You often do not have a second chance to make a good first impression. Everyone you come in touch with is potentially a client or a referral to another client because they are either impressed with you as a person or impressed with your skill at providing a certain service or product. Make sure that you are always presentable, professional in your ways and knowledgeable about your business.

5. Good reputation. Your business hinges on its reputation. It is imperative that you build a good reputation for the quality of your products and support services. Remember that two things guarantee success: high quality goods and superior service. Always aim for quality.

6. Constant improvement. Entrepreneurs know that they should not be rigid in their ways of thinking in their quest to improve their best products and services. You risk being left behind by the fast-paced competition if you cling to the “this is how we’ve always done it” kind of thinking.

7. Listen to your customers. Be market driven: listen and react to your customer’s needs. Customers need to feel that they are important to you ­ because they are! When you focus on your customers and gain their trust, they will not only recommend you but they will also remain loyal to you. Remember, personal recommendation and word-of-mouth are the least costly yet most effective marketing strategy for your business.

8. Plan for success. An entrepreneur should understand the power of planning. A good plan helps you increase your chances of succeeding and can help you define your business concepts, estimate costs, predict sales and control your risks. It tells you where you are going and how to get there. Going into business without a plan is like driving into a foreign land without a road map.

9. Be innovative. Innovate your offerings constantly, keeping pace with technological changes. Challenge the status quo and try new, innovative way to collaborate with your prospects, customers and peers.  Keep your eyes open for new ways of doing things, and apply those that can improve the quality of your products and efficiency of your operations.

10. Work smart. As an entrepreneur, you need to possess self-confidence, plus a never-ending sense of urgency to develop your ideas. Studies have shown that the individuals who succeed in entrepreneurship are far-sighted and can accept things as they are and deal with them accordingly. They know how to manage their time, balancing work and play. These people are oftentimes quick to change directions when they see their plans are not working. More importantly, they recognize their weak points and move on to nurture alliances and acquire the skills they need to put their business on the right track. They realize the importance of working smart, knowing that it is not the quantity of work you do, but what you do and how well you do it.

At the end of the day, remember, life is short.  Be passionate about what you do!

Making Work Actually Work

“[O]ur attraction to a world of infinite possibility, information and complexity is here to stay. The challenge is how to participate productively in this new and turbulent world, and not be paralyzed by it.” –David Allen, “When Office Technology Overwhelms, Get Organized,” The New York Times, 3/18/12

Well-known business consultant David Allen contributed a fascinating column this past weekend to The New York Times, which addresses the conundrum he describes in the quote above. Basically, Allen is writing about what we all feel: technology has made our lives easier but in doing so has also piled a lot more management headaches on us and added job responsibilities onto our shoulders. So, the challenge is, how do we make technology really work for us?

Allen has a lot of great organizational tips, including a simple one that many people ignore at their peril: if something will only take 2 minutes, do it right away. Also, he notes that we need to make lists not just for the sake of list making but to actually get something accomplished.

There’s where we really think secure online data rooms can help. If we are able to organize our files online in an actual system, then we can achieve a few goals straight away:

• We can send people after information found in a clear, centralized place rather than having to create endless email chains trying to get data to people.
• We can track what data is actually being used via analytics and then we can avoid wasting time on data that no one is even bothering to look at.
• We can invite others to contribute to our data rooms, cutting down on work cycles and making work collaborative again.

As Allen says, “To be successful in the new world of work, we need to create a structure for capturing, clarifying and organizing all the forces that assail us; and to ensure time and space for thinking, reflecting and decision making.”

Now, data rooms are just one small step towards this overall goal, but wouldn’t it be nice to clear your desk and clear your mind by putting everything in one organized place and then seeing what gets used when? Not only will you feel a sense of accomplishment when things get done—a sense we rarely get in this modern work world—but you can avoid doing work that no one even uses. Now, isn’t that a novel concept.

So, go and get your list started. As Allen says, organize by priority and don’t let the most recent thing become tops just because it is top of mind. And remember to add a bit of free time to that list because once you get your data room up and running, you might even have time to do something for yourself for a change. (Just don’t tell your boss…or your spouse!)