Attorneys work hard for their clients, and one of the most exhausting parts of their job is travel.  Flying from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale to meet a prospective expert witness or commuting from Burbank to Newport Beach to “monitor” a deposition can be not only tiring, but expensive, costing both money and time.

There are iPad app solutions that give an attorney the choice whether to travel.  Many times the attorney needs to be physically present at a deposition, meeting, or document production, but if there is technology available that allows a choice, attorneys need to know about it.

1. FaceTime:  Allows a face-to-face video meeting or conference call.  Must have an iPad2, iPhone4, Mac computer, or iPod Touch and wi-fi connectivity.  (FaceTime app – free)
2. Remote Counsel – Courtroom Connect text streaming.  Your realtime court reporter can send a text realtime deposition/arbitration transcript to your iPad from a remote location.  (The court reporter must have special software installed in her/his computer to output the transcript.)
3. Case 24/7^TM online repository – allows the attorney or legal professional to have access to their deposition calendar, transcripts, and exhibits.  You don’t need to “physically” have documents that were previously marked in depositions.  Everything is accessible on the iPad.  (Kramm app – Free)

To have success with your app for remote events, wi-fi connectivity is the key to success.  For best results, schedule your meetings at a conference center that has T1 wi-fi available.  Unless there is enough bandwidth, and no firewalls to get through, your apps are not going to work efficiently.   Fractured images and slow audio will be the result of a lack of bandwidth.

Save yourself time, energy, and money – use your iPad. 

rosalie@kramm.com  Twitter

When talking candidly about topics concerning everything from influencing skills to authenticity, a point was touched upon about the younger generation and their response, or lack-thereof, to each of these things. Questions were raised about what it took to have a genuine influence on people in the workplace and what the reality behind operating as an authentic professional truly meant. Do you need to be intimidating to be influential? Smart? Successful? Accomplished? Do you need to expose your weaknesses and beliefs, be they political or religious to be genuinely authentic? How do you gain respect from others and most importantly, how do you do so while simultaneously reaching that younger generation that seems to unapologetically full of entitlement? How do you bridge that gap?

As a member of that younger generation myself, I felt it my duty to speak up. Surprisingly, the answer is quite simple. While the professional world of today is a dog-eat-dog market full of fast information and competition, there is one thing that it sorely lacks; And that one thing, is humanity – the very thing that the 20-30 somethings can’t find through their beloved Googles, blogs and Blackberries.

As a part of that generation myself, I have been influenced by so many people along the way. However, unlike things may have been before my time, it wasn’t by the people who knew more than me, or competed with me to prove their rank, it was the people who made a difference by taking the time to form a relationship with me, be it large or small. At the end of the day, the internet can provide us with all of the hard information that we need, but they are not people. And that’s where the true value lies. Remember, it’s not about competition, but compassion, not about rank, but respect, and never as much about quantity, as it is quality, three things that a computer, cannot compute.

Next time, before you tell the kid down the hall what your worth by spouting out your list of accomplishments and skills, tell them first about the baseball game you went to last night, the type of beer (or wine!) you drank, the college you went to and what you loved (or hated) about your freshman year roommate – and then go through the report with them. Once people expose themselves as humble, honest, genuine, authentic players in the game only then do things become real, and only them, do they become respected influencers to that hard-to-crack generation.

By Guest Blogger:  Devin Cirillo

Marc Prensky, in the article, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, proposes that educators should bend over backwards and revamp the educational system with methods like educational video games to fully accommodate students who only speak and understand the so-called digital language as a result of growing up in the digital age. As a person who grew up around the beginning of the digital age, I disagree. Technology must not replace natural human development in the real world.

Obviously, digital technology can do things for you so you don’t need to do it yourself. This is great for saving the time of talented, hard-working people. However, it’s a big problem for the younger people who never learned to function without it in the first place. In this case, technology practically creates what I think is a learning disability, not a different language. Then technology presents an opportunity, or a trap, for people now and in the future to never become someone who will do something with their life. I see that as a big problem.

