Selling Geek: Tech Reviews for Sales Pros
By Tim Sullivan
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Podcast Description
Reviews and news about cool tools, gadgets, gizmos and technology resources for sales professionals -- if you sell for a living, let Selling Geek guide you to the competitive edge you need to succeed
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 |
Selling Geek podcast #14 - Dell Inspiron Mini 9 | The tech blog Engadget recently pronounced: ldquo;The age of the netbook has indeed, arrived.rdquo; According to an Amazon.com list of the best-selling computers, nine of the top ten systems sold in September 2008 were ultra-portable devices. Popular netbooks like the ASUS EeePC 900, HP 2133 Mini-Note PC, Acer Aspire One, MSI Wind and Lenovo IdeaPad S10 are all designed principally for accessing the Internet, managing email, browsing websites, instant messaging, running hosted applications and other connected tasks. Designed to be lightweight, compact, easy to carry and simple to operate, netbooks have emerged as an affordable option for Internet-connected professionals, which of course include most salespeople. Recognizing this accelerating trend, Dell has released their Inspiron Mini 9 netbook at comparatively low prices: US$349 for a model with 4 gigabytes (GB) of solid-state storage, $399 for 8GB and $449 for 16GB. Customers may select either the Ubunu Linux or Windows XP Home operating system to run on the Mini 9rsquo;s Intel Atom processor. The compact, lightweight unit weighs just less than 2.3 pounds, and features an 8.9-inch screen, all in a relatively tiny package approximately 1 by 9 by 7-inches - about the size and weight of a moderate-length hardback novel. Dell describes the Mini 9 as a ldquo;communication device,rdquo; rather than as a computer, as this box is tailor-made for Internet-centric tasks. To supplement the relatively small amount of on-board storage, Dell bundles 2GB of free Internet-based storage from Box.net, providing users with an online resource to keep and retrieve files. The Mini 9 also includes wi-fi access with a wireless 802.11g adapter installed, and also offers optional Bluetooth connectivity for an additional $20. The Mini 9 supports video chatting with a built-in microphone and webcam. Some people have experimented with using a netbook as their sole computing device, with decidedly mixed results. Ultra-portable computers are designed to be carried around and connected to the lsquo;net - and for these tasks, they are very well suited. But as a rule, they lack the processor power, storage capacity and ergonomic niceties needed for content creation tasks including graphics, audio, video, and intensive text editing. I wondered if the Mini 9 would be suitable as a second computer, to be used for sales trips on the road. After lugging around a full-featured laptop for many years, which weighs 12 pounds, I dreamed of leaving that heavy-duty computer (in every sense of the phrase) at home, transferring only those files I needed for sales calls to a lighter unit. Irsquo;ve found that I rarely use all the storage and content creation power of my laptop when traveling - most of that work is usually done in the office. On the road, I typically use my computer for email, web browsing, light document editing, and to show PowerPoint presentations. Could the Mini 9 fill the bill as my traveling machine, and save my aching back? Girls like netbooks! I tested a 16GB Mini 9 with Windows XP, with Bluetooth and the higher-resolution 1.3 megapixel camera options. The first thing you notice about this machine when you take it out of the box is that it is indeed tiny, compared to its laptop cousins. My charming spouse, after seeing the Mini 9, remarked, ldquo;I like your little toy computer - itrsquo;s cute.rdquo; If you have insecure feelings about your masculinity, the Mini 9 wonrsquo;t do much for your image, apparently. At the risk of sounding a bit sexist, Irsquo;ve found that, in general, women seem to love the Mini 9. After seeing my new Dell netbook, one of my female co-workers commented, ldquo;Hey, I could put that in my purse ndash; itrsquo;d be great for browsing at Starbucks,rdquo; and then she pressed me for details about how to order one. On my last plane flight, three attractive flight attendants descended upon me, literally cooing at my Mini 9 like it was some sort of cute electronic... | 10/5/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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2 |
