Robert Armerding
Listen Sharp
I am guessing that you mean Microsoft Teams, right?
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Question Zoom and the sign maker - my question - is there anyone that is already using Zoom?
- Thread starter Robert Armerding
- Start date
Gino
Premium Subscriber
My wife used zoom several times during the pandemic. It was horrible. Everyone talking at the same time, nobody listening and it just seemed like a big hen party. There were about 16 people on it each week. Nothing ever got accomplished and she swore everytime when she got off,, she'd never do it again. Towards the end, she just did conference call, cause of all the bullsh!t on zoom. Thank goodness they went back to regular meetings...... in person. Zoom is silly for anything on professional level, unless you can command cooperation among adults.
You see what you have with this membership...... it'll never work with this group.
If I might....... why or what are you trying to accomplish with proven failures ?? It's not easy to re-invent the wheel, and with your limited knowledge, displayed thus far, for this industry and how to work along side or with others, this doesn't make any real sense. Care to 'splain ?? Can you please give me YOUR ideas or reasons and not answer a question with another question ??
You see what you have with this membership...... it'll never work with this group.
If I might....... why or what are you trying to accomplish with proven failures ?? It's not easy to re-invent the wheel, and with your limited knowledge, displayed thus far, for this industry and how to work along side or with others, this doesn't make any real sense. Care to 'splain ?? Can you please give me YOUR ideas or reasons and not answer a question with another question ??
FireSprint.com
Trade Only Screen & Digital Sign Printing
Internally, we use Google hangouts. Very useful for us.
- Our front office staff work from home half to full time now so it's essential with that.
- We meet with our developers in India that keep our website running.
- We do virtual demos all the time with equipment manufacturers. We send files and media ahead of time and then watch them run it virtually. Then they ship it back to us for inspection.
- We screen share with engineers and techs to fix equipment
- We screen record internal tutorials.
- We meet with customers and colleagues regularly to have a deeper conversations than a phone call. (try a virtual happy hour with a bourbon...it's fun!)
FireSprint.com
Trade Only Screen & Digital Sign Printing
Yeah 16 people talking at once would be useless.
We generally have 4 or less. If we do something company wide, I generally moderate it or it's a platform for me to tell everyone about a big announcement. In March/April, just letting everyone know it was going to be OK and we still had plans for growth. More effective when they could see the calm in my face as well as hear it in my voice.
Stacey K
I like making signs
My boyfriends son opened up his computer in the kitchen for school. We forgot we drank some beers the night before and all the empty cans were on the counter behind him. My boyfriend walks around in his underwear and forgets his son is on Zoom. My son was on Zoom in his bedroom (teenage boy ugh). Now the rule is dining room table only, camera FACING THE WALL LOL
I used it once for work because it was requested of me. I see little use for anything more than screen sharing and conference calling. It's too busy and takes away from the conversation. Plus, if the conversation doesn't really involve me, I like to multi-task and you can't do that when there's a camera on you. Does anyone actually ENJOY being on camera? I would never suggest it, only do it if it were asked of me.
I used it once for work because it was requested of me. I see little use for anything more than screen sharing and conference calling. It's too busy and takes away from the conversation. Plus, if the conversation doesn't really involve me, I like to multi-task and you can't do that when there's a camera on you. Does anyone actually ENJOY being on camera? I would never suggest it, only do it if it were asked of me.
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
Notarealsignguy, thank you for your reply. I appreciate your feedback. If you don't mind, do you care to expand on that?
Notarealsignguy
Arial - it's almost helvetica
Yes. It was awkward for everyone else when I stood up but it was strange to me that you keep asking for more meetings.
Robert Armerding
Listen Sharp
FireSprint, your reply is very much appreciated. Your six examples show that you have made good use of Google hangouts. A big thank you!
Robert Armerding
Listen Sharp
Gino, as you say, "Care to 'splain ?? " Back before the COVID-19 pandemic, let me create a scene for you. Imagine sitting in a sign makers office observing the maker sitting next to a client, both looking intently at one computer monitor. You can hear them discussing different aspects of a sign project. Finally, at some point, they both agree that they have accomplished enough to finish their conversation. Now, Gino, fast forward to where we are today. With video conferencing, the same work can be done.
There is more. Take a look at FireSprint's reply to this thread.
Let me quote you again, as you say, "unless you can command cooperation among adults." That is what I hope to accomplish here on Signs101. With people like Gene at FireSprint, I see a little glimmer of hope.
