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5 sure shot ways to Ace Business Communication

Picture this, you’ve mulled for more than a week and worked hard to build the project map before your client meeting. It’s a great app and it does everything your client said he wanted. In your head, this is ‘manna from heaven’ as far as your client’s problems are concerned. But you fail miserably to impress. You run short of words and the project never takes off. Sounds familiar?

Do not lose heart. Trust me, you’re not the only one struggling with business communication.

Business Communication is an art you need to master for entrepreneurial success and it can take a while to learn. As an entrepreneur, you’re needed to make solo decisions on a daily basis. Some will come easy and some will be hard. Effective communication is the only way to speed up your decision making and will help you jet to success.

Here are 5 points that will help you scale-up your business communication.

1) Speak your client’s language

Remember your client and you don’t share the same expertise. That’s why he’s hired you right?
You need to be precise and very careful with your choice of words. For example, if he’s hired you to design a website, make sure to communicate how you will bring his ideas to life. Speak to him in a language that he understands. Talk about the brand appeal, the visibility it will generate rather than throwing technical jargons that sound Latin and Greek to him.

But you need to bring in the technical stuff to present the complete idea. Wondering how to do that?

The key here is to LISTEN. Listen to your client while he talks. Use his words and in a clear concise manner interject the technical information only when necessary. You also bring in warmth to the communication when you repeat his words. He knows your listening.

2) Never Lie

When a requirement is being discussed never leave it hanging to maybe or I think so and never ever make a promise you can’t deliver. Leaders don’t lie. If you don’t deliver on your word, your breaking your client’s trust and tarnishing your credibility. Also, don’t hesitate to take the blame when things go wrong.

3) Ownership

Most of us have had situations where we are not able to make it to important meetings and in grave scenarios, missed delivery deadlines. While you never want such a situation to arise, if it does take complete ownership of the situation and offer an alternative solution. Transparency in business communication is key to a long-term relationship.

4) Record conversations

Never depend on your memory to remember every conversation with your client. You want to record those video calls, save all the emails and send out minutes when you’ve had an e-meeting, in-person conversation or a teleconference with your client.

Be sure to highlight the points discussed so that either party doesn’t deviate from what was discussed. You don’t want to write an essay here. Keep it crisp and to the point. Here again, remember to choose the words your client understands.

5) Read, read and READ some more
A sure shot way to up your written and verbal communication is to read. It will broaden your mind, widen your vocabulary and boost your confidence. Most entrepreneurs devote a major chunk of their time to developing their business idea and often don’t have time to read. But the success of your business lies mostly in how well you can communicate your idea.

Reading opens up doors you never knew existed and as entrepreneur you sure as heck want that. Pick up self-help books and business books as they always have the most articulate and precise words you can incorporate in your business communication.

Take out half an hour every day and soon it will be a habit. On that note have you read ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg? That’s a great read for an entrepreneur.

Now that the key points to effective communication are revealed to you, always remember that you’re trying to communicate your ideas not just to be understood by your client but more importantly, you don’t want to be misunderstood.

P.S. Need more insight to improve your Business Communication or help with a reading list? Subscribe to our updates and get exclusive access to connect with me or Deepa on our Facebook Homepreneur® Community.

#AskDeepa #AskMisha #BusinessCommunication

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How to overcome ZohoCreator’s record count limitation?


More and more businesses are warming up to Zoho Creator, and developing apps in all sizes. These apps could be as small with only 3 forms and 5 reports, or as large with 20+ forms and 60+ reports, as the business demands.
Thanks to subforms, we are able to create related lists against the parent record with just a few drag and drops. This gives a unified approach to collect and see the data, without having to switch through multiple screens and reports.
However, subforms tend to pose a different set of problem. At the cost of easing data management, it adds total to the record count on your zoho creator user account. Let me exemplify.

Use Case : Candidate Details, with supporting documents for the following

  • Collect Basic Details ( Name | Phone| Email)
  • Collect Address Details (Present address | Permanent address)
  • Collect Education Details (Degree | Course | Year)
  • Collect Employment Details (Employer | Designation | Duration)

That said, the simplest of ZCreator data form will most likely look like this

(Click to zoom in the picture) I know, it is hazy, but then.. you get the idea..don’t you?

