Anyone who’s ever worked in an office has experienced the frustration of disruptive technical issues and panicked calls to the company IT specialist interrupting their workflow.
There’s no more helpless feeling than being unable to get your work done while the IT staffer hammers away at your computer keyboard, searching for a remedy to your technical woes.
Whether it’s a quick fix or a harder-to-solve issue, these disruptions can greatly impact productivity. The work-from-home environment has only exacerbated these challenges, as IT specialists are now tasked with resolving many more problems remotely and dealing with more complexity around automation.
One of the best ways to minimize these workday interruptions and keep operations running smoothly is to ensure all employees are as technologically competent as possible. No company should expect every worker to be an IT expert, but a little basic computer knowledge can go a long way toward reducing stress and helping people resolve simple problems on their own. Not only does this help eliminate downtime and maximize efficiency, but it frees up tech teams to focus on larger issues.
There are many advantages to having a more tech-savvy workforce. It’s not just about resolving problems; it’s also about increasing worker confidence. When employees are comfortable with their technological surroundings, they’re much more likely to feel satisfied, productive, and engaged. Collaboration and communication are improved, and everyday challenges are more easily overcome.
At a company like VSA, which relies on advanced dialing technology and other modern-day sales and marketing innovations to enhance our lead generation and appointment-setting campaigns, it is crucial that our Program Managers and Business Development Representatives have a certain level of technical knowledge. When interacting with prospects, any sort of technical glitch could be the difference between successfully scheduling an appointment or not.
And our collaboration with clients relies heavily on various technologies, from virtual onboarding calls to the development of the calling lists, to email and calendar coordination, to the sharing of reports, to a wide range of client-specific requirements.
VSA’s Tech Team oversees many of these tasks themselves, but the more knowledge the Program Managers and BDRs possess on their own, the more likely the lead generation programs will run smoothly.
That’s why VSA’s Tech Team takes a proactive approach to increasing employee productivity by continuously sharing information, helpful pointers, and best practices as well as up-to-date training programs. Each week, a member of the Tech Team compiles a companywide “Tech Tips Tuesday” email, which takes a detailed look at a specific topic. There’s also a shorter “Tech Tip of the Week” included in the weekly internal company newsletter every Friday.
“We try to focus on what’s used more often for everyone,” says Technology Associate Chase Kelly. “We like to dial in on normal day-to-day topics that everyone will benefit from, rather than something that only a few people have to deal with.”
Here are five of the recent “Tech Tips Tuesday” topics:
The Book of Excel: Anyone who’s ever worked with this powerful spreadsheet application knows it can be a little intimidating, especially for people who don’t use it every day. VSA’s Tech Team devoted two different “Tech Tips Tuesday” emails to simplifying workers’ “Excel journey,” the first focusing on time-saving shortcuts and the second on various formulas.
Virtual Meeting Etiquette: Three years since the arrival of COVID-19, most people are well-versed in how to best prepare for virtual meetings and how to conduct themselves during the calls. But it never hurts to reinforce best practices. VSA’s Tech Team shared seven helpful pointers, including ways to minimize the chances of technical issues during the meeting (using a direct connection to the internet via an ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi, for example).
Suspicious Emails: With cyberattacks such as phishing attempts becoming increasingly prevalent and more devious, it’s more important than ever to be able to identify suspicious emails and know how to handle them. VSA’s Tech Team shared examples of these types of emails, then provided a list of do’s and don’ts for addressing them. This included a brief tutorial on how to take screenshots of suspicious emails, as opposed to spreading any malicious links. (Cybersecurity in general has always been a top priority for VSA, with all employees recently undergoing separate training beyond just the “Tech Tips Tuesday” pointers.)
Internet Browser Shortcuts: Not only did this extensive list provide time-saving tips for accomplishing a variety of everyday tasks, but it also introduced less common tasks that some employers might not have been aware were possible.
Stay Productive at Home: Maximizing your technical capabilities goes beyond just knowing the right keys to tap on your computer. It also involves creating the ideal remote work environment—everything from making sure you have the right equipment for your specific role to ensuring you have a comfortable place to work. This edition of “Tech Tips Tuesday” focused on increasing productivity while working from home.
VSA knows the more comfortable and confident our employees are, the better chance they have of helping our clients achieve their sales and marketing goals. “Tech Tips Tuesday” and the “Tech Tip of the Week” are just two of the ways we’re elevating employees’ technical knowledge to help improve day-to-day productivity and become more tech-savvy.
If you’d like to learn how our technology stack can benefit and help develop your lead generation goals, give us a call. We’re always excited to find new ways to help companies grow their business.