The new language of the digital age is attractive to the lowest common denominator because it requires such minimal effort. When so much is done for you, what reason do you have to develop abilities such as the use of correct spelling and grammar when spellchecker will fix everything for you? This attitude of  “Why bother learning?” becomes all encompassing. These digital native kids often fail to appreciate the value of their own hard work. So as adults, they’ll likely be very unreliable. The digital immigrants of earlier generations work hard to assimilate into the new culture of technology, but the digital natives are cutting themselves off from the knowledge and skills of the past. The sad reality is, the majority seldom use technology to improve their selves intellectually as the older generations would hope.

Almost all I see from my peers is hours spent on social network narcissism and viewing humor sites; nothing cool like researching the legends of the careers they’re interested in, finding interesting art, learning about ancient civilizations, looking up the latest scientific discoveries, reading inspirational business blogs, or reading news from other countries. The kids are missing out because they generally don’t learn to think and search that way. These kids coddled by technology throughout their development will not become the geniuses of older generations with the brilliance to design and create the websites, movies, music, computers, and video game platforms that they love and want. The digital immigrants/bibliographic natives, with their imaginations and work ethics from the pre-digital days plus their use of progressive technology to supplement their causes are the winners.

Discovery Conference Centre uses caring and innovative human minds along with technology to help you optimize the efforts of yourself and your business.

Posted by Laura Gros

The theory of entropy says that everything falls into chaos unless constant energy is put into preserving the order. It was originally meant for natural sciences, but I see it all over the place in business and in personal relationships. We always have to keep trying. I believe that there are infinite ways for people to keep on improving their selves and the world for the rest of their lives. Development is life long. Any greatness humanity has achieved has happened through adaptation.

I have an idea of what we humans can do next for the sake of our civilization through the work we do for it: Remove our emotional human pride from the equation for a better end product. Get over yourself, control your impulses, and be rational. Efficiently producing something beneficial for the people is most important. Not your ego. This is what really makes the greater businesses thrive and compete well. Think about it.

Everyone makes mistakes. Forgive yourself, fix it, try not to do it again, and move on. This is the way to grow. Let the appropriate people know when you’ve made a mistake so it can be fixed if you can’t fix it on your own. Any person who uses their brain would respect you for such efficient action. Wise people ask for constructive criticism. It is better for some collaboration of ideas to be in anything you do. A person never needing any help isn’t something that happens in real life. It suggests that you have integrity if you’re open to the possibility that you could be wrong. When nobody asks for help or will admit that they were wrong or made a mistake, the project is going to come out terribly. No consumer will want what your group has done no matter how much you pay to advertise.

Sometimes your coworkers will in fact have better ideas than you in some situations. That’s reality, and more power to you if you can recognize good work from people around you. If the best you can do is not better than someone else’s idea in a cooperative situation at work, it is more respectable and sensible to let them take the prize for setting up the better solution for the greater objective. Let them inspire you to improve your skills and hone your creativity. It doesn’t help to put down others in your mind and refuse to acknowledge that maybe you just aren’t doing a good enough job. Don’t point fingers. You aren’t a petty high school kid. You’ll never get better if you don’t take responsibility for how you’ve been doing what you choose to do. You don’t become something really special without thousands of hours of progressive experience. Keep thinking hard about the ultimate goals, and the little goals and upgrades you can make to get there.

Discovery Conference Centre is here to serve you and the people you serve. Beautiful, well-equipped meeting rooms with teleconferencing technology offer all you need for successful business meetings, job interviews, arbitrations, depositions, and other operations that help you make this planet a great place to live.

Posted by Laura Gros

My work background in between school years has mostly been in offices, doing things like administration, projects, and production. But this summer, I acquired a job at a small business in the service industry. I’m finally dealing directly with what it’s all about: the people! From the start, I believed that the customer should come first. And in my first few weeks of working, I learned some ways to make customers a lot happier.

