With UK economic growth expected to hit its highest rate in 3 years, recent research from Taylor Wessing shows British small business owners are optimistic about their company’s growth in 2014.  Equally encouraging, the start-up rate in Britain reached record levels in 2013 and a survey polling 250 small business owners revealed that four out of five are either "confident" or "somewhat confident" about their strategy for growth in 2014. On Monday the government launched a £30 million Growth Vouchers scheme giving small businesses in England subsidised advice from thousands of experts on key topics such as financial management, recruitment, leadership skills, sales and marketing, and digital technology. The government has appointed regional delivery partners to deliver the programme alongside Enterprise Nation who have developed a new online marketplace which will form a key part of the programme. The performance of participating companies will be monitored over the coming years in order to assess the impact that the advice has had. The government anticipates that up to 20,000 small businesses will receive Growth Vouchers for access to advice over the next 15 months, making it the largest business research project ever initiated by government and one that will gather comprehensive evidence on which to build future policy. As a proud sponsor of the online marketplace, Citrix is a passionate supporter of small businesses, providing easy to use tools and advice to help them work smarter and be more successful. "Small businesses are in a chicken-and-egg situation," says Ben Jesson, CEO of the web consultancy Conversion Rate Experts, whose clients include Google, Facebook and Apple. "Companies most need help when they have little time or money, but help costs money, and finding it takes time. The Growth Vouchers scheme alleviates both of these obstacles." Businesses that have been running for a year, with fewer than 50 employees are now able to apply for Growth Vouchers and those successful will be directed to the online marketplace. Find out more about Growth Vouchers by visiting http://marketplace.enterprisenation.com/about Follow us on Twitter to find out more about our role in the Growth Vouchers scheme and follow #GrowthVouchers and #BusinessisGREAT to be a part of the conversation. Photo Credit: f2point8 via Compfightcc

With the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos set to duke it out in Super Bowl XLVII this weekend, there’s no doubt about what the teams’ quarterbacks are up to this week. They’re preparing - mentally, strategically and physically. Last week we started our Better Meetings series, and we’re continuing the series today by evaluating how to put the quarterback’s leadership skillset to use in sales meetings. Quarterbacks are the head of the team. They’re leaders. They survey the field and call the shots. They’re required on nearly every play of the game. Salespeople are charged with similar responsibilities, from establishing yourself as the leader of the client relationship to strategically planning how to close the deal. Before your next sales meeting, use the tips below to channel your inner quarterback and close the deal like a champ.    Review the tape. Quarterbacks spend a lot of their prep time sizing up their competitors and their own performance on the field via video. Every good salesperson is prepared to counter their competitor’s strengths when asked, but great salespeople also review their own performance from past sales meetings. Whether it’s reviewing a sales plan that went wrong or actually watching your last online meeting recording, analyze your presentation performance for places to improve. Run the play on your practice field. No quarterback, especially good ones like Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson, would go to a game without having pinpointed and practiced the plays that will help out-perform its competitors. So before your first pitch to the client, gather your team and make your plan for closing the deal. Ask yourself: what will it take to win this game account? And go in ready to run a no-huddle offense. Get the right people on the field. There is no "I" in "team" or in "sales," so talk with your version of Marshawn Lynch or Knowshon Moreno - the people who will run with the presentation when you hand it to them. Your running back may be the technical lead or a business analyst, but no matter who it is, make sure they’re prepared for game time. Call and complete the play. When your game plan is settled, it’s time to set the meeting and deliver. Quarterbacks go into the game prepared to win at all costs, and so should salespeople. So, when you fire up the online meeting, turn on your webcam and help your client get theirs on to. Sales meetings with video conferencing close more deals, and two-way video conferencing lets you gauge reactions from facial expressions. Nods and smiles say, "Keep going. I like this," while looks of confusion or boredom may be grounds for calling an audible. Thank your offensive line. As hard as it to admit sometimes, rare is the deal that was planned, presented and closed by a single person. More often it’s a team of people who researched the client, built the presentations, planned the meetings and stepped in for support before the salesperson closed the deal. So, after your sales meeting, be sure to thank the people that gave you the opportunity to close. What is a quarterback without his offensive line, and a salesperson without her sales enablement team? Any head coach would applaud the leader that studied the competition, practiced the game plan and rallied the team. But they’d give a raise to the one who brought that extra skill that led to victory, so use video conferencing in your sales meetings to close deals faster. Get started by reviewing these body language tips before your next sales meeting. Photo Credit: BabyBare11 via Compfight cc

