6 Notable Ways to be Likeable

Likability will help you leaps and bounds in your job, business, personal relationships and just life in general. Here at Datavo we decided to put a list of important essentials together for you to incorporate into your work and life to be more likable.

1. Listen

Listening is the foundation of any good communication. Successful business leaders listen to their customers to find what challenges they are facing. They listen to colleagues and employees and accept new ideas. 

2. Team Player

There is no I in team and no matter what size your business is you interact with other people everyday. Encouraging innovation, letting others shine, and following others rules for working in a team will help you become more likable with your employees and coworkers.

3. Adaptability

With technology changing the face of the marketplace faster than anytime previous, leaders must be flexible in all areas of their business. Being stubborn and against change will see you left behind.

4. Authenticity

Be who you say you are. People want authentic people to succeed and are more willing to help them to do so. There used to be a much larger divide between a persons public life and private life but social media has blurred the line. Being authentic makes it much easier to merge your personal and professional life online.

5. Be Grateful

Likable leaders are always grateful for the people that work under them and contribute to their success. Showing appreciation and saying thank you to customers, employees, colleagues, mentors, and others will keep you appreciated, humble and well liked. 

6. Treat Others the Way You Want to be Treated

When you give people the same courtesy and respect that you expect from them, you will receive more respect and admiration from employes, collegues, friends and family. When people feel respected they are more willing to work with you.  

Feel free to leave out any notable ways you know of to be likable.

24 Important Questions Business Leaders Should Ask Themselves

Datavo knows that in today's market you have to be flexible and ready to move ahead so that your business can continue to be successful. 

If you look at our businesses today, they are all components of an enterprising network of relationships with partners, clients, and suppliers that mold the way we take care of business. With the rising expectations and demands of consumers, small and large business are showing up in all places around the globe. These business conditions can present both pros and cons to an owner.

So when contemplating what methods make your business' run efficiently, make sure these 20 questions are included.

1. What is the purpose for your business existing?
2. Who is your target customer?
3. What are your competitors up to?
4. Has your business adequately changed with the times?
5. Do you have the right leaders employed?
6. How does your business handle change?
7. Are your business practices outdated?
8. Are there better ways to integrate your different business processes, to make them work easier?
9. Are you able to reduce your expenses, without hurting your product?
10. Are you able to automate repetitive actions?
11. Are your systems so slow they are affecting your response time to customers?
12. Do you embrace new technology?
13. Do you ensure that your data is backed daily, in case of a system failure?
14. Is the information on your website current?
15. Are your Customer Service Representatives trained with current business information?
16. If you systems were to go down, do you know how to fix or restart it?
17. Does corporate management share the same goals as the IT department?
18. Are you making the right decisions with the IT and Operations departments?
19. Are you securing your networks properly from outside threats?
20. What part of your budget is for maintenance as opposed to new product development?
21. Do you have the right employees?
22. Are your employees happy?
23. Are you using your employees to the best of their abilities?
24. Do you ask your employees what feedback they are getting from customers on the business?

Feel free to leave any that you think we left off in the comments. 

10 Tips for Better Organizing Your Workspace

Is your desk or office cluttered? Do you have a hard time finding things when you need them? Here at Datavo, we know how important it is to keep your work space organized so that you can maximize your efficiency and become a more productive employee. 

Organizing your office does not have to be a daunting task, it can be done efficiently and in little time. Once your space is organized it can be maintained with minimal upkeep. To get started, just follow these simple tips. 

1. De-clutter. Go through everything in your office and get rid of anything that you do not use. This goes for equipment, furniture, supplies, files, decorations, etc. 

2. Put everything in its place. Go around your office and collect things that are out of place and put them where they go.

3. Keep things you need close. Make sure that things you use frequently are easily accessible and within arms reach. Things that you use less can be put away or in storage.

4. Clear & organize your desk. Remove everything from your desk, only keep items that you must use everyday. Use desktop organizers such as paper trays and paper clip holders to keep things in place.

5. Organize your drawers. Keep like items together. Sticky pads with notepads, stamps with envelopes, etc. Make a separate drawer for your own personal items. 

6. Seperate your inboxes. If you work directly with many people, create a tray, folder or inbox for each.

7. Don't accumulate piles. Once you are fully organized you will hopefully stop having piles of paper sitting around. Go through your existing ones and either file them away or toss them.

8. Read, Sort, Shread. Read all mail the same day it is received; decide whether you will need to act on it, file it, delegate or shread it.

9. Clean your desk. Before you leave each day, do quick clean up of you desk. Put everything back in its place so that you have a clean start each and every day. 

10. File at least once a week. When you let your filing pile up it can become daunting. By setting a specific  time aside each week, it will ensure you stay on top of it. 

Feel free to leave any tips in the comments you think we may have left out. 

Top 5 Tips for Successful Sales Agents

Your sales success can be the result of superb marketing or excellent selling finesse. With the majority of things in business, the more information you know the higher you can reach on the sales ladder. Datavo has put together a list of five tips to help you along your way.

1. Listen. Always let your prospective clients state their needs before you attempt to sale them anything. By finding out that their needs you are better situated to understand and meet the requirements they are requesting. Also, people like to feel like they are being heard so it will help you gain their trust and approval.

2. Set the Stage for Good Rapport. First impressions can be a deal breaker and is not always based on only words. People judge you by your appearance, manners, demeanor, and even your sense of humor. Make sure you always come across as warm and accessible. People are more willing to purchase something from someone that they like.

