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.

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!)

Why Traditional Web Meetings Often Fail—and Never Succeed

A long time ago, web meetings were created to augment face-to-face meetings. They were yet another tool technology was offering to bring us closer. Then, the economy crashed and web meetings became the only way to get close to anyone, be it your colleagues, partners, customers or prospects. This technology, created to be an aid to interpersonal communications, became the whole shebang. And, frankly, it just doesn’t work.

Think of it. Have you ever had a web meeting that was actually satisfying? Or even actually worked? Traditional web meetings have a horrible track record and a bad reputation, which is unfortunately well deserved. But you know all this. Enough with the problems. What about the solution?

We wish the simple solution was to double that travel budget of yours, but that sure isn’t happening anytime soon. So, instead, here are the top three pitfalls of traditional web meetings and some ways around them:

1)    It’s The Download, Stupid: Let’s face it, most of the reasons why web meetings don’t work is that they aren’t really, simple web solutions. They require downloads. In this day and age, no one should have software sitting on their computer. Say no to downloads, say yes to the cloud.

2)    Roam Where You Want To: The whole idea of the mobile office is to be mobile. It is ironic that in this time of virtual everything, people would be tied to their desks to have a meeting. Think of it, when you meet people in person, you aren’t always stuck in the board room. So, find a solution that works on any device and get out there.

3)    A Little More Conversation: Traditional web meetings are all lecture, little conversation. You don’t actually share anything, unless it’s those awkward glimpses at someone’s mailboxes or an unfortunately timed IM from the presenter’s boyfriend. There is a whole new world of interpersonal relationships out there in cyberspace, people! It’s called co-browsing and it will let you take people with you to find what they need and even to fill out online forms (like purchase orders—you get where we are going with this!). Now, this is what web meetings should be about!

So, long story short, there is hope out there! So clear your hard drive of any of those dinosaur web meeting solutions you might have, and start anew! You’ll be glad you did…although we’ll all kind of miss those awkward glimpses into our co-workers’ email! Hey, we’re only human after all!

Customer Relationships: It Can’t Be All Self-Service

One of the most amazing by-products of the social media revolution is that it is easier than ever to build networks online, connecting people that might never have met through common interests or reuniting people who haven’t spoken in twenty years. Better yet, the overall digital revolution has created “self-service” customer care, where our customers can do everything from buying our products to renewing our services to recommending us to friends without us ever having to be involved. This is incredible and saves us a ton of time, right?

Well, sort of.

While automation is amazing and linking in via social media is powerful, there are still some times when some good old personal touch makes all the difference.  Let’s face it, we aren’t in Jetson times yet—although who wouldn’t love a conveyor belt to get them dressed in the morning. There are still some times where opportunities are lost when the personal touch is forgotten.

Here are some cases in point:

• The “cold” visit: So many times consumers visit a website only to leave without making a purchase or signing up for more information. Why? For the same reason that sometimes you will abandon a purchase at Target if you can’t find someone to help you. Sometimes people need a little guidance. Use features such as co-browsing to be there to help out your customers. Just a little widget with a friendly person to help can make all the difference in the world.
• The long-time customer carrot: Even in today’s digital world, people like to feel valued. It isn’t enough to just throw people coupons. Keep track of what people do and every once in a while say thank you in person or at least with a truly personalized note, not just an automated offer.
• The new product: Don’t just throw something new out there and expect everyone to love it or even read what you put on your website. Take time to show customers all that your latest and greatest has to offer. Bring them in, make them excited, build ambassadors for your brand. Let’s face it, the only way to get people talking for you is to talk directly to them in the first place.
• The renewal: Every time someone renews your product, you have the chance to get them to expand their relationship with you. The problem is, if everything is automated then there is no time to actually talk about what you have that could be even better for this particular person or company.

So, yes to social media tools, yes to automation, yes to technology. But let’s not forget what really drives people: other people. A slick new tool isn’t what really dazzles customers—it’s the personal touch. Just think: the most amazing box of chocolates means nothing without the handwritten card that goes with it this Valentine’s Day . . . Well, maybe that’s not the best example. But if you aren’t sending amazing chocolates, send your customers some personal attention instead!