Selling Geek podcast #13 - Best web browsers for sales pros | In this episode of the Selling Geek podcast, we review the top five most popular web browsers, and evaluate them in terms of their utility to sales professionals.nbsp; We also provide specific web browser recommendations to salespeople using Macs, Linux-based systems, or Windows-based computers. Links to resources mentioned in this show: List of available web browser applications Flock SeaMonkey Microsoft Internet Explorer Mozilla Firefox Google Chrome Apple Safari Opera Please give us your comments and feedback on our U.S. toll-free message line: 877-345-7763, or from anywhere in the world at: +1 404-418-4970, or leave your comment below.nbsp; In each podcast episode, we award US$20 to the best voice mail, email or blog comment we receive.ShareThis | 9/14/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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3 |
Selling Geek podcast #12 - GPS for sales pros | In this episode of the Selling Geek podcast, we interview Tim Flight, the moderator of the popular website for information about GPS devices: GPS Review. Click here for a complete transcription of this interview. What is GPS? How does it work? What GPS systems have the best maps? How does GPS benefit sales professionals? Advantages and disadvantages of portable, in-dash and mobile phone based GPS devices What are the best GPS features for salespeople? Which GPS devices should salespeople consider buying, and why? How much do good GPS systems cost?nbsp; Will they continue to get less expensive over time? What future developments can we expect in GPS technology? How should sales pros evaluate and buy a GPS? Links to resources mentioned in this show: Mozilla Firefox 3.0 Microsoft Internet Explorer - IE8 Beta Federal Aviation Administration Research in Motion (RIM) BlackBerry LinkedIn GPSReview.net NavTeq Tele Atlas Bluetooth Garmin - Nuvi series Magellan TomTom - XL330 Dash ShareThis | 8/31/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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4 |
Selling Geek podcast #11 - The Death of Voicemail | In this special extended edition of the Selling Geek podcast, we comment on recent technology news of interest to sales professionals, and we speculate about the possible future end of the scourge of salespeople everywhere: voice mail. Please give us your comments and feedback on our U.S. toll-free message line: 877-345-7763, or from anywhere in the world at: +1 404-418-4970, or leave your comment below.nbsp; In each podcast episode, we award US$20 to the best voice mail, email or blog comment we receive. Links to resources mentioned in this show: Aiptek V10 pocket projector Dell Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace (HANG UP) Act Delta Airlines wireless service American Airlines wi-fi access Apple Microsoft PC Magazine J.D. Power T-Mobile Jott Selling Geek podcast #3 - our previous review of Jott Chrysler Sales Roundup podcast TechCrunch Skype Pinger GrandCentral YouMail Apple iPhone Spinvox PhoneTag Yap Gain Control of Your Day podcast Today in iPhone podcast CRM expert Rich Bohn InfusionSoft Please give us a good review on iTunes! Good luck and good selling!ShareThis | 8/24/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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5 |
Selling Geek podcast #10 - CRM expert Rich Bohn | In this episode of the Selling Geek podcast, we interview SellMoreNow.com's expert analyst on customer relationship management (CRM) software, Rich Bohn, about: the state of CRM today what makes CRM succeed - or fail low-cost CRM alternatives the future of CRM Click here for a complete transcription of this interview. Links to resources mentioned in the show: SellMoreNow.com CSO Insights Siebel/Oracle salesforce.com Oprius PipelineDeals Entellium Zoho CRM Infusionsoft SAP CRM Microsoft Dynamics CRM ACT! by Sage Software Goldmine by FrontRange "Cloud computing" SellMoreNow4CRM.com - Rich's free interactive forum for discussing all aspects of CRM - all invited to participate! ShareThis | 8/9/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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6 |
Selling Geek podcast #9 - PhoneTag | Selling Geek evaluates PhoneTag! | 8/5/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
7 |
Selling Geek podcast #8 - Adobe Acrobat 9 | Selling Geek evaluates Adobe Acrobat 9! | 7/27/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
8 |
Selling Geek podcast #7 - Cars for sales pros | Selling Geek interviews CNET\'s Brian Cooley about the best cars for sales pros! | 7/20/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
9 |
Selling Geek podcast #6 - Mobile phones for sales pros | Selling Geek interviews Sascha Segan, PC Magazine\'s expert on mobile phones! | 7/13/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