Let us talk “Record count”

Main Form : Candidate ( Counts as 1 record)
Subforms : Address , Education, Employment
Assuming there are 3 rows of data, for each subform, we end up with a total of 9 + 1 = 10 records for each Candidiate entered into the system
Makes sense ??… Well, let us see some sample records

One candidate accounts for 10-15 records on an average.

How does Record count matter ?

Each Zoho Creator subscription is entitled to a certain volume of records.

For business that deal with 100’s of records (candidates) on a daily basis, the total record count could rise exponentially within matter of hours. And, hit the record-limitation resulting in business operations to a grinding halt, until you purchase additional records as add-ons, or switch to premium version that allows unlimited records – Price and Feature comparision sheet here
Another option would be to delete past records, to allow space for new incoming records. But not all businesses can afford to purge “past data”. Eg, Legal firms tend to keep past data as late as 5-7 years.

How to overcome ZCreator’s record count limitation? Collate and export

Let us use a combination of services. Demo here illustrates the final outcome

Click here to view the Screencast
(Merge and tuck away)

  
Unable to display content. Adobe Flash is required.

Objective :

  1. To archive Form data (Main form and Subforms ) into a standard format ( Eg : Word / Excel) .. in our case we will use Excel.
  2. To move all supporting documents (All File_upload_fields in Zcreator forms) into a document repository, for keep-safe-for-later
  3. Delete records from our ZCreator application

This will not only free up record count, but will also move redundant data out of the system.

Prerequisites :

  1. Zoho Creator – Deluge script level – Advanced
  2. Valid Webmerge Account
    1. API key and secret
    2. Valid Excel template to merge form data
    3. Know-how of Webmerge API
  3. Valid ZohoDocs Account
    1. Zohodocs authtoken
    2. Know-how of Zohodocs API

The Workflow

  • All form data (Fields) are passed on to the Webmerge template to create a merged document
  • This merged document is manually downloaded ( for verification)
  • Archiving ZCreator record is initated
  • Archiving of data and attachment is reconfirmed, along with uploading the merged document.
  • Data and attachments are archived into designated folder at ZohoDocs

To those who matter :

Each file archived into ZDocs involves 2 ZohoDocAPI calls.

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Entrepreneur India – An invite to Contribute

EntrepreneurDeepaAn invitation of a lifetime.
I would read Entreprenuer on the stands, and make mental note of the contibutor’s profile that appears as a small box at the end of each article, and feel very very jelous about them. There is something oh-so-perfect about these authors, that their write up has made to the print edition of the most acclaimed Entrepreneur Magazine.
And the, I sigh !!!
But, last week, I was in for a surprise.
Thanks for Team Zoho, They had an invitation for me, on behalf of Entreprenuer.com, and I just grabbed it on all fours. For those who know me, this is indeed a rewind. But. for those who don’t, hope to kindle your sleeping spark, so that you too can find your mark on the things that you, and only you do best.Read More

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Book Review – The First Trillionaire by Sapna Jha

Book Review
The title had me confused with J.Lowe’s “The World’s First Trillionaire”, which apparently deals with a journalist’s inquisitiveness on the ways and means used by the protagonist to become a Trillionaire in his own right. I now have this in my wish list, to read for later.
That said, Ms.Sapna Jha’s debut work, “The First Trillionaire” is a refreshing read.. There is lot of emphasis on hard-work, dedication to duty, commitment to family etc. But, the unrelenting & blind faith, on the grand-design at the hands of Lord Supreme (Ma Dugra) tops them all. Although a bit cliché’d for many, such blind faith have been a life-saver to those who have passed though the darkest hours of their lives. It’s a choice to believe in (or not to). Let us keep it that way.

