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In about a month the Office 2.0 Conference will take place in San Francisco.
It’s a fairly unique gathering of innovators and their customers using innovative technology and services for getting things done at the office, at home, and on the go.
We’ll be paying attention to it and I’m sure we’ll find some pretty cool and new tools to introduce to you.
But that’s not the reason for this post.
I saw in their invitation that if you register for the event and pay the $1,495 fee, you’ll receive full access to the event plus an HP 2133 Mini-Note PC. As the Office 2.0 Conference says it:
Each year, attendees of the Office 2.0 Conference receive a mobile device that is used to support real-time interactions during the event. The device also enables the event’s 100% paper-less organization, making it as green as a conference can be.
Now, I love the thought of going without paper and if there’s anything I can do to help the environment, I’m all for it – but unfortunately, I still use tons of paper in my business life.
It made me wonder. How paperless is your sales life these days? Are proposals still sent out on paper? Or do you send electronic files around? How about your customer files – do you drag them around in folders or did they get scanned?
Does your business use printed and signed contracts? Or do electronic versions with an electronic signature do? How about note taking during a meeting or appointment – paper, laptop or PDA?
Curious minds want to know!
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We’re a VAR for document management software, so we’re about as paperless as you can be. We do print our proposals and contracts, but all files are kept electronically, and we prefer email to “snail mail” and faxes.
As far as note taking, at least personally, I use the old fashioned yellow legal pad. I find paper tends to promote my creativity, so I use it; it’s easier to jot down an idea that you get while a customer is telling you about a particular problem.
I am far more paperless in my personal life than business.
I find it amazing amazing how much better hardcopy proposals received than electronic. I present roughly 4 proposals per month to upwards of 60 people and I still print every page (often 300+ pages) of every proposal. Relying on my potential clients technology and their ability to use it correctly to see the information that is most important to them if folly. I’ve won may deals because my presentation (albeit in paper format) was easier to read through and find the information that people needed.
One of my newer sales reps decided to shun paper and move all electronic for their proposal presentations and on the first presentation had technical difficulties with her laptop, the clients computer (and web connection) and her USB stick…needless to say that presentation was a flop and she prints every presentation!!
@ Tim – yeah, I hear you when it comes to note taking. I did use mind-mapping software for a while during the investigative phase. It was actually a great way to jot down random notes – and connect the dots later. It did feel odd, though – as eye contact seems to be less. You’re hacking away on your laptop as your client is talking.
@ Brian – didn’t necessarily mean to imply that proposals would never be printed, a client could of course still do that after receiving an electronic copy. I use printed proposals as well – mostly because I can take them with me and discuss them in detail. I’m a control freak that way – I hate sending stuff off without being able to see (and respond to) the way it’s being received.
Great post, Jan!
I’m a 100% worker and contractor. Everything is paperless or electronic– even my contracts are signed and faxed back and forth these days. Most of my clients don’t even know where I am– and they don’t care. In the few cases where I must go on-site or whenever I do a presentation, then yes, I make very clean printouts and copies of whatever I need to bring. That’s courtesy– you don’t rely on the client to print the handouts. When you are sharing the information with them in person and in real-time, you bring it in hard copy.
But on the way out the door, that copy gets tossed in the company shredder!
The exceptions? Required contracts for large projects (or with litigation-prone clients), and my portfolio of samples. Most samples do not get shared around electronically– my previous clients haven’t given permission for that, and my future clients will appreciate my discretion.
Good input, Stephanie – and great examples of where paper is required and where electronic will do the job.
I’m in real estate, which sadly is mired in the stone age when it comes to electronic documents. Nothing but paper. If you’ve ever been to a real estate closing you know what I’m talking about. Big time writer’s cramp! In my opinion 95% of that paperwork (everything but the deed and mortgage) could be done electronically. Many states, including mine, have a digital signature standard in their state’s law. I suspect title companies and realtors resist digitizing their businesses because it gives them more control, justifies (in their minds) higher fees, and just plain ignorance.