It looks as though hybrid working is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. Some companies haven't had issues getting people back into the office three days a week. Others are struggling to get their employees back in for one. What is first office doing that the second isn't? If we analyse the companies who have employees that are happy to come in versus the companies that can't get people in for love nor money, are there lessons to be learned?
There was a time not too long ago when typewriters filled offices and documents were sent by fax or by post. It was a time when no one had a mobile phone, but rather a home phone and answering machine. And it, like the eras before, and the eras since, was considered a time of technological advancement.
Is the office as we knew it, dead? This topic has been widely debated since the pandemic began close to a year ago. Undoubtedly, the office environments we will be returning to will look different to those we left behind - but how many of us will truly return?
You may have read recently that Zoom is going to start offering video conferencing hardware, as-a-service - meaning companies can pay monthly to rent state-of-the art equipment for only a small fraction of the cost to buy it. Companies benefit from the latest technology, completely supported, without a full fledged investment into devices that will no doubt be out-dated in a few years; and Zoom benefits by bringing its services to the office as people just as people start working from home less.
As lockdown measures are gradually eased, one thing is clear - people that can work from home, will be working from home for the foreseeable future. But what if you theoretically can work from home, but can't practically, due to a poor broadband connection? I recently had a video meeting with someone who was working in their utility room because it offered the best WiFi signal in the house (despite the visual interference from laundry baskets).
Computer telephony integration (CTI), also called computer–telephone integration (or at VTSL, simply 'integrations'), is a common name for any technology that allows interactions on a telephone and a computer to be integrated or coordinated. The term is predominantly used to describe desktop-based interaction for helping users be more efficient, though it can also refer to server-based functionality such as automatic call routing.
Transforming a business doesn't have to take thousands of pounds, management consultants or new training initiatives. It can happen through the smallest of changes. For example, a study found that when hospitals followed a simple checklist before a surgical procedure, death rates decreased by 40 percent. When Marriot implemented workplace flexibility, the company found that low-value work dropped from 11.7 hours per week to only 6.8 hours, and productivity increased even though the number of hours worked decreased.
We have long known the power voice has in everything from providing an amazing customer experience to selling a product. Hearing someone speak in their own words, and respond thoughtfully, can never be replaced with technology. It is after all the human connection that so much of business relies on. But this is not to say technology isn’t moving quickly in the voice department.
5G is finally here in the UK with EE and Vodafone both offering the superfast network. But what does that mean for businesses and individuals? We will tell you.
Often sales managers are good salesmen, but not necessarily good managers. Having been promoted based on their own performance, they have very little idea of how to ensure the success of a team as a whole. Teaching others their personal sales techniques isn't enough. Good managers will look beyond a singular number (i.e. monthly sales / revenue) to help each member of the team succeed at all the elements of a sale from start to finish.
