Is Technology Too Confusing to Use?

By: Stan Washington
Date: October 10, 2013

After meeting with a number of small business owners, it became very apparent they were not using technology to it's fullest. No offense to the dinosaur tools of paper phone-books and newspapers but I can't remember the last time I used either for my business needs.

Technology is supposed to make our lives so much easier, but is it making it more complicated?


I did an informal poll at a conference of small business owners and found some surprising results around technology.  This is my world and according to my narrow thinking, everyone was using it to its fullest! Well my technology utopia was shattered when I talked with people.

Business Website - I was thoroughly surprised to find a whopping 38% of the people we polled still have not invested in a website of some kind.  There are so many tools to build sites yourself, but then again we believe in technology!

Facebook Page - I was not as surprised to find 45% of those polled still did not use a Facebook page. Content tends to be the issue. Many small business owners don't like creating their own content to post.

Twitter Account - The low number of 43% of our poll takers using a Twitter Account was not a surprise.  Since they are afraid of generating content for Facebook, then they feel the same way about Twitter.

LinkedIn Page - Some of our poll takers did not even know this was an option for them.  They confused having a business page with being part of a discussion group.

E-Mail Marketing - This was another surprise to me.  Those who did not have a website used E-mail marketing to spread the word about their business.  I still wondered what they are using as a landing page to discuss their products and services.

We have seen as much as a 40% increase in business awareness of those who use e-mail marketing campaigns over those who use referral only.

Online Invoicing - Word documents converted to PDF was the prevalent method of doing invoices.  Many were still concerned about the cost of using credit/debit cards. What is the cost of not accepting this form of payment? According to CreditCards.com:

Credit card users surveyed in 2012 who used their cards to buy:

Clothing: 67 percent
Gas: 64 percent
Food: 64 percent
Travel: 62 percent

Credit and debit cards are here to stay.  Cost avoidance may mean business avoidance.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) - E-mail phone-books and lists were still the tool of choice.  Some said they tried CRM but felt it didn't do much for them. Our experience is different.

Jobs and business deals have a common number... 80% are found through relationships. Managing relationships through a contact management system keeps information organized and available.

Please visit us at http://www.careercoachoffice.com today to make sense out of technology.

5 Reasons to hire an IT Career Coach

Here is a great story I found that I believe applies to any career coach industry, not just IT.

http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/careers/5-reasons-to-hire-an-it-career-coach/232800033

by Cindy Waxer |March 30, 2012 12:34 PM

 

12 Enterprise IT Resolutions For 2012

(click image for larger view and for slideshow)

Silicon Valley might be known for its brilliant tech executives, but even they need a little career help every now and then. Enter the IT career coach.Although career coaches have long helped workers in a variety of industries set realistic goals and pave career paths, an increasing number of IT execs are recognizing the value of a career counselor.

 

"Within Silicon Valley, there's now a much greater awareness that just because you're smart about technology doesn't mean that you know all about human interaction, management development and leadership skills," said Michael Shur, an executive career coach and an assessment specialist at CareerPlanner.com, a career counseling firm in San Jose, Calif. "IT professionals, especially when they reach an executive level, require more career coaching."  A career coach can run as high as $250 an hour. What's more, because the majority of career coaching's benefits are 'soft,' calculating a return on investment can be difficult. Yet there are certain rewards IT professionals can expect to reap from hiring a career coach. Here are five critical areas a good career coach should be able to address:

1. Mentorships. A career coach doesn't need to know Java script to counsel an IT professional. But if technical skills are at issue, a career coach should take the necessary steps to help you find the mentorship you need. "Career coaches generally don't have IT specialization," said Shur. "However, a career professional can encourage and work within an organization to establish a mentorship program to assist IT professionals from a managerial and technical perspective."

2. The future. Many IT professionals have a tendency to live in the moment. A good career coach can help broaden that vision by working with clients to create a five-year career plan. With the proper guidance, an unwelcome administrative task today might start to look like a much-needed skill set down the line. "A career coach can help IT professionals see themselves as part of an ecology of growth so that they become less resistant to saying, 'Why should I help out with customer service? I'm an IT guy,'" said Shur. After all, he adds, customer service experience might come handy when that IT professional reaches a management level.

3. Dual career needs. No matter how technical the job, many techies split their time between monitoring networks and satisfying employees. "IT professionals often have dual career tracks," said Shur. "One for technical specialization and one for management." A career coach can help bridge this gap by encouraging both certification courses and networking opportunities such as conferences and seminars.

4. Conflict resolution. Today's IT shops often are rife with multi-generational strife stemming from millennials' and baby boomers' disparate approaches to work, life, and interpersonal relations. The good news is "a career counselor can help with personality conflicts," said Shur. "A lot of it centers around helping the IT professional understand how they process information and how their preferred way of working may be radically different from how other generations like to work." Understanding these differences "can help individuals realize that it's nothing personal," said Shur.

5. C-level prep. You'll need more than a new briefcase to prepare for executive office. "Certain competencies need to be developed for the CIO's office as C-level executives are expected to be more team-oriented with an increasingly global and strategic vision," said Shur. The trick is finding a coach that best meets your position. "There are some coaches who are better for more junior members and then there are the more experienced executive coaches who specialize in advanced skills and sensitive transitions." said Shur. Find one that's right for you.

Coaches, feel free to visit us at http://www.careercoachoffice.com .

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