Thank you to those who joined our "GoToMeeting 101: The Basics" webinar on January 16, 2014 and for sending in your questions on best practices and how-tos for GoToMeeting. We are going to answer some of the most popular questions we received during the webinar here today, but first, if you missed the event, you can watch the recording. And if you were one of the people who asked about similar events for GoToWebinar and GoToTraining, you can sign up for those upcoming events now. GoToWebinar 101 will take place on January 29, 2014, and GoToTraining 101 will follow on February 11, 2014. Now, onto your top questions about GoToMeeting! Once I change presenters, can I do it again? Can I do it two ways? Yes, you can change presenters as much as you want, and once someone becomes a presenter they gain control to pass presenter control to someone else. Organizers always have the ability to pass presenter control whether they are the presenter or not. What’s the difference between giving keyboard and mouse control and giving presenter control? Presenter control is given to the person who wants to share their computer screen. Keyboard and mouse control is given to the person who is not the presenter but wants to click and navigate around the programs or pages open on the presenter’s screen. What is the difference between the Schedule a Meeting and Host a Meeting options? Select Schedule a Meeting when you want to put a future meeting on the books. To start a meeting that is not already scheduled, you have two options: navigate to www.gotomeeting.com and select Host a Meeting at the top or open GoToMeeting on your computer and select Meet Now. Join a Meeting is the option that meeting attendees should select if they don’t have the link to the meeting but they do have the meeting ID number. Do attendees need to have a GoToMeeting account? No. Meeting attendees only need the link to the meeting (or the meeting ID or phone number) and password, if there is one, to join the meeting. They don’t need their own GoToMeeting license. Do attendees without GoToMeeting accounts have the same functionality as other users? Yes. All meeting attendees, no matter if they have a GoToMeeting account or not, can be made organizer and presenter and receive keyboard and mouse control in GoToMeeting. Why do some people have a different name in the attendee panel when they log in? This happens when someone logs into GoToMeeting on a shared computer (or logs into GoToMeeting on someone else’s computer) and the password gets saved. To ensure that you are logged in to the right account, go to www.gotomeeting.com and enter your account details. You can also double check that your name is entered correctly on your account under GoToMeeting Preferences. To edit your name as it appears in the attendee list while in a GoToMeeting session, click File and Edit your name and email. Can I join a GoToMeeting session with just audio? Yes. Dialing in by phone is an option unless the meeting organizer chooses not to offer a phone number. Check the meeting invite to see if a phone number was offered. If an attendee doesn’t enter the audio PIN, can the organizer still mute them? No. When a phone caller dials in, they need to enter their audio PIN in order for the organizer to gain mute control of their line. Read our audio troubleshooting tips. A few of you also asked what the difference is between GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar and GoToTraining, and the short answer is that they are designed for different purposes. GoToMeeting has features most valuable for smaller, interactive groups meeting online. GoToWebinar is designed to host presentations to large groups, and GoToTraining has specific features for hosting classes and training sessions online. To learn more about which service is right for you, join our webinar on February 20, 2014. Photo credit: Marcus Ramberg via Flickr

What do you like most about GoToMyPC? We’ve asked small businesses time and time again, and their responses are just as varied as the businesses they run. To give you a good picture of just how remote access has helped these business professionals, we’ve pooled some of our favorite responses from the past year. Take a look and see what our customers had to say about GoToMyPC for small businesses. Running my business with GoToMyPC - Jack Rein Freedom from the office "We have been using it over two years without a hiccup. A key benefit - GoToMyPC offers a secure and easy connection to work for transferring files across multiple operating systems and multiple platforms (PC, Mac, mobile). For the reliability, price and flexibility, there is nothing that beats it on the market. As a business owner, I have been able to take advantage of getting away from the office without concern that I won’t be able to support and respond to clients remotely, even if I’m armed only with my phone." - Jay Roberts I can work from home! "I have a busy practice, and during most of the work week, I cannot just simply go to my office and do my accounting, banking, bills, payroll or statistics. When I am home, especially on weekends, I can send my husband on errands, log in to the office and reconcile my accounts. I can see how the clinic did during the week and send reports to my accountant. I can even pay my bills, taxes or any other function I wish that I could do during my busy work week IN MY PAJAMAS! I love it, and my husband loves that I do not have to go in to the office during the weekend or stay after hours at the office to get this done. My dog loves it too, since he can be by my side when I work." - Celine Lemieux It’s simple to use! "Running our growing business with two locations has been made infinitely simpler by using GoToMyPC. I have our key management people using GoToMyPC on a regular basis, too, and the increased connectivity has directly resulted in increased productivity." - John Crawford Best of breed in my book - Jim Simmons Indispensable tool for busy travel agent "As a travel agent, I sometimes need to work from literally anywhere in the world. GoToMyPC allows me to leave sensitive client information on my home computer yet still take care of client needs regardless of where I might be. I protect my business and my clients at the same time." - Amber Blecker Work from home. Serve my clients well. Save the environment! "I’m able to work from PC to Mac or PC when it’s convenient for me and my clients, while allowing me to be present with my child. Rarely do I have any problems with GoToMyPC. This software is very reliable, allows cross-platform usage, helps save the environment and enables me to provide excellent customer service. Speaking of, I’ve also received excellent customer service from GoToMyPC tech support. I’m so glad this software is available." - Laurie Wherever our iPad goes, the whole office goes. - Kaydee Peterson Want to share your own experience? Visit our video gallery where you can record a short snippet about you, your business and how you’re using GoToMyPC. Recording is easy and can be done in less than 2 minutes - all you need is your webcam or mobile device. We’ll then post your video to our web and social channels, and our favorites will be featured in our Small Business Stories series here on the GoTo Blog. Photo Credit: Daniel*1977 via Compfight cc

We recently explained in this ebook how best to prepare for a blended event, including event preparation, logistics and audio. A "blended event" is one that includes a live, in-person audience and remote participants. To supplement that learning, today I’ll go over how to set up video conferencing for a blended event using GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar and GoToTraining. I’ll speak broadly to the topic, as conference room and auditorium setup needs vary greatly. Please feel free to reach out to us, the Citrix Onboarding and Consulting Services team, if you have any questions. Webcam setup First, determine whether your presenter will be seated or standing. Seated. Position your camera relatively close to your presenter. Consider framing them like you would see on a news broadcast with a tight view of the presenter from the chest up. You want to be able to see the presenter’s facial expressions without them feeling exaggerated from too much zoom. Reflective background surfaces, like windows, should be avoided. Lighting should hit the presenter head on, not from behind. Standing. The ideal frame should include the whole stage so the presenter has room to move while staying in the camera’s frame of view. If you can’t get the camera far enough back to frame the entire stage, use masking tape on the floor of the stage to indicate to the speaker where he will step out of the camera frame. You may even want to look at more advanced cameras with the ability to zoom and pan. You’ll need an AV bridge to connect your external camera to the computer. An AV bridge can connect to your camera’s HDMI outlet and into your computer’s USB plug. The camera will then be a selectable camera source in GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, and GoToTraining preferences. Remote presenters Is your presenter in another location? Using video conferencing to get them into the same room as the audience is invaluable for presentation engagement and personalization. If your presenter has any trouble turning on their own webcam, you can send a request to them to turn on their webcam by clicking the gray camera icon next to their name in the attendee list. Also consider your presenter’s audio set up. While speakerphone is fairly accessible and easy to use, it may not provide the clearest audio. Headsets offer the best sound quality, but if the presenter prefers not to wear one on camera, I recommend a discreet, in-ear headset with a small microphone stem. Another option is to use a stationary microphone with an ear bud-like headset. Whenever possible, meet with this presenter in advance to establish the setup and avoid last-minute stress and troubleshooting. Other webcam tips Turn your camera off. In many instances, it will not be necessary to keep your webcam on the presenter for the entire presentation. Some presenters will prefer to be on camera only during their introduction and perhaps the end of the event. They can turn off the webcam themselves using the webcam button in the event control panel at the right of their screen. As an organizer, you can also disable their webcam for them by clicking the green camera icon in the attendee list next to their name. See eye to eye. With a close frame shot, make sure that your camera is as close to the presenter’s eye level as possible. Have your presenter look directly into the camera. If your presenter is using a prompter or computer, place it beneath the camera for best results.  Using a laptop’s built-in camera, for instance, will give your attendees an up-the-nose view of the presenter if it’s on a desk or table.  Elevate the laptop on a stand and adjust the tilt of the lid to improve the angle. Share your tips and ideas. I’m willing to bet you have a good idea or two about setting up for blended events. Share your ideas or questions in the comments below or visit our Ask the Community forum to communicate directly with other users. Good luck on your video conferences! If you need more help, get familiar with the consulting and onboarding services we offer. We’re here to help.   Photo Credit: Citrix Online via Flickr