Synopsis

The official synopsis is available here.
FTsynopsis
In India, a single mother raises a girl child in a rural village, by home-schooling with help of the local schoolmaster. The child grows up to an intelligent woman who knows how to use the knowledge she has gained over her growing years, and also strongly carries forward her mother’s unrelenting faith on Goddess VaishnoDevi of Katra. Born to poverty, none to the family except for mother-daughter duo, reunion with the extended family once lost ,pre-ordained to inherit unprecendented wealth is this child’s destiny taking shape.

Now, The Review

The language is simple, with easy to understand words, and easy to follow flow of events. As a translated version, this book still retains some dialouges from the vernacular language to keep upto the spirit of the characters.
The author has made a deliberate choice to take us though the memory lane … walking with the characters. The timeline spans from 1967 to 2016, for the reader to relate to the present day events, its history, and the repercussions to come in the near predictable future to those involved in these events.Braiding time-strands, with oldest character being 94 yrs, and youngest at 25 yrs, is no ordinary feat. That is three generations in a family, and a league of few other rustic, bureaucratic & mercenary characters in between. Each one’s journey until present time is essential to understand the precedence and purpose of present day events.
 
While this is a welcome element for seasoned readers, it can get a bit overwhelming for those who are just picking up on the habit of reading for pleasure. For those of you, advice scanning the pages to get the big picture on your first read. Should you feel satisfied after completing the book, come back and read again to understand how the time-lines merge. I promise, you will enjoy the 2nd read better.
 
I have a feeling that the nuances of banking policies and attention to detail on Science, space research programs etc in the plot has a lot to do with Alok Jha (translator , author’s husband) association with the banking sector and his association with science. Kudos, great teamwork. You both sure make a power couple.

The Book’s Official Motion Trailer


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNsNMmNqlnc&t=8s

 
 
 
 
 
Just one thing that nags me about this trailer (after reading the paperback version)..is, for a girl coming form a rather non-descript village in India, the promo trailer shows the protagonist as highly fashionable girl with nail art, selfie-pout, spaghetti strap tops, and a fake accent.
 
It is only until a certain point in the storyline, we can credit wisdom and intelligence to the protagonist. After that, most of the events that come together are largely pre-ordained, by way of coincidence. True to her character, the protagonist is thankful to her favourite deity, Goddess Vaishnodevi of Katra. In the end, All is well.
 
I understand from the cover, that this is a translated version (Thank you, Alok ji). Having read this, I would like to read the original book as well (assuming its Hindi). If its Gujarati or Bojpuri, I’d rather stick with the translation. This is just the quirky-me. Even when there are remakes of the same movie in multiple languages, I make it a point to watch them all. Here is a movie remade in 4 languages, and I watched then all..

Rating : 5 stars

I wouldn’t go to the extent of calling this as an inspirational-read. Instead, would say that this makes an interesting tea-time read, or a kind of book you would want to hold on to while travelling (esp via train / bus). Takes your thoughts away from the humdrum of life, and leaves you with a satisfaction of having spent the time reading a good crime-mystery-thriller.

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Book Review – The Connected Age by Sudhakar Ram

ConnectedAgeReviewBook reviews are fun to do, especially when you love to read, and love what you read. These were my thoughts exactly when I received my copy of Mr.Sudhakar Ram’s “Connected Age”.
Little did i know at that time, I am in for a reading-shock of mammoth proportions.

The Title : The Connected Age

The title leads to the assumption that this book is about technology, internet of things, Social media connects etc etc.Well, you are correct to assume so. Mr.Ram, being a technical person, it is only natural to have technical jargons as part of his everyday vocabulary.. However, not on the context of “Technology” of things…. but.. more so on the “Philosophy” of being….

The Tagline : Being The Best You Can, by Reinventing Your World

Isn’t this THE typical “philosophy” pitch?..Be the best, Bring out the best, Reinvent yourself etc etc. Well well.. not wrong either. Book tells exactly what it says .. but not the way we are used to hearing them from God-(wo)men, and Self-styled Gurus. Just don’t let that cloud your perception. Keep an open mind.

