Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Free Video Software

            In addition to web designing, I teach a few college courses online.  One thing that I wanted to offer my students this semester was some lectures in audio.  Although I have a webcam, I am not too comfortable recording myself in front of a camera.  I bet most of you are the same.  So I went in search of some software that I could download for free to use for my online classes where it would capture what I was doing on my computer and my voice rather than me.
            Of course, there are many good ones to purchase, but finding a good one that’s free takes a little more time. 
            One of the professors at my campus recommends Jing.  This can be downloaded at http://download.cnet.com/Jing/3000-13633_4-10744274.html .  It is pretty good software that’s very easy to use.  It’s intuitive and simple.  It’s easy to record and delete until you get it right.  The free version records everything in Shockwave (SWF).  In addition, you are limited to five minute clips – in most instances, you would not want to record long clips anyway.  The professional version allows many other formats including WAV and MP3.  They charge $14.95 per year which isn’t bad and allows you to discontinue.  Since there was the time and format limit for Jing Free, I kept searching.
One I found that I like a lot is Debut Video Capture Software by NCH Software at http://www.nchsoftware.com/capture/index.html.  This gave me automatically the format choices that work best for me.  If I choose to purchase the software is a flat $39.95(for Jan 2012 – then $60) .  Jing Pro would equal that cost in a little more than 2.5 years (4 years for regular price).  Although I haven’t done it yet, I wanted the ability to edit clips in Windows Movie Maker, and Debut allows that with the formats it offers.  Although it’s a little more complicated to use, it’s still relatively simple, and the ability to re-record is as easy as it is for Jing.
I stopped searching once I found Debut because it does all that I want.  So far, I have used it as a tutorial for different portions of online class.  The professor who inspired me to download and try the software, recommended having online video/audio tutorials.  He said that for him it reduced student questions from twenty per class at the beginning of the semester to about two.  That was a good enough reason for me to try!
If my skill level and use go up, I plan to purchase the full version.
Let me know if you have searched and found any free video capture software that you would or would not recommend.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Closing the Deal When You’re not a Salesperson

I am not a salesperson.  It’s funny.  I’m an entrepreneur, and I need to sell myself and my services, yet I am not a salesperson.  I’ve read articles about how to close deals, and while some of the advice may be good, it just doesn’t fit me.
I am good with the networking portion of sales.  I love to go out and meet people, and while I’m a little shy and reserved, I can get myself to go up to someone and say hi and introduce myself.  I’m also a pretty good listener.  I don’t mind a bit listening to someone, and I find most people quite interesting.  Networking fits me.
The most successful approach for me hasn’t the often top quoted tactics like creating a sense of urgency or using the threat of competition or preparing late breaking news. 
The first thing I learned early on was to adjust my business from what I initially thought it was.  I originally thought of myself as helping people market their businesses, but soon, I discovered that I was better at certain components of marketing.  I quickly adjusted my business to web design and web promotion as well as desktop publishing services.  My talents really were in certain segments rather than in the broad spectrum of marketing.
The next thing I learned was that I really offered value in a particular niche.  Most larger companies were attracted to larger web design firms.  They barely gave me a nod.  Of course, I could have made the choice to aim big and adjust my strategy to lure them, but instead I saw a need.  I realized that the larger web design firms were out of the league of small new businesses just starting up.  Many new businesses were scared by quotes of thousands of dollars for a web site.  I saw my niche, and I began selling myself as a professional solution for small businesses just starting up.  I found that I like that approach better too.  I liked helping people succeed.
How do I close a deal?
I listen to the customer.  I find that listening to what a customer has to say matters.  Don’t try to put words in their mouths, but do try to ask questions when they are unclear to you.  Also, if they seem confused about what they want (many often are), try to offer them options and ideas based on what they are telling you.  It’s a juggling act to not over or under sell.
I offer some free advice.  This can be a double edged sword.  But I find that if I offer some little bit of advice, I do two things:  I build trust, and I show my knowledge in the field.  It can work against you because they make take your advice and not engage your services.  Other times, it will lead the customer back to you after they have found that others did not do the same for them.  They learned that you can be trusted.
I bow out gracefully when they’re asking for more than I can do.  The biggest no-no in business is promising something you cannot deliver.  There are simply some projects that are too big for me or too complex.  I keep my name intact by bowing out gracefully when they are asking for something I’m not sure I can deliver.  At those times, I refer them to my competition (companies I trust and I know can do what I can’t).  That has gone a long way in keeping my name good in the business community, and interestingly, some of my competition has actually outsourced to me because of this.  Remember, competition doesn’t mean adversary.
I thank the potential customer whether I get the sales or not.  Be a good loser.  After all, if their first choice doesn’t work out, maybe they will come back to you.  Some of my clients have come to me after they found they didn’t like their first choice.
I may not have the highest sales, but I have a business that continues and grows.  You can have skyrocketing sales in your first year, but what really matters is building relationship and a sustainable business.  You want your name to survive, so build your sales carefully.  Find a way to make sales work for your personality.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Your Facebook Profile and You

