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E.T. Phone Home
Let's first "GoTo" someplace cool. You are on the road, using your laptop computer. You forgot an important document, and you need to retrieve it from your computer back in the office. The solution is simple if you have "GoToMyPC." You signed up online and installed the GoToMyPC software. This software resides on your office desktop and allows you to connect to your office computer after entering your password. It's secure and encrypted. Once you log in, you are staring at your office computer as if you were right there!
Increase Security on the Road
GoToMyPC helps you in another way. If you travel a lot, do you worry that you will lose your laptop and the important company information that it contains? Or personal information? Or perhaps the financial information of your clients? Put just the bare minimum on the laptop. Then when you go on the road, use GoToMyPC to access the sensitive info back on your desktop. If you lose your laptop, you won't also lose a lot of private information.
Meetings On the Fly
You are talking on the phone with an important client. He has gone to Florida for the summer, but needed to call you for help with something that's come up. Using GoToMyPC and a visual planning tool (e-mail me for my recommendation), you invite him to connect instantly to your desktop. You then "share" your screen and begin to show your client information and visual charts to ease his mind. Remember, the modern computer gives an entirely new and more powerful meaning to the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words."
After-Hours Webinars
Many agents use "seminars" at restaurants to generate leads and meet with new potential clients. That's great. But consider supplementing that effort with "webinars" (live, interactive seminars presented online). With services like GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, and Webex, you can give professional webinars to groups of prospects without spending a fortune.
Consider getting referrals from current clients to put on webinars on subjects about which you have expertise. If you hold some of these webinars in the evening, for example, you can reach busy, successful prospects who don't have time to meet with you otherwise. GoToMeeting allows you to provide a dial-in conference call number and share your desktop with up to 10 people. GoToWebinar lets you do webinars for up to 1,000 people and has the added advantage of an automated sign-up and reminder system, as well as attendee reports.
Talking Heads -- Especially Your Own
Just about every digital camera on the market records video -- more or less at the quality level you find on YouTube. Have you considered getting your face and voice on a computer, so that you can "share" this video with your clients and potential clients? We're not talking about trying to produce a high-definition DVD. If you haven't done a personal video, you may feel daunted by the task. It's not difficult, if you don't require editing.
Put some time and thought into what you want to say as a way of introducing yourself to your video audience. Then have someone "shoot" you talking about your services and what you offer. Upload that from the camera to your computer, and from your computer to your Web site. Then you just need to "link" to that file from a Web page. A single click, and someone is viewing your video. Sure, there are multiple video formats, but almost every computer can view almost every format, so don't sweat it.
You could even record short notes for "all your clients" and send them each an e-mail with a link to see you talking about the latest financial crisis. Seeing you coolly and calmly explaining what's happening, and what you recommend, would go a long way toward quelling your clients' fears. The idea is to point, shoot, and share. Remember, though -- be real. Be yourself. You don't need a slick, scripted, high def message. Record new messages frequently, and keep sharing them. Encourage your clients to share your videos with their friends, and you just might get some decent referrals.
A note of caution: you may need to check on any compliance or advertising requirements with your company before implementing any of these ideas.
Timothy J. Turner is founder of the software firm Torrid Technologies. Readers may contact Tim at Torrid Technologies, 1860 Sandy Plains Rd., Suite 204-129, Marietta, GA 30066, and by e-mail at tturner@torrid-tech.com, or visit the company's Web site at www.torrid-tech.com.