Perhaps most important is to smile! Just the other day, a man came in to buy himself something nice, and informed me that my smile is great for sales. I think anyone trading their good services for money should be happy to see the people who enter their business place. Stand up politely when they enter. Say, “Your total is $19.99, please.” These people keep your business alive and are the source of your paycheck. Don’t avoid eye contact, ignore them, or stare at them with a blank or tired look on your face. That’s no fun. It is your job to give each customer the friendly attention he or she needs. Why not be entertaining, make conversation, and ask them about themselves? One positive interaction can make you glow all day.

Even when big crowds come in, you’ve got to acknowledge each one and let them know that they’ll be served soon. It would be great if you could even offer them something to do or think about as they wait for other customers to be served. These people are giving you their time, and they’ll logically lose interest if you aren’t making the best of it all.

It is also your duty to inform people all about what you offer them. Know your products. Ask the customers what they prefer so you can make better recommendations for the benefit of each individual.

When a customer is rude, you will feel better if you just laugh and let it go. It may not always work, but showing interest in a person could awaken the happy person in them that had been forgotten in the midst of a rough day. It is so worth it.

Give a nice memorable experience to people even if they don’t buy something. They may remember you and tell their friends about what you offer. Every customer deserves your best wishes that they have a wonderful day as they leave. We’re all humans here.

I propose a goal for anybody who deals with people as part of their business: Let’s all make life a little more fun for each other. Discovery Conference Centre and Kramm Court Reporting exemplify this goal.

Posted by Laura Gros

We hear about sudden unemployment all the time, happening to a huge percentage of Americans now. But less heard of are the unexpected side effects for the family members of the unemployed head of the household. From my experience, it’s a challenging time, and it’ll only make you stronger if you’re smart about it and really want to be happy. This has been my reality…

As part of the family, you don’t have money to spend any more. Everything needs to be saved up for the bills you still have to pay, and will have to pay in the future. No more movies or air conditioning.

Unemployment makes the house crowded. There’s an emotionally compromised family member at home nonstop. Bad moods are contagious. Your refrigerator looks dramatically different. You no longer throw away leftover food because if you weren’t an opportunist before, you are now.
Your hobbies are suddenly limited. Supplies will run out. If something breaks, it doesn’t get replaced. Just looking at things becomes entertainment, when seeing is something that doesn’t drain your bank account.
You feel like a drag on your friends who still have money. You might not see them much because everything they want to do for fun requires each person to pay, and you wouldn’t want your friends paying your way all the time.
You make more friends if you can. Networking can bring you bits of joy when your situation goes downhill. You figure out how to barter your services. You try to make equal trades with people. You give whatever you do best to benefit people, and maybe they’ll invite you for dinner some time, which is a real treat.

You might be in college like me, developing your talents and building your future success so you can have the fulfilling life you wanted. Now you have fears of your dreams being sabotaged or postponed. You worry about finding ways to pay for your education as prices continue to rise, while not letting your grades suffer at the same time.

You may decide you want to become someone in charge wherever you end up working so you at least have more control over your own financial/occupational fate. It’s too risky now to be a worker bee even if you would’ve preferred that. The higher you are on the hierarchy, the less people there will be above you to decide that your time as their employee is up. This is one logical thought process that may result, and it is kind of scary. But your situation can indeed get better if you keep working hard, follow through when presented with opportunities, educate yourself so you know you’re headed in the right direction, and connect with people who can give you a helping hand. Be nice, but stand up for yourself.

Unemployment of one of my family members reminded me how to live with just the basics and appreciate everything. I wish the best of luck to those who are unemployed, and to the people in management who must let go of good employees as their business suffers in this economy.

Discovery Conference Centre offers services that help your business stay healthy, and opportunities to connect job searchers with prospective employers. The meeting rooms with teleconferencing technology are perfect for job interviews, conference meetings, depositions, and more.