10 |
Selling Geek podcast #5 - LinkedIn: the social network for business | Selling Geek evaluates LinkedIn! | 6/29/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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11 |
Selling Geek podcast #4 - Twitter, what is it good for? | Selling Geek reviews Twitter! | 6/15/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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12 |
Selling Geek podcast #3 - Jott voice to text service | Selling Geek evaluates Jott! | 6/8/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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13 |
Selling Geek podcast #2 - YouSendIt file transfer service | Last fall, I was working on a sales improvement project for a client in the UK. They asked me to develop several short videos for their team. This was a rush project ndash; with a very short deadline. They couldnrsquo;t wait for me to burn the videos to a DVD disk, and ship the disk overseas ndash; they wanted the files right now. ldquo;No problem,rdquo; I thought, ldquo;Irsquo;ll just email these 150 megabyte files to them.rdquo; Ah, not so fast, grasshopper. Did you know that most corporate networks reject media attachments to emails, or at least block emails with attachments over 10 megabytes in size? For some reason, my usually geeky brain had forgotten that even Google mail and Yahoo mail have file attachment size limits. (Duh!) ldquo;No problem,rdquo; I thought, ldquo;Irsquo;ll just set up a little FTP site on my home server using FileZilla. (A very cool file transfer protocol server program ndash; but thatrsquo;s another showhellip;) And so I did. But, alas, my client was most displeased. Irsquo;d forgotten that my AT#38;T DSL broadband service provided lightning-fast 6 megabytes per second download transfer speeds, but my upload speed was limited to just 512 kilobytes per second ndash; and so my client was pulling his hair out and cursing my now twice-demonstrated technical naiveteacute;. (Argh!) So, what was I to do? Enter, my saviorhellip; YouSendIt, the slickest file transfer service Irsquo;ve ever used, and clearly of immense value to any sales professional that has to send large files to prospects or customers. YouSendIt enables you to send large electronic files to anyone with an e-mail address. And itrsquo;s a breeze to use. You simply use your Internet browser to log in to the YouSendIt.com website and upload your file, which is stored in a secure, private location. YouSendIt sends an email to your intended recipient, and provides them with a web link to your file. They simply click the link and download the file to their computer. Also, YouSendIt can be used by your customers to send you large files, too. They simply upload their file to your private dropbox location on the YouSendIt website, and you receive a notification e-mail that itrsquo;s there, ready for you to transfer to your PC. Costs What does YouSendIt cost? Well, that depends. For most sales pros, the totally free Lite subscription will meet the needs of salespeople with occasional large file transfer requirements ndash; the Lite plan allows file transfers up to 100 megabytes in size, with a monthly transfer bandwidth limit of 1 gigabyte, and a maximum number of 100 downloads per file. That means that you can send up to ten files per month if they are the maximum allowed 100 megabyte size. If thatrsquo;s not enough capacity for you, the next level subscription, called the Pro plan, costs US$9.99 per month, and allows file transfer sizes of up to 2 gigabytes each, with a monthly download bandwidth limit of 40 gigabytes, and up to 500 file downloads per month ndash; it also gives you 2 gigabytes of online storage space, and more control over your file tracking and distribution. For sales teams, YouSendIt also provides even more advanced subscription plans ndash; the Business Plus plan at US$29.99 per month, and the variable tier priced Corporate Suite plan with unlimited bandwidth and downloads. These advanced subscriptions also provide the ability to brand your download pages with your company logo and colors, if you wish, or integrate YouSendIt capability into your own website, and other flexible features. Even if you have the free Lite subscription, YouSendIt provides for exceptions, allowing you to transfer a file larger than 100 megabytes (up to the maximum of 2 gigabytes), for a one-time fee of US$8.99. Thatrsquo;s pretty pricey for a one-time exception fee ndash; but itrsquo;s still cheaper than most overnight express shipping charges, and of course, the transfer is instantaneous. And, you can always upgrade your free ... | 5/31/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