GoToMyPC can make for great experiences with its simple remote access, but have you really brainstormed what else it can do? Here are 6 innovative ways to use GoToMyPC. 1.  Troubleshoot for a friend. If you and your friend are both using a PC, you can walk him or her through computer problems via GoToMyPC’s Guest Invite feature. Use drawing tools to enable greater communication, or better yet, fix it yourself with keyboard and mouse control. If you find yourself helping out a lot, try GoToAssist Remote Support. 2.  Watch while you’re away. Create an instant security camera and view it remotely! Just set up a webcam on your host computer, turn it on and point it in any direction you want. Voilà - an instant security camera, accessible from anywhere. 3.  Turn your mobile device into a computer. Tablets and smartphones are great for browsing but poor for working - that is, unless you can access your full computer with our apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. 4.  Print remotely. PC users can easily print remote files to a local printer with our Remote Printing feature. No need to transfer files before printing - just enable the GoToMyPC printer and go! 5.  Save power. Limited battery life on your laptop? Connect with GoToMyPC and run resource-heavy programs through your host computer instead. 6.  Save time.There’s no need to connect through the GoToMyPC website - just log in to your computer in seconds using Desktop Shortcuts. Have you discovered another cool way to use GoToMyPC?  Let us know us on Facebook or Twitter.   Photo credit: Dan Barbus via Flickr

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, you may be thinking about vowing your everlasting love to someone or renewing the vows you already gave. Well, we’ve got another one for you, one that your coworkers will appreciate: vow to be a better meeting participant. Really, there is nothing more annoying than the sound of your teammate’s typing blaring through the speakers during your weekly standup meeting. We’ve all been there - most likely on both sides of the annoyance. So today, in the third installment of our Better Meetings series, we give you The Online Meeting Vows. Say ‘em, repeat ‘em and please, please abide by ‘em. Thou shalt mute whilst typing. Thou shalt be the first to turn on thy webcam. Thou shalt put thy dog outside or in a different room during meetings. Thou shalt put thy light source in front of thy face, not behind it, so as to not look like a giant shadow blob. Thou shalt remember to record. Under no circumstances shall people in the same room have side conversations whilst online participants try to listen in. Those in the same room shalt be mindful to prompt participation from people both in-person and on the web. Thou shalt monitor the chat panel. Thou shalt never selecteth End webinar for all when made an organizer. Thou shalt not hoggeth the sixth webcam slot in GoToMeeting from a presenter. Thou shalt breathe quietly, move the microphone away from thy mouth or toucheth the mute button. Thou shalt use a headset microphone instead of speakerphone. Thou shalt dress completely, not just from the waist up. Thou shalt remember to brush thy teeth after eating kale salad - but do not concern thyself with garlic breath. Thou shalt not chat or type emails whilst someone is presenting. Thou shalt remember thou art screen sharing before checking personal email or Facebook on screen. Thou shalt never forget that thou art the organizer before asking other attendees, who art not organizers, to start the session. Thou shalt turneth off desktop notifications from email or IM if thou art sharing thy screen. Thou shalt avoid the dire echo by having only one speaker on in the room. Verily, one speaker component, be it telephone or VoIP, shalt be chosen, whilst all others in the room must select telephone, though they shalt not call in. Thou shalt mute thyself and pause thy webcam whilst eating, coughing, answering urgent telephone calls and disciplining one’s offspring or pets. Thou shalt not leave a mess that is visible on camera. Thou shalt not yawn on camera. Thou shalt remember that the dancing light upon your face exposes your multitasking and web trolling. Thou shalt not accidentally message the entire group in the chat window with a personal message. Can thy thinketh of any others? Send forth your vows to us on Twitter. @gotomeeting.