Posted by Laura Gros

As a principal of the Discovery Conference Centre, a business that rents meeting rooms to businesspeople, and Kramm Court Reporting and Legal Video, I am surprised by how often I receive emails, read blog posts and articles, written by business professionals, and the writings have basic spelling mistakes.   Legal staff, paralegals and legal secretaries, will send me emails with the incorrect usage of “too” and “to” and “it’s” and “its” and “you’re” and “your.” 

When I point out these types of mistakes, as a courtesy, in my mind, I receive either no response or a reply, “Thanks, but I was writing the email really fast and wasn’t paying attention to spelling.”

I suggest that people must know the following and never make a mistake with basic words, even when writing a quick email or posting their blog:
 

1. too versus to:  If you can insert “as well as” instead  of  “too,” it is too. 

2. its versus it’s:  If you can insert “it is” it is always it’s (no exceptions).
  
3. you versus you’re:   If you can insert “you are,” it is always you’re.

4. their versus there:  If it is possessive, it is always their.

These eight words are important and are used all of the time in writings.  If I see the words misspelled or used incorrectly, I wonder about the person and:  (a) their ability to learn; (b) if they care about their reputation, work product; (c) if they got out of high school.

I truly want what is best for everyone, and I believe being conscious about what you write and the grammar is incredibly important – particularly in this era of emails and online posts.

@rosaliekramm (Twitter)

I attended my Great Uncle Paul’s funeral a couple months ago. It was clear to see that the man was loved by many. About 300 people showed up. Uncle Paul had indeed given them great things to say about him and what he did with his life, how he spent the time he had. They made sure to honor his wishes of having a square dance at the reception, because of the loyalty Paul inspired in them. He was a successful man, accomplished a lot for himself, but that’s not all he did. He was known for making every person he came into contact with happier than they were before. It made me think about whether I was on all the right tracks at this point. Right then I decided to put more effort into brightening anybody’s day. A life is made of individual days and weeks, and if I don’t start paying attention to how I distribute my time now, who knows when I’ll start. I want to make sure that my life isn’t full of nothing but work towards my own success. As busy as I may have to be, it is important to keep the percentages in check for the other deserving things in life.

When events are rushing by as you fulfill your obligations, it’s healthy to stop for a second and check to make sure you aren’t losing track of what you want the story of your life to be all about. Will you be glad you took a break to recharge or will you regret later that you weren’t working harder right now? Will you realize you didn’t show quite enough gratitude to those who have helped you? Are you making the right sacrifices? Will you be happy with just the knowledge that you’ve accomplished things, or would you prefer that many people appreciate you and know what you’ve done? When you make a decision, think about the person you really want to become.

I think you’re never too young to look far ahead at what you’d like to have accomplished when your time on earth is up. Time sneaks by quickly when you aren’t looking, and every little choice can end up affecting you drastically later down the line. When making a decision, I now look to the end. I try to foresee what my hindsights might look like. I apply this even in the shorter terms, to small choices. I consider if what I do will be worth it even if things end badly. I imagine whether I’ll regret or be happy with every choice I make, small or broad, once a relationship is over. This includes family relationships, friendly ones, and business ones. Did I give enough of my time to those who deserved it?

All in all, it’s never a bad decision to choose Discovery Conference Centre for your meetings and depositions.

Posted by Laura Gros

San Diego is known for its beaches, zoo, and weather – a perfect city to calendar a board of directors meeting, specialized computer training, or a deposition of an expert witness.  The Discovery Conference Centre was built for such meetings.  If you are a headhunter and need to interview a potential candidate for a new position, and the candidate lives in a remote location, use videoconferencing to save time and money – no need for a flight until the candidate has been initially vetted via a videoconference.

Expert witnesses and doctors like to testify after-hours so their practice is not interrupted.  Our court reporters and videographers are available 24/7 to record the testimony.  Using teleconferencing and videoconferencing equipment once again allows for the saving of time and money by parties.