The Synopsis

The Published version of synopsis here – @ The New Constructs, Mr.Sudhakar Ram’s blog.
My version of the Synopsis

As much as we would stop to smell the roses, the stench of the nearby sewage is impossible to ignore. Same applies to the ecosystem (a.k.a THE Earth) we live in.
As much as we wonder over the advances in technology that has enabled us to lead a (perceived) better lifestyle, we fail to ponder over the perils of continued use of the same technologies.
Just as energy can neither be created, nor destroyed, but can only be converted from one form to another. However, in our case, we humans since the 21st century have been converting THE Earth’s resources from one form to another, with unforeseen & undesired consequences (… eg..think “..Plastic…”).
Now is the time, to Sit Up, Reflect on (consequences of the) past actions, Act up (to right the wrong) at an individual level (… think… Ban Plastic..),
Diligent and socially conscious individuals can be our crusaders of change for better, by starting at grassroot level, ie.. personal – professional – community level – corporate level – Villages / Panchayats / Municipality level collaborative governance – state level – national level – and last but not the least, bring change at a Global Level.

Now, The Review

Short Review: This book is for the tech savvy-philosophers, and none otherwise.
Long Review:
There are 2 types of readers. Those who read for pleasure & those who read for purpose.In addition to the generic nature of the book, one is able to enjoy the reading experience solely based on the individual’s know-how of the things addressed in the book. Such a book is too serious to be used for reading-pleasure, and too light to be considered for a user-manual. The Connected Age, is one such book.
Philosophy has a strange way of sneaking into our thoughts. It wedges within, by the proverbial “foot in the door” technique when we are either disappointed, or hopeless, or both.
I believe, Philosophy (for the common man) is our psyche’s defence mechanism to deal with rejection. As much as despair pins us down, hope lets us soar.
“The Connected Age” is not for light reading of any sort. Heavy use of technical terms is an outright put off to a casual reader glancing through the book on a shop window. However, this doesn’t undermine the philosophy shared by Mr.Ram in any way. His views and visions are profound, except that the vocabulary is a bit too intense.
As we take the walk with Mr.Sudhakar Ram, we begin to accept our recklessness at a rather personal level at utilising the Earth’s resources, and abusing our privileges. After this guilt – trip,  Mr.Ram brings in his mentoring expertise to motivate the reader to be the change one wants to be Further to this, he takes huge a leap of faith, and in wishful thinking, expects every citizen to be THE Ideal Reader who would act only in the correct manner, and settle for nothing less..
Sadly, Neither we, ourselves, nor the personalities we encounter match up to our Ideal Connected-Age Reader. But then, its the little efforts that count to make up the bigger change. So, i guess there is a little bit of everything for every one in this book.

My Rating:

If you can read past the first chapter without reaching for google on your smartphone, then this is a Must Read.

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Reviewing DareBoost: A Web Performance and Quality Testing Tool

AmitReviewHomepreneurNot long ago, I reviewed the tools for testing website performance. In that I listed some well-known tools through which a beginner as well as an expert can test their website.
Last week, I got an opportunity to review another online tool for website testing. Yes, I am here with a review of DareBoost, a Web Performance and Quality Testing Tool.
Before starting, I would like to thank the CEO of DareBoost, Damien in providing me with a free Premium account for some days. The premium account helped me in analyzing and reviewing the product perfectly.
You may have come across with some other well-known website testing tools such as PingDom, Web Analyser, etc, and may have found them awesome. Another website testing tool is here and with a perfection to match the capabilities of fineness. Let us see what it actually has and what it provides to the users.
Around the web world, some people still don’t have an idea about the importance of faster loading of pages and the need of website testing tools. Especially when a user visits an ecommerce website, the developers and owner of these websites should really take care of the loading time. There is always a risk of losing your customer to another faster loading website.
Here are some statistics, that show the significance of fast loading pages:

  • 8% of potential buyers cite extremely slow loading web pages as the primary reason for abandoning their purchase.
  • Over 75% of online customers opted for a competitor’s site instead of suffering inordinate delays at peak traffic time.
  • If page load time is 3 seconds or more, 57% of your website visitors will abandon your page.
  • 75% of users exit within 4 seconds.
  • When compared to business websites that load in 1 second, websites that load in 3 seconds experience a 50% higher bounce rate, 22% fewer page views, and, most significantly, 22% fewer conversions.

