Catch the Wave – Google Wave

By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent

If you are one of the coveted few who received Google Wave invitations and you still don’t get it — you’re not alone. I recently received my invitation and gleefully logged in, ready to roll. Once I logged in I thought… huh? On first glance, Google Wave looks like a new type of email client. But it’s much more.

Google Wave provides a collaborative environment where teams can collaborate on documents in real-time. More important, they can collaborate on the same version of the document without the worry of multiple versions floating around via email.

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Cloak Yourself in Credibility

Lee W. Frederiksen, Ph.D.

“Cloak yourself in credibility.” That’s the advice Arun Gupta offered to start-up companies trying to gain traction with Venture Capital firms when he participated on a panel at the annual Venture Capital Outlook conference presented by Potomac Tech Wire last week. A partner in Columbia Capital and a very active player in the tech and services arena, Arun knows a thing or two about venture capital. And his comment is obviously right on point for firms seeking venture funding.

What struck me about his advice is how relevant it is to all professional services firms. You see, venture firms are betting on entrepreneurs to solve difficult problems. The same could be said of professional services buyers and the firms they hire. Credibility is the coin of the realm in both cases.

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Invizion - a Firm to Watch in the GovCon Space

By Lee W. Frederiksen, Ph.D.

As you may know, Hinge conducts regular research on professional services firms and their clients. We are just finishing data collection on a national study aimed at identifying professional services firms that are growing fast, even in this challenging economic environment. The good news is that there are some impressive performers.

Today, I’d like to highlight one such company, a technology firm called Invizion. They operate in the GovCon space and are focusing on the security market.

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Connect With Your Customers Through Storytelling

By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent

Everyone loves a good story, especially when it’s about them. Stories are full of life and fuel the imagination. They enable your company to connect with its customers on a personal level. That’s how connections are made.  Corporate storytelling is becoming a popular and effective way to share what a company, its employees and its customers are doing. Done right, it can build emotional interest and trust.  There are a number of ways to present your corporate story. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

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Professional Services Strategy Made Simple

By Lee W. Frederiksen, Ph.D.

As business leaders, we’re supposed to know all about strategy. After all we’re typically responsible for setting the strategic direction of our firms. But it’s a widely misunderstood topic. So it’s a real joy to encounter someone who can put the topic in perspective.

Recently, I attended a workshop on the topic of execution conducted by Patrick Thean of the Gazelles organization. In my experience, strategy and execution are closely related, and a point Thean made only deepened this conviction. Thean was emphasizing how important it was that tracking performance indicators support your business strategy. That’s when he said it

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The Social Media Side of Customer Service

By Beth J. Bates, New Media Special Correspondent

Let’s face it. With social media usage on the rise, news travels fast. And bad news travels even faster. In the past, if you had a bad experience with a company you might write a letter to the CEO or tell your friends face-to-face. But today, a viral complaint is just a click away.

Social media, however, can be used to turn a disgruntled client’s frown upside down. Companies like Comcast, Century Link and Ning use Twitter to monitor customer issues, and they take rapid action. Their quick response gives customers a sense of priority and their professionalism builds loyalty. With the economy still weak but on the mend, happy customers can keep a company afloat.

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