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.

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!

It’s Dropbox, But With Personality!

Here at YouDazzle, we don’t mind telling you that we are fans of Dropbox. It’s a great tool! But frankly we’ve long thought that it is a bit too impersonal and not quite powerful enough to share with prospects and partners. So, we’ve spruced it up, and our users—and longtime Dropbox users—are loving the results. PC Magazine even pointed out our Dropbox integration as one reason why we are one of its 25 Best Small Business Apps for 2012.

So, what’s our secret sauce? It’s simple:

• Custom branding: Add your own branding to Dropbox folders and make your brand stand out whenever you share content and collaborate online. Add your logo and color choice in seconds to present a consistent and professional image.
• Web meetings: Instantly share Dropbox files with up to 100 people at once. YouDazzle web meetings are 100% browser-based, require no download, and work with virtually any computer, tablet, or device.
• Commenting: Extend the collaboration capabilities of Dropbox by adding comments to your files. Exchange feedback and ideas with team members, clients, customers, and prospects, and keep everyone in the loop.
• Activity analytics: Keep on top of who’s looking at your files. Stay in touch with trends and decision-making processes with instant feedback on deals and projects! No more wondering if someone viewed your files.
• Enhanced viewer: View Dropbox files without leaving your browser in large format with helpful viewing tools like zoom and multiple page display. YouDazzle viewer supports 300+ popular file types including MS Office files, PDFs, and many more.

So, give it a try today and let us know what you think. We believe that together YouDazzle and Dropbox bring Cloud-based information to life in a way never before possible!

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!

Co-Browsing: The Ultimate Personal Touch

One of the challenges of today’s virtual business world is finding a way to still make human connections with colleagues, partners, customers and prospects despite the miles between us. Gone are the days when people visited prospects’ offices and made cold calls, now salespeople can quickly get on same page (literally) and control the customer experience from beginning to end.

There is a great online tool you can use to bring back those bygone days of stopping by with a box of chocolates or yet another mug: Co-browsing.

Co-browsing basically means that you can share your website—and anyone else’s website—with someone else in real-time. Co-browsing makes it feel as if you are actually sitting in a room with someone else again, surfing the web and working together. And, if you are in sales, that personal touch and in-the-moment responsiveness helps you achieve your ultimate goal: converting more leads.

Things you can accomplish with co-browsing include:

• Reacting in real-time to prospects’ needs: Rather than waiting and see what sales materials seem to spark the most interest, you can browse your secure, Cloud-based data room in real-time with your prospect, finding the most relevant information quickly and even demoing your product effortlessly and effectively.
• Filling out forms together: Let’s face it, countless sales opportunities are lost because someone gets tripped up by a question, has a submission error or simply just loses steam half-way through the process. With you by their side, you will never lose a sale to a form again.
• Shopping together makes you stay together: Co-browsing is the perfect way to make sure your prospect finds exactly what she wants—or better yet what you want her to find! There is no better way to make online shopping more effective and efficient than by being there to give your customer a hand.

So, you can see how easy it is to grow your business online with co-browsing. And if you really, really miss those mugs? Well you and your customer can design one online together!

Collaboration: That Loaded Term

There are certain terms that have become passé in the tech space, words that have lost all meaning in their over-use, words such as best-of-breed or cutting-edge (or our personal favorite, bleeding-edge, whatever the heck that is). But a few years ago would you ever imagine that an innocent term like collaboration could become so loaded?

In today’s world of all things social, collaboration has started to signify everything from editing photo books as a group to creating budgets as a team. Everyone and their brother claims they have a solution that will let you work together in ways never before dreamed possible.

Consider this definition from Wikipedia:

“Due to the complexity of today’s business environment, collaboration in technology encompasses a broad range of tools that enable groups of people to work together including social networking, instant messaging, team spaces, web sharing, audio conferencing, video, and telephony. Broadly defined, any technology that facilitates linking of two or more humans to work together can be considered a collaborative tool. Wikipedia, Blogs, even Twitter are collaborative tools. Many large companies are developing enterprise collaboration strategies and standardizing on a collaboration platform to allow their employees, customers and partners to intelligently connect and interact.”

If everything from Wikipedia itself to Twitter are collaborative tools, how can you possibly decide what tool is best for your business? Well, we at YouDazzle wanted to offer some simple criteria: present and share, keep your information central and accessible on all your devices.

How can you apply this to your business in a simple way? Deploy a simple solution that combines web meetings, screen sharing and online file sharing:

Present and share—creating Cloud-based data rooms where you can share files is a simple, organized way that you can present information and see what people are viewing when, accessing analytics that will help you give your partners, colleagues and customers what they need to best do their jobs. Add to this a web meeting solution that doesn’t require any downloads or other fuss, as well as some co-browsing features and you have an easy way to communicate, present and share.

Keep it centralized—having an online space where you can store all of your files in an orderly way, including tracking revisions, makes all the difference in the world. Forget about complicated platforms as they just mean more IT support headaches and endless passwords, create a branded data room that can build your image while controlling your content.

Accessible—having that online data room means that you can share documents, track projects and involve people as needed all from one simple place. Best of all, with a Cloud-based solution you are fully mobile, you can accomplish collaboration from anywhere, meaning you have way more options than ever before.

See, once you get past the hype, not everything has to be coined “collaboration .”  After all, people are looking for an easy way to share and present information without all the complexities.  And if that isn’t best-of-breed, I just don’t know what is!

25 Best Small Business Apps for 2012 by PC Magazine

2012 is looking to be a great year as we have some exciting news to share! We have been chosen by PCMag.com to be featured in their “25 Best Small Business Apps for 2012”. PCMag.com has chosen their 25 favorite apps ranging from cloud services to financial services and everything in between. What they have in common is the ability to enhance, grow and improve the success of your business. YouDazzle is ecstatic to be apart of such a great list. YouDazzle has been working hard to provide you with the tools you need to grow your business through affordable online file sharing, easy web meetings, seamless integration with Dropbox and a professional way to present your company through custom branding. With 2012 off to a great start we will be continuing to provide you great service and great features to help you succeed! Check out the article at www.pcmag.com Do you use any of the apps on the list? If not, then what are you waiting for? Get started today!

YouDazzle makes Dropbox 5X better!

So, you use Dropbox regularly to sync files with your colleagues and peers across all of your devices, right?

But, wouldn’t it be great to be able to extend Dropbox capabilities with features like:

• Customized Dropbox folders with your own branding
• Instantly share Dropbox files via web meetings without any downloads
• Add comments to your Dropbox files
• Or view who’s been accessing your files