Area Code Calling & Voicemail Transcription

So, later today you receive a phone message or a voicemail from out of your local area. What do you do first? Many people would stop and try to think who it could possibly be that called them with that number… Others would quickly check their voicemail to figure it out and the rest of us may simply call back the number direct and ask who just called them… I have also found depending on the phone carrier you may or may not always get the caller identification on your cell phone to register who just called you.

I can tell you from first hand experience that I do not answer BLOCKED callers. If you are running a business and attempting to call leads or prospects I would suggest you no longer block your calls. It can be viewed as a simple matter of trust. YOU are obviously calling them to request they answer your questions, buy your products or simply pick up their call on their dedicated line YET you do not have anough trust in them to open up your own line. Can you see the apparent break down of trust that you are conveying before you ever say a word?

There are some easy solutions to put you more in control of the next conversation between you and a possible client or lead. Technology has given us a gift to manage our time better… One is voicemail transcription services…

There are many services out there- the most important things for you to focus on when choosing a company is: Speed (how long from when the message is left till you get the email or text with the transcription), Cost (how much are they charging you- if you are running a business off that line- look for unlimited plans), Control (Hosting the data and messages on their server so you can listen online or download it to your computer at any time as an attachment. Most companies will email you the transcription with the wav. file attached so you can listen right away). My preferred vendor can be found under my resource icon or click here: PHONETAG By the way, once you join Phonetag, they encourage you to spread it virally and give you a free month of their service whenever someone signs up for the product. Many companies have cut down on their marketing expenses by offering free services based on referrals to their members or subscribers.

After you see the transcription on your smart phone and read the message or listen to the wav. file how do you find out more about the possible client? You should start with the area code… Look up the area code so that you can gather more data. A quick resource that is also free is: LincMad – they host free tables for you to see the counties related to the number. This week I received a call from a 707 area code. I did not know where it was but assumed the west coast. Here is the screen shot of what I found… Click on it to research your own:

So by reviewing this I realized that 707 is the Sonoma-California area. Now I know more about either their current location OR where they used to live. It will also make me more aware of what time to call the number back. If I am on East Coast time a call at 9 AM EST will not be well received in California. Start using both of these today when interacting with clients and “Happy Dialing”…

Social Networking & Technology

Talk about “buzz words”… Social Networking, Social Media, Social Platforms. Everywhere you turn someone has a new idea of how to make it work for you. I have even seen many Speakers and Instructors leap into this arena without truly understanding the concept. I think all corporations and businesses need to take a serious look at how to implement Web 2.0 and social networking to truly profit from how business is conducted today.

Before you look at attending a class or consulting with a company make sure they have “real world” experience. Are they currently utilizing all of these technologies? Are they making money from them? You need to find a company or course that can take you through all of the basics and help you become an expert in social networking so that you will be the recognized guru of your own field online.

I have had the pleasure of speaking around the Country within the last year and have seen many online social faux pas being made by both Speakers and attendees. Out of the growing need I partnered with Mike Parker, a National CRS Instructor and active Real Estate Agent out of Northern Kentucky to create a 1 day course that will help you to the next level of social networking.

Mike and I have found that many of my readers and business professionals have profiles on all sorts of different networks but no idea how to leverage them nor which ones to focus on today. We created a course titled: “The Big Bang of Social Networking & Technology”. We cover everything that will benefit you today. We have found the whole topic so overwhelming for some organizations and companies that we also now offer consulting on a case by case basis.

Contact Spoken Word Seminars to find out more and how to book “The Big Bang of Social Networking & Technology” in your local area.

Facebook Connect- Imaginative Advertising

Did you ever watch Minority Report? It was a Tom Cruise movie set in the future – it was to take place in 2054. There were many things about the movie that seemed “Hollywoodized” and over the top. One of them was the form of advertising in the local shopping mall. As he stepped on the moving walkway (similar to the airport) he was referenced by name from the different retailers advertising their products along the walkway.

As I reviewed Facebook Connect and read the possibilities at Going Social Now I now see the personal type of advertising occurring within the next year. They referenced the combination of Facebook with Amazon, ITunes & the I-Phone. If websites and companies embrace the Facebook Connect as a way to register within their sites- their products could expand and go viral within Facebook to all of the person’s friends. It is an expansion of marketing- FREE marketing to their friends on Facebook.

Click here to learn more about the purpose of Facebook Connect As the Facebook Friend logs in with Facebook their friends will be able to view what they find out on the world wide web. They will be able to share their findings in news feeds on their Facebook pages and even ask for advice prior to purchasing online.

Where does this leave you as a business? Well, if you have a solid referral network it is certainly an option you should embrace. One example Going Social Now listed was Amazon giving the consumer a bigger discount based on the size of their friends/influence. Outside of retail we have seen Facebook become the dominant force for viral marketing and social acceptance of a company, product or business.

There is also the option to install the Facebook Connect within your company or personal blog. Want to Install a Facebook Connect Option on your Site? Watch the Video Tutorial by Luke Shepard & Wei Zhu from Facebook.

Verizon Blackberry Email & Phone

I have spent hours looking for the right websites to use when changing email forwards or activating new phones with Verizon.

In order to change to your NEW pin number and send service books to your Blackberry Device click on Blackberry Log-In

If you want to activate your new Verizon Phone go to New Phone

Hope these sites help you get it done quickly…