Yes, we’ve all heard how important it is to keep your Facebook profile clean.  Yes, we’ve been told that what you post on Facebook can have far-reaching consequences, but let me give you some examples both good and bad.
Here are some of the good besides connecting with old friends:
One friend of mine was getting out of car racing (hobbiest).  He posted that he was selling his car and included a photo of it.  If I remember correctly, it was snapped up in less than two hours.  He sold something quickly, and people know that he is a racecar enthusiast.  Good.
Facebook can be used to help you find a job.  Keep in mind that you may not want to do that is you are already employed and any of your bosses or co-workers are friends with you on Facebook.  But if that’s not an issue and especially if you are unemployed, use Facebook to your advantage.  Make sure people know what type of job you are looking for and where you’re willing to work (geographic area).  More and more people are getting leads and landing jobs that way.
Here are some of the bad:
From Time Techland: 
According to a report The Guardian, Facebook is partly responsible for the sacking of at least two police officers over the past four years. It’s also let to seven resignations and 150 officers facing disciplinary action after posting inappropriate pictures or comments. An official review into police corruption found there was “significant blurring” between officers’ professional and private lives on social media, and that it was potentially damaging to the reputation of the police force in general. According to Roger Baker, who led the investigation, “Social networking is seen as a risk by all forces and authorities, but there are limited or inconsistent policies around what is acceptable, what you should do [and] what you shouldn’t do.”
From Time Techland: 
Also under fire: Facebook and marriage, lacking “consistent policies around what is acceptable.” A new study by Divorce Online discovered that 33% of divorces in 2011 implicate Facebook in some way, a significant rise from 2009′s 13%. Reasons cited incude: users making inappropriate comments or messages to members of the opposite sex, and users making unpleasant messages or comments about their spouse and Facebook friends reporting on a spouse’s behavior. Mark Keenan, a spokesman for Divorce Online, suggested that Facebook’s increased importance as a communication tool was behind the rise, saying that “If someone wants to have an affair or flirt with the opposite sex, then it’s the easiest place to do it.” (It’s certainly the most common social network: Twitter was referenced as a reason in only 20 out of the 5,000 divorce petitions surveyed, perhaps illustrating how difficult it is to flirt with 140 characters or less.)
From CBSMoney Watch:  They mention five ways to get fired using Facebook at  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-47540281/facebook--your-job-5-ways-to-get-fired/.  The bottom line is that you need to treat Facebook like it is public space and act accordingly.  Would you streak on a public street?  No?  Then don’t streak on Facebook.  You get the picture.
            I’ve seen plenty of my friends post things that really surprised me, and I’m not even part of the riskier demographic who are known for riskier online behavior.  I can’t really put them here, because this too is a public place, and I am careful about what I post – you just have to be.