On this episode of The Small Business Radio Show…
SEGMENT 1, starting at 0:00: In one of the biggest shifts in consumer behaviors we have ever seen, companies are rushing to bring traditional offline businesses like interior design online. Here to help is Shanna Tellerman, founder and CEO of Modsy, who has done exactly this many years ago. Additionally, she speaks on a range of topics including game development and women in technology for organizations.
SEGMENT 2, starting at 19:15: Work days at small businesses today seem like one long virtual meeting. Employees are constantly on a tool like Zoom or Skype communicating with customers and each other. How do you ensure these virtual meetings are actually effective? Here to help is Howard Tiersky, co-author of Impactful “Online Meetings: How to Run Polished Virtual Working Sessions That Are Engaging and Effective.”
SEGMENT 3, starting at 39:00: One of the most important things you need to do right now is to figure out how to effectively communicate with your customers, especially if you can’t see them in person or you can’t offer your service like you used to. Here to help with a road map for this is Kim Spalding who leads product management for the SMB and Emerging Market Advertising at Google.
More on each segment below.
Segment 1: Shanna Tellerman is the founder and CEO of Modsy. She was previously at Google Ventures where she focused on the future of the retail experience, 3D technologies and SaaS platforms. She also launched a new program at Google Ventures to connect the Fortune 500 with relevant startups. She speaks on a range of topics including game development and women in technology.
3:30 – Where did the idea come from taking an offline business like consumer interior design to online offerings using virtual tools and independent designer resources?
5:00 – What role did your background in game technology play in the development of Modsy?
6:30 – Did you create all your own technology?
7:30 – What were the key milestones in your success with Modsy?
8:30 – How did you find interior designers to work with Modsy clients?
11:00 – When it comes to bringing offline business online, a lot of small business owners have a hard time figuring out how to price their online offerings. How did you do this with Modsy?
13:15 – How does the concept of customer retention look different at Modsy?
15:00 – What is the advantage of an integrated shopping cart model versus an affiliate model when it comes to working with your partners? How did you build connections with these partners?
Segment 2: Howard Tiersky is the co-author of Impactful “Online Meetings: How to Run Polished Virtual Working Sessions That Are Engaging and Effective—Zoom|Webex|GoToMeeting|Skype|Google Hangouts”. He is a successful entrepreneur who has been named by IDG as one of the “10 Digital Transformation Influencers to Follow Today” and by Enterprise Management 360 as “One of the Top 10 Digital Transformation Influencers That Will Change Your World.”
19:15 – It seems like people are in one long video meeting all day. Is this good for business?
21:30 – In this chaotic environment, businesses are using virtual meetings to connect. How do you have an effective meeting?
23:00 – Should we use virtual backgrounds or let others see our work space?
26:30 – Camera best practices for the most effective virtual meeting.
29:30 – The technology hack that will help you make eye contact during a virtual meeting.
31:00 – What can we do to keep people engaged in virtual meetings?
35:30 – The most underutilized feature of conferencing platforms.
Segment 3: Kim Spalding leads product management for the SMB and Emerging Market Advertising at Google. She was formerly the COO of HomeJoy, a home services startup. Prior to that, she was the Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Global Coffee Category for Starbucks. From 2002 to 2011, Kim co-founded Seia Wine Cellars, a Seattle winery known for their award-winning Washington Syrah.
39:00 – How small businesses can communicate with their customers during this difficult time.
41:15 – The first thing small businesses should do online to communicate with customers.
43:00 – How small businesses can be using video to communicate with customers.
45:00 – Customers want to know how to interact with you right now. Tell them!
48:15 – A lot of small business owners pull back during a downturn and cut marketing. Is that really a good idea?
49:45 – What should business owners NOT be doing with their customer communication?