Whether you’re running a video conference, moderating a webinar or teaching a digital course, video sharing is a powerful way to engage your audience. It can be an excellent resource to help illustrate a point or demonstrate specific functionality, but it’s only really effective if it is being used correctly. Below you’ll find three crucial exercises to consider when planning for your next presentation or meeting. Like all live events, online events don’t leave a lot of room for error as you coordinate collaboration across multiple locations, so these tips are designed to help you utilize on-demand video content successfully the first time. Use a video in your presentation if it…  1.   Is brief. Consider your audience’s attention span and keep your videos as viewer-friendly as possible. Videos longer than 5 minutes will lose audience interest. Also, longer videos equals larger file size, which could result in bandwidth or visibility issues. 2.   Is interesting. Your attendees have spent a good deal of time watching and listening to you talk, so only add content that will benefit your audience, whether that means providing them with a (on-topic) laugh or showing them how to do something. Finding content that is visually dynamic and engaging will foster better information retention. 3.   Is mobile-friendly.  With smartphones and tablet adoption at a record high, you may have remote attendees joining from mobile devices. Smaller screens and data limitations could make streaming content difficult, so before you add on-demand content to your presentation, try playing it on your smartphone or tablet. And consider keeping on-demand content towards the end of the presentation, so if mobile attendees have a bad experience, they won’t miss anything if they decide to skip the video. Now you’re ready to start using on-demand video in your online presentations -great timing, since GoToMeeting, GoToTraining and GoToWebinar now let you stream content live during web conferences. Learn more at www.gotomeeting.com. Photo Credit: Imagine Cup via Flickr

 Have you ever wished that you could manage GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, GoToTraining and OpenVoice accounts from a central admin center? If so, please allow us a moment to put on our genie outfits and unroll our magic carpet before telling you that your wish has just been granted! The Citrix unified admin center gives account managers easy access to account usage details and lets you manage user settings across products from one place. Adding and removing users and distributing seats has never been easier. In a few clicks, you can change user permissions and activate accounts across GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, GoToTraining and OpenVoice. Within the unified admin center, you can also keep track of product usage easier than before. Account managers using Citrix collaboration tools receive one bill, use one support center and now manage users from one place. To get started with the unified admin center, log in to your account today or learn more about Citrix web conferencing tools at www.gotomeeting.com. Photo credit: SJ Liew via Flickr

Saying goodbye has always been awkward for me. So during my dating years, I actually planned exit strategies for that moment at the door, because I knew that how I ended the date would affect the future of the relationship. Guys I wanted to kiss got "the look," and guys I didn’t got the stiff-armed pat on the shoulder. Now, as a teleworker who hosts frequent online meetings - often with a video component - I’m faced with saying goodbye in a business setting several times each day. And I’ve realized the need for a good exit strategy is just as great in business as in romance. Ending a meeting on a good note will help projects move forward faster and build relationships. Ending on a bad note will slow down your project, reduce your credibility and leave you looking and feeling like a social clod. I can’t say I’ve mastered the online meeting goodbye yet, but I’ve gathered a few best practices that I think help me exit with a little more grace. Have an agenda and stick to it. When you’ve covered everything on it, you’re very close to being done. Never drag a meeting out just to fill up the time allotted. People will thank you for giving them their time back and they will leave feeling a sense of accomplishment. Ask if anyone has any additional questions or concerns. Some people may not participate until they are asked to, because they aren’t comfortable interrupting others. Allow a little time for people to digest the meeting content and respond. Sum up key decisions and action items. This gives you the final say and helps people remember it. They will leave the meeting with a clear understanding of what you wanted them to know and do. Thank attendees for coming, tell them you’re closing the meeting and wish them well. Good manners are good business. It helps to give people a little warning that you are turning off the meeting software - otherwise, they feel like you’re slamming the door in their face. You want people to leave feeling appreciated and happy they met with you. You can’t shake their hand, but you want them to feel as if you did. Close the meeting - and your mouth. Here’s a trick I still need to work on - put your finger on the "Close meeting for all" button BEFORE you say goodbye. Then, you don’t have that awkward silence between when you cease interacting and you turn off the meeting software.  Also, if you are using video conferencing, the last image of your face may be frozen for a few seconds when you close the meeting. You don’t want your last impression to be codfish face. So stop talking and flash a quick smile when you press that button. By the way, "the look" and the stiff arm worked pretty well on dates, but I don’t recommend either of them for business meetings. Do you have a tip for better online meetings? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook, #bettermeetings. Photo credit: Ian Levack via Flickr

It’s pretty safe to say that we here at Citrix know a thing or two about webinars. We have facilitated thousands of webinars worldwide and learned how to promote our events effectively - but not before we messed it up a few times. Promoting webinars anywhere is essential to getting a good turnout, but few channels are more valuable from an engagement perspective as social media. Announcing and linking to the registration page of your webinar on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and whatever other channels you’re active on gives your audience the opportunity to connect with you before the event - and maybe even shape the content. If you get multiple tweets asking about the same topic, you may consider adding a section to your presentation where you’ll cover the topic. Doing so makes the webinar more valuable to the people who come and will improve your reputation for hosting relevant and informative webinars With that in mind, here are a few suggestions to help you develop your webinar’s social promotion strategy. Establish a presence on the appropriate social channels (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc.). That’s where a lot of potential audience members are looking for the information you’re holding. So join them. Try looking through your company’s LinkedIn or intranet forums for discussions and resources. Start conversations online and monitor interactions about your topics. This helps you get an idea of what information your audience is looking for. Don’t be a passive consumer! Actively join in on conversations to establish yourself as a helpful resource and a thought leader. Use your social interactions to tailor future content. Once you have started interacting with you audiences, make sure to take note of what they are asking for and add custom content to your presentation that will answer your audiences’ most pressing questions. Start an evergreen hashtag campaign. The best kinds of hashtags are ones that will stay relevant as your topics and conversations evolve and grow bigger or more specific. Start out with a phrase that’s unique and speaks directly to your topic. So if you are an organization for protecting sloth habitats, you could start with the hashtag #Care4Sloths and evolve that phrase to encompass audience questions or comments, such as #Care4SlothsQuestion. Try to keep your hashtags concise, as some social platforms only allow a certain amount of characters. When it comes to bringing in an audience for your webinar, remember that great content is only half the battle. Connecting with your audience through social media lets you tailor your content to their needs, which will increase the value of your event to your audience. For more suggestions and best practices to promoting your upcoming webinar socially, check out the white paper, 6 Steps to Using Social Media to Promote Your Internal Webinar to Employees. Photo credit: Lau via Flickr

