Team work is essential to the success of any business. If you are just starting out, your team may comprise of you and a few mentors or trusted friends. If your business is more developed, it may be a team of professionals you have handpicked. Whatever the makeup of your team, certain tools can make collaborative efforts infinitely easier.
Use Teleconferencing
Working together does not necessarily mean working in the same place. Today’s high tech phone systems like Halloo have features that provide teleconferencing capabilities. This means you can virtually meet with team members anytime from anywhere. Skip costly and time consuming trips and still be able to attend meetings for the very best in collaborative efforts.
Share Your Documents
Documents can be shared and seen online at any time, thanks to cloud-based storage like Google Docs. Share documents and allow others to reference them or even edit them for the ultimate in real time collaboration. Google Docs is very easy to use and can be accessed by anyone you choose. Even if you don’t actually share your documents but save them in Google Docs, you can access the most up-to-date versions regardless of where you are so you can continue working on them at your convenience.
Embrace Technology
Cloud based telephone systems bring you the technology to work better as a team and deliver more effective customer service. By taking advantage of all the options offered by such systems, you can leave notes about every interaction with each potential customer. When a co-worker makes contact with that same person, he can quickly access the notes to see exactly what has been covered and where the interaction needs to go next.
Use 3-Way Phone Calls
When you are having issues with someone you are talking with on the phone, advanced phone systems allow you to bring in a third party and have a 3-way phone call. This allows you to draw on the specialized knowledge that others on your team may have to solve problems more effectively.
Get Organized
The trickiest parts of collaborative efforts are when communication halts or someone neglects to take care of his assigned tasks. Keep abreast of your entire effort with an online tool like Trello. It allows you to easily and quickly organize ideas for your project, what needs to be done, what is being worked on and what is completed. You can connect those you want on the project, so that those who need to know are up to date.
By using these 5 actionable tips, you can easily make collaborative efforts in your business much easier. Most savvy business people recognize the power of collaboration. Harness the tools that make it easier and more convenient and see the difference in your business when great minds come together.