Keeping this as the topmost priority, the website has provided an apt stat on the Home Page itself. It says the following:
Stastics for slow loading of web pages
Additionally, Web Performance impacts are also briefly described on the website.
Have a look!
Web Performance
Let’s start with the review.

Test your website from another location

 
Let’s say you want to test your website from another location. What will you do? Surely, you will search for a tool which will give you a result on the basis of your required location.
I requested an Asian location and DareBoost notified of the same through an email, ”now your location is available”. That means now I can test my website from an Asian location and DareBoost can provide a new location according to your needs, as a paid option.
You can also request to analyze your website from another location by just filling the below given details:
Ask for a new location

Performance Metrics

As we all know Metrics is a system or standard of measurement. Here, an area for performance metrics is also defined which looks into the weight, number of requests and other things. As stated on the website,

The delay before reception of the first byte by the browser and the delay before the first paint of the browser, meaning the beginning of the page rendering.

These details are available with an access to the “Performance Timings”. Experts would surely get benefit from these metrics.
Note: For reviewing the tool, I’ll be testing linkedin.com for further analysis.

Quality and Performance Report

Monitoring: Weekly and daily digests

What if you wake up in the morning and find a glitch on your website, which is not notified to you from any other source. Generally, this is not a good thing if you’re a developer or a tester of the website. DareBoost has a solution for this. They will notify you of these kinds of issues:

We have detected some issues for your monitoring

Additionally, detailed report will also be sent daily.
Here is the sample of the email received, I kept the test name as Amit Test1:
Monitoring Alert Email
They also sent a complete weekly report on the registered email. This includes the following:

  • Average values of the last 7 days.
  • Distribution of loading time.
  • Alerts, etc.
  • Furthermore, other details are provided by them on the dashboard.

Best Practice checks: Accessibility, W3C standards and others

For the first time when you’ll analyze a website, it will say “analyzing web page and checking best practices compliance”.
This is a feature which was not part of my previous review on 5 website testing tools. I should have included it. Here is an image showing the checks done under Best Practices:
Note: Only registered users have access to this feature.
Best Practices Summary
It also checks whether the pages on your website matches the web standards or not. This is possible due to the HTML validation W3C and CSS validation W3C. The same is shown in the following image:
W3C Validation
Test from mobile and desktop
 
Just change the DropDown (Desktop or Mobile) and analyze the page, here you can also change the browser options by selecting from Chrome or Mozilla.
 
Test on Mobile or Desktop
Rewards
In its launch of less than 2 years, they’ve received the following 2 rewards:

  1. Ecommerce Award (technology category – Paris 2014).
  2. Crisalide numérique 2014 Jury and Audience Award in the category “usages of tomorrow”

Pricing

DareBoost pricing plans

Avail a discount of 10% by using R-AMIT10 as the coupon code.

The Analysis

This is a general review and it may vary person to person.
Note: The images are taken from DareBoost website itself.
I have the following review for this product.

Status: Available

Launched: 2014

Checking for multiple devices Yes
Checking for multiple browsers Yes
Accurate Reports Yes
Timely delivery of reports Yes (daily, weekly, etc.)
Request and approval of new location for testing the website at another location DareBoost can provide a new location according to your needs, as a paid option.
Loading Time The website loads the result at a pace equivalent to other web testing tools website
integrates the best practices of Yahoo YSlow? Yes
Use Google Page Speed Yes
W3C Validation Yes
Accessibility check (Best Practices) Yes
Dareboost website is responsive? No

I hope that DareBoost will grow apparently in coming years as they’ve almost all the features to test a website. In its initial year, they’ve provided some exceptionally awesome features for developers, testers and customers. Additionally, I also think the website should be responsive. As we all know, responsive websites are easier to access.
 

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