There are three ways to go about Valentine’s Day: throw money at it, take the thoughtful approach or do some combination of the two. Flowers, chocolates, gifts and prix fixe dinners are great, but, in my opinion, most people just want to feel special. And nothing accomplishes that quite like something that takes thought. A hand-written card. A fun activity. Giving something you made yourself, whether it’s something crafty or a special meal. And - SURPRISE! - there are even a couple ways you can use GoToMeeting to earn your Valentine’s Day merit badge. These are them: Get a head start. Valentine’s Day falls on a workday this year. And since businesses don’t usually close the office for Hallmark holidays, most folks will be scrambling to squeeze their celebration into the evening after work. But, with GoToMeeting, who needs the office? Spend the day at home with your loved one or hit your Valentine’s destination early and attend all those work meetings online. Have a real conversation. If you’re separated by distance and not able to visit each other for Valentine’s Day, skip the faceless phone call and use HDFaces video conferencing to express how much you miss your loved one. The face-to-face conversation will keep you from being distracted by your TV or computer, and the object of your affection will appreciate the attentiveness. And if you’re going in for the virtual kiss, remember to aim for the webcam, not the lips. Otherwise your Valentine will just get a HD close-up of your forehead. (And be sure to have some glass cleaner handy to remove the lip-print from your webcam.) Those are our tips. Have any of your own? Please spread your sage ways and send them to us on Twitter: @gotomeeting. Photo credit: Brent Moore via Flickr

Anyone can give out relationship advice. But put the words "New York Times best-selling author" in front of your name and all of a sudden people expect that advice to actually work. Just ask Laura Doyle. She is a relationship coach with a string of best-selling books to her name.  Laura is also the founder of multi-national relationship-coaching company Laura Doyle Connect, and she understands that clients expect Laura Doyle-level coaching from anyone under her banner. That’s why Laura uses GoToMeeting with HDFaces to work with her network of relationship coaches. A phone call is fine for checking in, but Laura needs to connect with her people - to take in the emotions and details that facial expressions say better than words. With GoToMeeting, she and her coaches experience real interactive communication, keeping them all on the same page and protecting Laura’s brand. And, most importantly, protecting people’s marriages. Check out the video below to hear it all in Laura’s own words.   Photo credit: Samantha Celera via Flickr

"All right students, please find a seat, turn on your phone and log in to your Twitter and Facebook accounts." Sound incredible? Not for some lucky students with top teachers leading the student-centered revolution in learning. These avant-garde teachers are using technology to tear down outdated educational practices and rebuild an educational system that engages students and helps them blaze their own educational paths while teachers serve as mentors and coaches. Citrix recently sponsored a free ebook called Mobile Education: Lessons from 35 Education Experts on Improving Learning with Mobile Technology. Each of the 35 experts referred to in the title was asked to share a personal experience about how they incorporate online and mobile technology into their classrooms. The individual essays are fascinating, but, when read together, the book becomes proof that we’re on the cusp of an educational revolution that’s turning traditional education upside down. Growing up, most of us listened to teachers lecture, attended classes at set times, did homework assignments out of books and followed very rigid curricula. On rare occasions, we were given the opportunity to do a self-directed project, like a science fair project, where we could freely explore a topic of interest. While some of us loved school, many of us found it a chore. We were bored and often tried to do as little as possible to get a decent grade. Collaborative technology and social networks are changing all of that, and they’re driving the idea of student-centered learning - the new educational model where students choose their educational paths and motivate themselves while teachers serve as mentors, coaches and guides. Teachers are starting to incorporate collaborative technology and are encouraging their students to use social networks to learn in new ways. Here’s what you can expect to happen as education moves from its traditional learning model from instructor-centered to student-centered. 1) Learning can happen at any time and in any place. The classroom and specific meeting times become less important. Instead, students can experience more hands-on learning by visiting a museum, zoo or park while using Internet-connected mobile devices to seek more information and even complete assignments, What’s more, students can seek further instruction from teachers and collaborate with fellow students through either in-person interaction or web conferencing. 2) Learning to create. Mobile devices contain complete production studios with audio, video, text and photographs. Student-centered learning encourages students to create projects to showcase their understanding. And, most importantly, these projects help students to obtain feedback from peers and experts during and after the creation process. 3) Using collaboration and feedback. Traditional learning requires absorbing a body of material and then demonstrating that you understand it. The feedback comes primarily from one person - the teacher. In student-centered learning, learners use their social networks to tap into knowledge during the learning process. As learners express their ideas and show off their creations, frequent feedback from peers, teachers and people from around the world help them refine and expand their understanding. 4) Learning is customized by the student. No two individuals learn in the same way, nor do they grasp ideas in the same amount of time. When students direct their own learning, they can jump past things they understand or take the additional time they need to learn the more difficult concepts. In short, while the learning paths can be different, no one needs to be left behind. 5) Students can challenge ideas. Have you ever heard something said that didn’t sound quite right? Learners now have the opportunity to research what they’re being told at their fingertips while they’re hearing it, resulting in more relevant questions. When a student feels empowered to question what they’re being told, they’re far more engaged in the learning process. 6) Content in many forms and sizes. Rather than read one big chapter, students have the opportunity to tap into different kinds of content. Some content will be meant to familiarize and provide an overview, whereas other content will be performance-based. Performance-based content help learners use small chunks of content to accomplish very specific things that they’re interested in doing. As with any revolution, change is never easy. It requires teachers and students to learn new skills, and it will require parents to adjust their expectations. However one thing is clear: students who take responsibility for their learning will learn more, learn faster and have fun along the way. About the author: David Rogelberg served as editor of the Mobile Education ebook. He is currently the co-founder of Studio B Productions, Inc., a two-time Inc. 500 company specializing in high-tech content marketing. Prior to founding Studio B, he was a textbook editor with Addison-Wesley and the youngest person to assume the title of publisher at Simon & Schuster, where he published numerous best-selling titles for the trade and educational markets.