Here are some key questions to ask when setting up a meeting room so you are not surprised by unexpected costs, and you have a facility that meets your needs:

1. Does the meeting room and/or conference center supply water and coffee/tea service?  If so, is there a cost?

2. Does the meeting room and/or conference center supply wireless internet connectivity?  If so, is there a cost?

3.  For a videoconference, do you have a dedicated T1 line to ensure excellent quality of the video and audio?

4. For a teleconference, do you have a dedicated number for our meeting or deposition?  If so, what is the cost per minute for all of the participants?

5. For my presentation, do you have the technology to amplify my laptop’s speaker phones so everyone in the room can hear?

6. For my deposition, can you provide a court reporter and/or legal videographer that will stay past normal business hours if necessary to get the deposition completed?

7. What is the cost for the videoconferencing facilities after normal business hours?

Coffee service, wireless internet access, and the logistics of a meeting room are key elements to a successful meeting that is within your budget.  Know the questions to ask before you set up your meeting.  We wish for you a successful meeting every time.

@rosaliekramm (Twitter)

As one of the principals of Discovery Conference Centre, Inc., I have had the pleasure of meeting dynamic, smart businesspeople who need a place to conduct business and/or trainings in a professional setting with all of the technology bells and whistles available to them.  Many of our DCC clients are using our conference rooms to “network.”

I believe “networking” has become one of the buzzwords of 2011.  It has always been considered to be an important part of business, getting out and about, shaking hands, but since the Great Recession, when businesses need to step up to get work (little to no low hanging fruit is available), meeting potential clients, finding referral sources, and getting your name out there, networking has become essential for survival. 

Many of our clients are in the 2B2 world, service businesses.  It can be uncomfortable for accountants, transactional attorneys, and stock brokers to have to go out and find business, meet strangers, learn the art of “cocktail party” selling, and create opportunity. 

I have learned a trick or two in the art of networking, and I would like to share them.  Remember, the goal of the Discovery Conference Centre is for anyone who walks through the doors to know SUCCESS.

Tip 1:  Always come prepared with business cards that are easy to access.  This might sound too simple, but I have stood there when someone asks  for my court reporter business card and dug into my purse, opening my wallet, hunting in little compartments, and feeling generally foolish.  Put business cards in a shirt or pants pocket or in a professional cardholder placed at the top of your purse ready to go before you get to the event.
 
Tip 2:  Be conscious.  Before you get to the networking event, sit still for a second and think about what you want to accomplish.  Is there someone in particular you want to meet?  Is there a type of businessperson or vendor you need to create a relationship with?   Have a strategy in place.

Tip 3:  Be kind.  If someone looks a little out of place, shy or scared, go to that person, shake their hand, ask them who they are and what they do.  Know that 95% of the people in the room are  uncomfortable and a little shy.  The person you meet might be a goldmine for your future.

Tip 4:  Helping others needs to be part of your strategy.  Once you meet someone, ask who they are, what they do, think if you can or want to help them with a tip or referral to someone else.  I have found it is easier to help others rather than to think I have to sell myself in that moment.  The person you are meeting is going to be grateful and probably will want to help you back.  Human nature.

Tip 5:  Know your business niche.  Meeting someone new and saying, “I am a transactional attorney and do a lot of estates and wills,” is kind of boring and generic.  If you say, “I am a transactional attorney that helps people with their estates and tax planning and do a lot of work with people who own vintage cars” or “apartment complexes,” that opens up the door for conversation.   Add a little flavor and fun to your “elevator speech.”

Tip 6:  Elevator speeches are boring and usually obviously rehearsed and  memorized and don’t sound authentic.  That is my opinion.

Tip 7:  Move along.  Know that everyone in the room wants to meet as many people as possible.  If you meet someone that needs to know someone else in the room, make the introduction and move along.  If someone gloms onto you, say, “I’m going to go get something to eat” or “Oh, there is Ted Smith.  I need to talk to him.  Excuse me.”   And then move on.  No one should get their feelings hurt.  Networking events are to conduct business.

If you have a tip or two you would like to share with people who are in the networking arena, please leave them here.  Let’s all get business and be more successful than ever!

@rosaliekramm  (Twitter)