14 |
Selling Geek podcast #1 - Aliph’s New Jawbone headset | Irsquo;ve sometimes had to take important calls with customers as I was driving from one sales appointment to another, but Irsquo;ve always cringed at the impression I was making ndash; with all the background noise, Irsquo;m sure my in-transit calls made less than a completely professional impression. I also remember one teleconference with a hot prospect, which I made from my home office, just when my lawn maintenance guy fired up his mower right outside my office window, turning my call into a ldquo;how fast can I hit the mute button?rdquo; contest. But for the past year, I never worried about background noise on mobile phone calls. Thatrsquo;s because Irsquo;ve been using a Jawbone noise-canceling Bluetooth headset, from Aliph. This amazing device screens out virtually all background noise, allowing only your voice to pass through. With my Jawbone connected, I confidently make calls from my car, from the street, from the airport terminal, wherever, all with perfect clarity ndash; my call recipients all think Irsquo;m calling from my nice, quiet office. And now, the New Jawbone Now, Aliph has released its second generation of the Jawbone headset, which they appropriately but uninspiredly named the New Jawbone. I wonder what they will call the third generation someday ndash; the New New Jawbone? Regardless of what you call it, the New Jawbone is indeed a significant improvement over the previously impressive original model, and well worth buying, even at its relatively hefty retail price of just under US$130. The styling of the old model Jawbone was best described as Borg-like ndash; an approximately one inch by two inch metal mesh rectangle hanging from your ear, it reminded me of that episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation when Captain Picard was assimilated by an evil cyborg race ndash; ldquo;I am Locutus, of Borg. Resistance is futile.rdquo; The New Jawbone is half the size of the original model, and half of the weight at less than half an ounce, which makes it much more comfortable to wear. This lighter weight also gives you the option to wear the Jawbone as a purely in-ear headset, or with a flexible attached leather-covered earloop. I wear glasses, so an in-ear option is important to me ndash; and yet I found the New Jawbone comfortable to wear both with or without the earloop. Aliph gives you four different earloop sizes, and three different earbud sizes, so you can find the perfect fit for your particular pinna. Make no mistake, though ndash; this headsetrsquo;s styling is still clearly Jawbone-ish, albeit on a smaller rectangle with a new diamond-patterned metallic finish in black, gold or silver. Even better than the original model, this New Jawbone makes as strong a fashion statement as it does about performance. Performance And letrsquo;s talk about performance ndash; the New Jawbonersquo;s ldquo;NoiseAssassinrdquo; technology is even more amazing that the original modelrsquo;s noise canceling capabilities. The best way to describe it is simply to listen to a demonstration. (Click on the player at the top of this article, and you'll see what we mean.) How does the New Jawbone cut out all the background noise? It's all in the design, which features one important difference from other headsets. At the end closest to your mouth is a small plastic nub, which rests against your face. This nub picks up the vibrations from your voice, and the New Jawbone then compares these vibrations to all the sound waves coming through the microphones, and then filters the unwanted background noise in real-time. Aliph perfected this technology for the military, and itrsquo;s very impressive in its performance. I tested the New Jawbonersquo;s Bluetooth pairing capabilities against three different phones, a Blackberry 8830, Motorola Razr, and a Treo 630, and had no trouble connecting with any of them. Further, I found the range of the headset to be about 20 feet before I noticed any significant signal l... | 5/25/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 14 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Selling Geek
Good show and great last episode (PHONE TAG). If you are into sales as a profession or just as an entrepreneur, the hints and tips delivered here are valuable. The logical details and progression in PHONE TAG are good and deliver fact-filled reviews of tools that can help someone who wants to avoid time-wasting frustrations.
Sales people should listen...
great podcast... thank you.
Nothing but a glorified ad for sponsors
Nothing but a glorified ad for sponsors. Worthless.