Gino, I welcome your replies and respect your viewpoint. Feel free to continue expressing your concerns.
Robert Armerding
Listen Sharp
Another big thank you, FireSprint, for you reply and input. Especially your comment, "More effective when they could see the calm in my face as well as hear it in my voice." Reminds me that we are primarily a VISUAL industry. I so much appreciate your willingness to reply.
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
Robert, since you don't actually provide any information people are suspect of you. Why don't you actually contribute to the community instead of try to bait people to give you a response. I'm sure you being a rep for a sign supplier you could share something we all could use.. like how much room is there for negotiation? What amount of sales makes a customer "big" and command better pricing?
Robert Armerding
Listen Sharp
Texas_Signmaker, in response to your feedback, which I do appreciate, during the decades that I worked for a sign supplier, the most common topic, by far, was pricing. There where many times when I heard sign makers complain about getting into a project only to find a competitor took all of their work and undercut their price.
You ask for my contribution to this community. Let me give it a try.
I believe it is possible to make pricing not always the first issue.
How do you do that? It starts with building a solid relationship with your client, one client at a time, and more specifically, the type of client that is in your sweet spot, in your wheelhouse.
The starting point for every relationship is something you, Texas-Signmaker, and I have already touched on, and that is in being a highly skilled listener. Here is where I can make a major contribution to this community. I am willing to work one-to-one with any Signs101 member to improve their listening skills, with the intent that they will become a great listener. To me, if the listening skills are just taken for granted, then not much else will really work well.
Test yourself. As you listen, are you thinking of what you want to say next, or are you really listening? If you want to, are you able to give the other person your full attention, 100%? Do you have well practiced listening tools ready, kept sharp, eager to hear the other person out?
One of those tools is the art of asking well thought out questions, questions that clearly show that you are indeed listening. Questions to clarify the details.
Then, before you say anything from your side, are you able to summarize what the other person is saying, to the point where they confirm that you do indeed understand them. That is a gift that will help make price a second issue.
Texas_Signmaker, let me ask you, does any of this make sense to you?
Texas_Signmaker
Very Active Signmaker
Yea... sounds like you're practicing to be a politician with that "answer"
Robert Armerding
Listen Sharp
Nope.
I don't want to join the bandwagon and go against threads like this. Usually I just skip them and don't participate... But it seems they're happening more and more.
So my question is has anything beneficial come from one of your surveys or participation threads? I feel like at least for the S101 community we've seen no benefit from it..... And I think that's why no one is seriousnor participates.
Most people are here for sign related things... Not to be bombarded with surveys / discussions about stuff of no use to them that has none to little to do with signage.
Zoom....think tanks..strengths, general business management, etc. All of this stuff is better suited for a business forum, not a sign one... And throwing the word sign in front of the topic doesn't change that.
If things became more relevant, or you explained the reasoning behind them you may have better participation and less resistance.
So my question is has anything beneficial come from one of your surveys or participation threads? I feel like at least for the S101 community we've seen no benefit from it..... And I think that's why no one is seriousnor participates.
Most people are here for sign related things... Not to be bombarded with surveys / discussions about stuff of no use to them that has none to little to do with signage.
Zoom....think tanks..strengths, general business management, etc. All of this stuff is better suited for a business forum, not a sign one... And throwing the word sign in front of the topic doesn't change that.
If things became more relevant, or you explained the reasoning behind them you may have better participation and less resistance.
Johnny Best
Active Member
Robert, I have used Cisco Webex because the company I was contracted to do work for was owned by Cisco. I used it for free. About #10 people were in on the conferencing and after 5 minutes I realized where it was going and went and had lunch. Next time I do anything like that it will be "StaceyStyle" with empty beer cans all over the place and I will have a girlfriend standing by with just her underwear on. Make it entertaining.
The company that I was on the conference with told me Zoom is Chinese owned and gets hacked. Webex is US company bought by Cisco.
Hope this helps you Robert in you mission because I love and respect you.
The company that I was on the conference with told me Zoom is Chinese owned and gets hacked. Webex is US company bought by Cisco.
Hope this helps you Robert in you mission because I love and respect you.
Jester1167
Premium Subscriber
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” ~Albert Einstein
Notarealsignguy
Arial - it's almost helvetica
Not a fan of video meetings, at least you can mute a conference call and go do something else. Meetings are a big corporate time suck and often times point to poor management. I know some people feel the need to have these creative sessions with clients but is it really necessary or even productive? It seems to be more of an ego stroke.
