Most of the sales reps are inside reps and wanted to humanize themselves. We thought that adding a face to our text and voices would be a huge benefit to the way we interact with clients.

The reps found that potential clients were more engaged and became more comfortable when they could put a face to a name. Soon, not only were all the sales reps using HD cameras, but members of account services and support teams were using webcams to connect with clients, too.

Check out the praises from the ShareFile team:

“It was a big advantage to be able to ‘talk with my hands.’ Something I generally do and helps illustrate concepts like how the Outlook plugin works in a much more awesome way.”

“At its best, the webcams help bring life to us and our product. I love when people fly by on scooters, and clients have loved seeing us in a real-life setting.”

To find out how using GoToMeeting’s HDFaces can benefit your organization, check out a few best practices.

The great news is that it doesn’t have to be. There are a plethora of organizational experts and systems out there that can show you how to get and stay organized and implement an organizational system all your own. In regard to email, there are a few key tips to follow that can help you keep your workflow under control and your inbox as close to zero as possible.

1)   Schedule. Set aside time every single day to review your inbox. When and how much time you spend is up to you. I’ve seen folks process email for 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes right after lunch and 30 minutes at the end of the day. While others may choose to do 45 minutes to 1 hour in the morning and also in the evening. The key here is to respond to any email that will take you less than 2 minutes to complete. If it is going to take you more than 2 minutes, file it away and respond to it during your next email review session. Not only will you feel more in control of the content flying at you, but you will also prevent email from dictating your workflow.

2)   Delete. Do not be afraid to delete emails that you no longer need. I’ve seen inboxes with upwards of 10,000 emails that could be deleted. If you are really concerned that you may need an email in the future, move it to a reference folder. But I strongly encourage you to delete as many as you can muster the courage to.

3)   Commit. In the beginning, it can seem overwhelming to get a handle on the system. They key is to schedule the email review session on your calendar, and then stick to your calendar. Obviously, fires will need to be put out and last-minute things will come up. When that happens, reschedule your email review just like you would any other meeting. Over time, reviewing email will become a habit and you may not even need to schedule the time for yourself anymore…you will just automatically do it.

(Okay, I know I said 3 tips, but this next one is important…)

4)   Accept. Most of us are working on numerous projects at any given time. If we are setting goals and prioritizing effectively, it is impossible that we will get everything done every single day. If you implement a system, commit to that system and can say, honestly, that you are working as hard and as effectively as you can toward your goals, not getting it all done is ok. If you can get it all done, you don’t have enough to do. Work your hardest. Give yourself a break. And if your inbox doesn’t get down to zero, it is ok.

For more info on some of my favorite organizational systems check out Getting Things Done, Inbox Zero, The Now Habit and Organizing from the Inside Out.