The London brain drain hit the headlines again last week as new data from the ONS Business Register and Employment Survey revealed a widening gap between the capital and the rest of the country, calling for urgent action to help boost economic growth in other UK cities. The Independent’s Nigel Morris makes an excellent point when he asks: "Why aren’t other cities offering people enough opportunity to stay - and what can be done about it?" The problem has long been impacting businesses outside of London that can struggle to attract the best talent when so many promising workers default to London to find the best jobs. But now the technology is available to help attract and retain the best talent and help these smaller businesses compete with their London rivals. Our recent poll found that nearly a quarter (22%) of workers would consider seeking employment outside of London to avoid rail price increases. With costs continuing to rise for commuters and recent tube strikes affecting those living in the capital, is now the time for smaller businesses further afield to lure some of these great minds? The ONS data also found that one in three aged 22 to 30 who move city go to London but, from their early thirties, begin to move to surrounding areas as their families start to grow and they look for a better work/life balance. Offering flexible working is one way a forward-thinking business can attract these employees.  Our research found that 62% of workers surveyed felt that flexible working would improve their quality of life. One small business that has been able to thrive and attract top talent through innovation and flexible working is ConnectedUK - an eight-person UK-based digital services agency. CEO Martin Dower tried our online collaborative work platform Podio in 2011 and has since used it to replace his physical office. This saves him £35k a year whilst allowing his team a much more flexible approach to work. Martin said: "We use Podio for sales opportunity management, all HR functions (holiday management, company documentation, etc.). It also acts as our knowledge hub. Plus, we use the social streams to share good news and kick ideas around."  London will always attract top talent - but as technology evolves, the physical location of businesses will become less important. Yes, some companies will be more adaptable than others; however, those that embrace change can expect to attract the best workers. As more companies innovate outside of the capital, in time we may just see the problem of the London brain drain subside. Photo credit: Clarissa Peterson via Flickr

When you are prepping for a large webinar, the to-do list can feel daunting. Knowing which questions to ask your speaker before, during and after the event can be the difference between experiencing "technical difficulties" and webinar greatness. It might help to liken the production of a successful presentation to setting up for a theatrical show; there’s a lot of preparation required before anyone even sets foot on stage. No matter what type of webinar you’re producing, making sure your show runs smoothly is a delicate balancing act. Like any good director, you want to have a plan to ensure you put on a show that engages your audience and garners rave reviews. A solid plan will build the speaker’s confidence in your abilities to run the show behind the scenes while they’re on stage, whether that stage is behind a webcam in a conference room or in front of a live audience. A checklist will help you remember all the critical details that you and your speaker should talk about and rehearse in preparation. Here are some questions you can ask your speaker to help get you started for your next big online event. Questions to ask your speaker before the event: Are you comfortable on camera? Will you be sitting or standing to deliver your information? Are you comfortable with the presentation software you’ll be using? Your speaker needs to focus on the content and their audience. Asking about the logistics of their presentation beforehand will help you gauge their comfort level, so you can make sure everyone is rehearsed and ready. Questions and comments for your speaker during the event: Are you ready to start? Are you keeping your eye on the questions box? We’re half-way through. We’ve got 10 minutes left. As the event organizer, your speaker is looking to you to keep everything running smoothly. By prompting your speaker to direct their attention to questions or reminding them about how much time they left, you take administrative pressure off of them and keep your event on track. Questions to ask your speaker after the event: Can you get back to me via email with answers to the questions we didn’t get to? Once we get the recording posted, will you promote the link to your network? When the event ends is when the content repurposing and archive promotion starts, so ask your speaker to help you in your post-event activities. They too have something to gain from making the on-demand version of the webinar a hit, so work together on it. Ask your speaker these questions before, during and after your large online event and you will prompt the discussions needed to organize and produce an effective and engaging webinar. If you’re looking for a more in depth desk reference on how to run webinars, check out our guide for new and seasoned webinar producers. Photo credit: Alan Cleaver via Flickr

Today we’re answering a few more questions from our "GoToMeeting 101" webinar. Be sure to take a look at the last batch of questions we answered and check the webinar calendar for more upcoming presentations. As an admin, can I pull meeting and attendee data for all users? Can I download it? Do reports include phone callers? Yes, as an admin you may run reports including the Meeting History Report, which provides information on attendees except for those who joined by phone only. Reports include attendees who joined through their computer to view the screen-sharing portion. Learn more about reports on our support site. What does it mean when it says the meeting is expired? Why does this happen when I schedule future meetings? If you get a message saying the meeting you’re trying to enter is expired, double check that you scheduled the meeting for the right date. If the date is in the past, the meeting will be expired. If you have to push a meeting out, make sure you change the date of the meeting on your calendar and also in GoToMeeting. How do I schedule a meeting and then have someone else start it without logging in to my account? Only the organizer can start the meeting. The only way to start the meeting without the organizer there is to log in with the organizer’s account email and password. Can I use a recurring meeting a different time than the time it’s set for? As long as a GoToMeeting is scheduled in GoToMeeting as "recurring," you may start and use that meeting whenever you like. The key here is to make sure to schedule the meeting as recurring in GoToMeeting and not just on your calendar. When choosing countries to host audio numbers in, what if you don’t know where your attendees are joining? Is there a downside to choosing all the countries that localized audio is offered in? There is no downside to choosing all of the countries. International phone numbers are included at no extra cost. Is it possible to offer telephone audio only? Yes, in the audio set up you may select telephone audio only. How I can ensure the best audio experience in GoToMeeting? A good audio experience comes down to a few things: Setup: Use a headset to eliminate chance of an echo. Bandwidth: When using VoIP, low bandwidth can cause audio delay, so make sure your connection is strong and use a hardwired Internet option if you have one. Audio PIN: Telephone callers should always enter their audio pin so that the organizer has muting controls over them. Select the right audio option: Ask attendees to make sure they have the correct audio option selected in the GoToMeeting control panel. If they dialed in by phone, they should select "telephone." If they’re using the computer mic & speakers, they should select "mic and speakers." Learn more about audio troubleshooting on our support site. When using dual monitors, can you choose which screen to share and switch between them? Yes. Under Show My Screen, select the drop down menu, and you can choose which screen to share. You can change which screen you’re showing at any time or show both at one time. Learn more about screen sharing options. Does GoToMeeting have apps for Windows phones? Yes. GoToMeeting has mobile apps for Windows phones and tablets and iOS and Android devices. If you use GoToWebinar or GoToTraining too, you may like to review the "GoToWebinar 101" webinar or join the "GoToTraining 101" webinar. Photo credit: Stina Jonsson via Flickr