3. Be Adaptable. Each of your buyer has a different set of priorities and reason for their purchases, so you should always be prepared to adapt your sales pitch according to the immediate needs of your current client. Some people are purchasing a necessity, some opportunity, and others just because. Being able to decipher what type of buyer you have on your hands and adapting your script to fit them will ultimately lead you to more sales.

4. Be Convincing. A good sales agent does not take NO for an answer. Using the following moves to sway your customers can inevitably lead to more closed sales. Always have a product that is relevant and of good quality. Make sure you are pitching your product at the right time and for the right price. Always be easy to deal with. Believe in the product you sell so that you come off as sincere and convincing.

5. Do Not Buy Your Sales. Customers always want to feel like they are getting the best deal possible so it it necessary to sometimes give them a bit of leeway to help negotiations such as free voicemail, extra features etc. Try to only do this when necessary, as cutting prices is not a good long time strategy and does not help. You must always remember that you are in this field to make money and neither you or the business will survive for very long without making a realistic profit.

Please feel free to add any tips to the comments that I may have left off.

9 Tips to Effective Time Management

TIME MANAGEMENT... can be a scary word for some people. It's a skill that no one teaches you in a class but something you really need to learn.

Are you habitually late or extremely punctual? Are you able to effectively complete your work on time? Do you manage your time efficiently? Can your boss count on you to meet your deadlines?

Datavo knows a lot of you answered no to some of these questions, so I put a short list of tips together to help you manage your time a little easier.

1. Keep a calendar. Using a calendar is the most essential step to time management. I like to use Google Calendar as it allows integration with my mobile phone and other devices so that I can always access my calendar on the go.

2. Create a daily agenda. Your day will run smoother if it is planned. You can do this at the end of each work day or in the morning before you start any of your tasks. Make a list and try to stick to it. 

3. Always complete your most important tasks first.  Prioritize your tasks on your agenda by importance because things come up and you can't always get everything done. If you will feel less anxious at the end of the day if you know you got your priorities taken care of.

4. Place a time limit for each daily task.  Next to each task on your list right a time limit for how long it will take or what time of the day you would like to be finished. This will keep your day running smoother and keep you from dragging your feet as you complete your work. 

5. Meet your deadlines.  Always make sure you know and meet all of your deadlines. Make sure to add them to your calendar and so you are always aware of when they are due. 

6. Keep focused.  Multi-tasking is only good for some people. Most people get things done faster by focusing on one thing at a time. Keeping to the task at hand will make you more efficient. Try to block out any distractions such as your phone ringing, emails, and text messages so that you can concentrate. 

7. Set a schedule to check your email.  It can be time consuming to check your email every time you receive one. Don't take more than a day to answer anything, but you don't drop everything you're doing immediately. 

8. Leave a few minutes in between tasks.  Don't schedule your tasks too closely together. Make sure to leave 5-10 minutes between each task just in case you run over. This will help you start your next task without being rushed.

9. Clear off your desk and make your work area clean.  Having a work space that is cluttered and unorganized can clutter you mind and make you work at a slower pace. Also it makes things difficult to find which will also add more time to your day.

If you have any other tips that may help people, feel free to leave them in the comments section!

10 Tips for Proper Business Telephone Etiquette

First impressions are said to be what people remember you by. This can be said about phone calls as well. Since callers are not able to see you face to face, they use your telephone speaking voice to form certain judgments and opinions about you. Not only do they hear what you are saying they judge the tone of how you are saying it too. To ensure people always have a great impression of you, Datavo has put together some tips to make your telephone speaking voice a winner.


1. Greet Clients Professionally - Always make sure to answer all calls professionally with a short greeting. Make sure to practice the greeting before answering the phone so that you make sure you sound clear and professional.

2. Answer Phone By Fourth Ring - Whether you are in the office or out, make sure you or your voicemail picks up by the fourth ring. It is very unprofessional for you line to just ring and ring.

3. Speak Clearly - Remember people are not able to see you and watch you lips as you talk when on the phone. Make sure that you enunciate properly while keeping a positive professional tone.

4. Be Prepared - Always have paper and pen ready to write down any information you need to remember about the call. Also, write down the person the name of the person whom you are speaking so that you can remember it and use it during the conversation. It makes the caller feel like you are listening.

5. No Eating or Drinking - Eating and drinking while on the phone with someone sounds very unprofessional. Only eat and drink when not making any calls, preferably on your break.

6. Stay Focused - Always pay attention to what you client is telling you. Don't let outside distractions get in your way. If someone approaches you while you are on the phone politely wave them away until you are finished with your current call.

7. Always Ask a Customer Before Placing Them on Hold - With phone systems these days once a caller gets to you they could have been on hold for a number of minutes and may not appreciate being placed on hold again. Once they are placed on hold try not to leave them for more than 30 seconds so they do not become upset and hang up.

8. Address All Callers Formally - When in doubt, always address people formally. Never call an unfamiliar person by their first name. Use Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss when your know their last name. If you do not know their last name Sir or Ma'am are sufficient.

9. Listen - Listen to what the caller is saying to you. Whether you are taking a message or fixing a problem. This will help you to understand their problem and find the best solution to what needs to done. A good habit to learn also, is to repeat the information back to the caller when taking a message down.

10. Remain Patient and Helpful - Always remain patient and helpful, even when dealing with irate customers. You want people to feel like you are emphatic to their issues and are willing to help them. If you are not able to calm the person down make sure to forward them to the proper person who can. Never respond back in a negative or angry way.