Negotiations deadlock for many reasons. When both sides refuse to budge, it’s time to be creative. Here are some guidelines to get the other side talking again: • Start Over. When Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev deadlocked during arms talks, Reagan reached across the table and said, "Hello, Mikhail, my name is Ron, and I think it’s time we talked about the arms race." This broke the tension and led to meaningful discussions. • Keep a Secret. Some negotiations stall because negotiators want to please third parties (such as bosses). If you suspect this, assure the other person that you’ll keep the conversation’s details confidential. The negotiator won’t worry that something he says will get back to the boss. • Recount interests. Don’t talk about positions - focus on each side’s real needs. Say, for example, "It seems you’re most interested in delivery to meet your customers’ timetable." If the other party agrees, ask, "What do you think are my main interests?" Highlighting the main interests, rather than side issues, helps you create room for new solutions. Related posts:Jump Starting Stalled Negotiations

Influencing is communicating with a goal in mind. In essence, influencing is a requesting process. You are requesting that the other person (or group) do something or achieve an outcome. Because you are making a request, there is inherently more accountability for both parties, thus more potential risk of tension, misunderstanding, defensiveness and conflict. Often people use their every day communication skills when influencing, find that they don’t work, and wonder why. The reason is that the influencing process is different and requires different skills. Don’t focus on what has been done in the past - wasting time and apportioning blame here is pointless. * Concentrate on activities that can lead to sales in the future. Expand your resources in this area and if necessary enlist the assistance of other management and staff. Get professional assistance to quickly analyse your sales "inventory" of selling skills and resources. * Immediately start a sales forecasting system, by customer, by product, by value and by month. Lock in sales that you are certain that you will be getting. Update this forecast on a weekly basis. * Eighty-five per cent of business comes from existing customers, so start there. Contact all of your previous customers and start initiating sales activities. The 80/20 rule applies, so concentrate on the top 20 per cent of clients, but make sure that your proposition is well thought out. * Fifteen per cent of business typically comes from new business accounts, and sales from this can be time-consuming and longer-term. It is a trap to divert more than 15 per cent of your sales resource to chase after people who have never done business with you. * Don’t fall for the salespeople saying they need new systems and marketing material to be able to sell. There were sales before computers. * Try to sell, not discount. Understand your gross margin and whether discounts will make you a profit. Too often, people equate discounts with more business, when in fact they become a false economy. * Remember selling starts when the customer says "No" - otherwise you are leaving good money on the table. Anyone can give away products. Get fair value for your products, as every dollar in this market is worth three in a boom market. There may be a tendency for a senior manager to start doing the selling himself or herself, or to get involved with major customers. If you have sales experience, then this may be an option. If not, beware, as creating the wrong impression can lead to a loss of business for a long time. Whatever you do during this time, remember it and keep doing it when good times come again. Business cycles come and go, and you will ensure that the next time a recession comes you will have the tools in place to see it coming and to make the adjustments you need to ensure that your business does not end up on the rocks.  

Sorry about the long stretch since our last update…we have been on the road conducting research with some of our favorite clients - pharmaceutical companies! The prevailing opinion among the reps that we ride along with at the start of the day is that "We don’t negotiate! We’re not allowed to negotiate!" While we at SNI understand the FDArules and PhRMA guidelines (and the reasons they exist), we also know that negotiation is a process, not an event. Wenever recommend using the "traditional" negotiating techniques like quid pro quo ("I’ll buy you lunch when you start writing more _____!"), but we do recognize that other negotiation habits such as preparation, probing and proposing are vital tools for any sales professional. There have been many recent changes in the pharmaceutical industry that make the use of effective negotiation skills even more relevant in today’s business marketplace for the pharma rep. Three changes that we have studied closely in our recent research are: Recent restructuring makes the "feet on the street" approach antiquated and ineffective. With thousands of pharma reps being laid off in recent months, most pharma companies are moving away from the "reach and frequency" model of sending one rep after another to keep the name of their product and the short clinical message in front of their target physicians. One reason is that there simply aren’t enough reps left to call on a doctor 2 or 3 times a week with the same message. Another reason is that pharma companies are hearing the cries of their customers….the physicians. In a managed care environment, doctors maximize their profitability by seeing as many patients as possible every day. The mere presence of a rep is an interruption to this business reality, and many practices are limiting access to the reps in order to keep patient "traffic" moving along. Doctors told SNI in recent interviews that one effective rep has a greater impact on their writing habits than having 2 or 3 reps repeating the same message over and over again. Resources are limited and reps must capture value (market share, volume, etc) for value delivered. With PhRMA guidelines abolishing the practice of delivering office supplies, personal hygiene supplies, and other product-branded materials to their customers, reps have to be even more creative about how they remind doctors of their products benefits after they leave the office. Many pharma companies are also limiting their samples and educational materials in an effort to contain expenses and manage their inventories more effectively. By using proven negotiation techniques, reps can leverage their resources to drive business in the most efficient and profitable way without offending the PhRMA guidelines (or, more importantly, the physicians and their staff!) Mergers and acquisitions provide an opportunity to develop a shared, more effective sales approach. Recently, mergers between former competitors (Merck and Schering-Plough, Wyeth and Pfizer, et al) have created an opportunity for these companies to come together and develop a shared sales model and culture. The benefit is that the reps will be learning a new approach together, saving the stress (and the accompanying sales "dip") that goes along with abandoning old methods while adopting those of the other company. By jumping into a new model together, merged companies can tap into the strengths of both sides and start anew with a shared, collaborative model for effective sales. At SNI, we believe that the adoption of negotiation-based selling will prevent the sales lag while giving the reps new tools and techniques for moving forward in a more efficient, value-based sales culture. Usually, by the end of a day on the road with a pharma rep, they acknowledge that they do negotiate…on just about every call! Whether it is for access, information, or when allocating their own limited resources. Our proven methodology has helped reps do more than just detail doctors - by building credibility, value and trust via effective negotiating…these reps have a clear advantage in an ever-changing marketplace. In upcoming entries, we will share some of the specific findings from our 6-week immersion into the pharma world and provide some new ways for today’s pharmaceutical rep to maximize the opportunities that the "new world" provides. Related posts:Negotiating the "Indirect" Sale: Part INegotiating the "Indirect" Sale Part IIIDifferentiating Yourself Through Effective Probing in Pharmaceutical Sales

When we teach people to be more effective negotiators, we tend to focus on our Three Ps - Preparation, Probing and Proposing. Perhaps even more important than these threeskills is being a good listener. This area is often neglected because few people think that there is skill in listening, and even more believe it is inheritied and cannot be learned. It is assumed that if I hear what you say that I’m also listening to what you say. This is a bad assumption. Here are ideas and comments about listening that might help you improve your abilities in this often neglected area. Learn Your Blind Spots - These are words, ideas, and topics we have strong feelings about and, therefore, tend not to be able to listen to very well. We become over-excited by them and stop listening. Alternatively, we become angry, frustrated, or simply refuse to hear and block them out. Try to identify three of these "blind spots" and consciously work to listen when they arise in conversation. The "Rehearsal Effect" - Most of us are wrapped up in our own lives and we find it boring and painful to let someone else talk. We are absorbed in self-concern. I recall reading in Carnegies "How to Win Friends and Influence People that Dale Carnegie was regarded as a great "conversationalist" by a woman to whom he merely questioned and then listened to her responses intently. Try to enjoy the part of the conversation where you are learning about the other side! Speed of Thought - The difference in the time it takes to talk and the time it takes to listen is another barrier to effective listening. The average speaker delivers at about 140 words per minute. The average listener, on the other hand, can listen comfortably at about 300 words per minute. Instead of using the time differential to analyze the speaker’s message, we tend to fade out, day dream, think about other things we have to do, or plan what we want to say next. The only way to combat this is to try and jot down brief notes when listening…this activity will use the remaining excess"bandwidth" in your brain. Distracted by Speaker Behaviors - Most people do not talk in a very organized fashion. Speakers tend to "think out loud" and grope for the idea they want to convey. This process often causes us to give up trying to decipher their message. Other reasons listeners may tune us out include irritating mannerisms and talking a long time. Ask paraphraing questions thoughout, and summarize what you heard to fight this tendency. Focus on Body Language - Approximately two-thirds of a speaker’s message in any conversation is not contained in the words themselves. It is instead conveyed by the speaker’s tone of voice, body language, and word tense. Listening only for the words and not for the feelings behind them is another common listening problem. So listen for the meaning behind the words and ask questions about what you observe. Distractions - Disruptions in our environment can affect our ability to focus on what the speaker is saying. Some typical examples of disruptive factors in work environments which could impair your ability to listen effectively include ringing phones, slamming doors, people walking in and out, street noises, etc. If you are engaged in an important conversation, try to have it in a prvate area with minimal distractions.  

SNI has developed a presence in Secondlife to deliver content without the expense and hassle of travelling to a training progam. SNI’s founder, Mark Jankowski, has emerged as one of the industries thought leaders on using the virtual world to enhance the learning experience for SNI clients. Related posts:Virtual Reality

I just attended a meeting in Second Life where SunMicrosystems’ Nicole Yankelovich described Sun’s Wonderland 0.5, which is planned to be released this summer. While a 0.5 version in any software program demonstrates that it is in its earliest stages, Wonderland is trying to address many of the concerns corporate training departments have expressed about Second Life. Some examples: Firewall Issues: While SL is planning to release a version that can exist "behind the firewall," Wonderland has been built from the ground up with the intention of existing behind the firewall. Remote Access: In SL, employees who do not have access to a computer are not able to participate in meetings. Sun has addressed this issue by creating an inworld phone system where people can call in and attend the meeting. While it is obviously more beneficial to have everyone inworld during the meeting, this dial in approach at least allows employees to participate at some level. Business Tool Focus: Because Wonderland is focused on business and education, it includes tools built specifically for those purposes and therefore incorporates powerpoint slides, white boards, Web integration and data visualization. Multiple Conversations: SL started with text chat communication and then integrated voice. Wonderland has been built with a focus on voice chat. Therefore they have developed tools such as a microphone that allows front of the room speakers to extend the reach of their voice, while attendees can reduce the extent of their voice projection so that they can essentially conduct IM Voice Chats. While these are interesting developments, Wonderland has a long way to go before it overtakes Second Life. Tomorrow we will discuss some of the limitations of Wonderland that may prevent it from reaching a 1.0 level… Related posts:Why Wonderland May Fall Short

It is easier for a competitor in its early stages to promise many of the advances discussed in the last blog entry. Of course, large questions remain with regard to Wonderland’s ability to deliver on its promises. The challenges include: - Too Few Developers within Sun: Wonderland remains in the research phase and there are only 8 developers within Sun working on the project. (Recently fixes were delayed because the 2 developers working on the project went on vacation…) - Small External Development Community: So far Wonderland has not been able to attract an external development community comparable to OpenSim and SL. - Budget: Sun’s current business challenges (and possible acquisition by IBM) may stop the project in its tracks. That being said, there remains a great deal of excitement surrounding Wonderland, and it is worth it to keep an eye on its progress over the next year or so. Related posts:Wonderland is Wonderful