Today we have a guest post from Tom Drews. Tom is the CEO and Founder of What Works! Communications, a company that helps people to design and deliver effective virtual presentations. He is considered to be a leader in the field, and his clients include Google, Symantec, CLIF Bar, McKesson and Citrix Online. You can learn more about his programs at www.whatworks.biz.

Presenting and selling in the virtual environment is the wave of the future! It can be an incredibly effective means of communicating both your message and your value. That said, it will mean next to nothing if you can't effectively engage them. And that is the number one challenge we face when presenting online. What follows are ten best practices for engaging your prospect when using GoToMeeting, or any comparable platform.

Know Your Platform Well

In my early days, I inadvertently kicked 150 people out of a meeting, crashed my computer, and kept an audience waiting for eight minutes while I figured out how to push the start button. Learn from my mistakes and know your platform inside and out! Practice makes perfect. Make dry runs and call support when necessary, and be sure to look for an easy-to-use solution.

Present Value Throughout

The biggest mistake I see sales people make is not presenting value. You may have the greatest product or service in the world, but it will mean next to nothing if you can't effectively communicate your value based on your prospect's most important needs. The very small percentage of virtual sales presentations that hold prospects' attention are those that deliver genuine value based on the audience's most important needs. Connect with your prospect in advance to learn more about their situation, the problems they face, the impact those problems are having on their business, and their needs.

Grab Your Audience's Attention

Most people begin their presentations with an agenda, or by talking about themselves. This is painfully boring. We have to grab the prospect's attention right from the start, or else we may lose them forever. Start with a provocative question, a personal story, a quote, or an interesting fact. My favorite way to start is by presenting the number one challenge that my prospect faces, and then showing how solved the same problem for another customer. Be sure to add engaging visuals, photos or graphics to help support your point.

Keep Your Slides Simple

At least 95% of the presentations I see are crammed with text. Here's the problem with this: We are naturally designed to read what's in front of us, and while you're reading what's on the screen, you're not paying attention to what I have to say. I suggest breaking complex slides into several different slides, and adding visuals to support each point. You can also use a build, where you bring in points one by one. That way the audience isn't reading ahead. And if you absolutely have to keep your slides busy, then at the very least use the annotation tools to help draw attention to what you want your prospect to focus on.

Add Some Hollywood

Instead of designing a dull PowerPoint® presentation, imagine yourself as the writer, director, producer and actor of your own Hollywood production. An Academy Award-winning film consists of thousands of images strung together to tell a story. Apply this approach to your virtual presentations. How can you add photos and other visuals to help you tell your story and illustrate your points? For an example of how to present Hollywood, feel free to view our recorded webinar at www.whatworks.biz under the "event" tab. For stock photos, www.istockphoto.com is my favorite resource.

Make the Most of Your Voice

When presenting online, we don't have the luxury of connecting with eye communication, our bodies, and movement. All we really have to work with are our visuals and our voice. So we have to make the most of it. There are many elements of voice, including volume, tone, inflection, pace and articulation. Record your Web presentations, and then play it back for yourself or others so you can collect feedback and make an honest assessment of your voice. I don't recommend using a cell phone, but I do suggest using a headset connected to a landline.

Eliminate Distractions

I have polled literally thousands of people to learn what they find most annoying when sitting in on virtual presentations, and distractions rise to the top of the list. If someone in the audience is making unnecessary noises, such as coughing, heavy breathing or burping, don't hesitate to mute them. Be conscious of your own background noise, as well. I've sat in on webinars and heard people doing dishes, dogs barking and people snoring. You want your prospect to focus on you, your message, and the value that you have to offer, and that is it.

Use Annotation Tools

Most Web conferencing platforms, such as GoToMeeting, provide annotation tools, which include pens, arrows, boxes, circles, laser pointers and more. The highlighter is one of the most useful tools. It is essentially a pen that allows you to highlight text and other images. Using annotation tools throughout your presentation will help to keep your attendees engaged and focused on your most relevant content.

Interact Often

When presenting virtually, we can't see our prospect, and they "know" that we can't see them. So they're free to do whatever they wish. Social Media and Email are some of the most common distractions nowadays. In order to keep our prospect from wandering, it is absolutely essential that we interact often. Most Web conferencing platforms provide interactive tools such as Polling, chat rooms and white boards, which are ideal for keeping larger audiences engaged. Interact with smaller audiences by asking questions and fielding questions throughout. My No. 1 strategy for interacting and engaging with smaller groups is to address people by their first names, and ask individuals if you're on track and covering their most important needs.

Stand and Deliver

Wearing a cordless headset connected to a landline will allow you to have your hands free, as well as your body. If you use a remote clicker, as you would when presenting in person, you can move about the room while advancing your slides. If frees up your energy so you can be your most enthusiastic self. I've witnessed some of the most successful sales people walking around and gesturing enthusiastically while delivering virtual sales presentations.

In conclusion, presenting in the virtual environment can be an incredibly effective way of communicating your message and your value to your audience. Focus on your value, add some "Hollywood," and keep them entertained. By doing so, you'll be sure to more effectively engage your audience and leave them with a message they won't forget! Of course, you will also shorten your sales cycle, beat the competition, and close more business.

Photo Credit: ShashiBellamkhonda

I believe one of the most important character traits of a successful workshifter is self-discipline. While working remotely obviously gives us all a great deal of freedom and flexibility, it's up to us to put ourselves on a leash - figuratively, of course - in order to actually get things done and succeed.

Without adequate levels of self-discipline, it's likely your work and business will suffer. Here are some of the standards that I've set to condition myself and maintain the discipline that's needed on a daily basis when you're working outside of an office.

• Set working hours and stick to them. Whether it's 7 a.m., 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., make a commitment to start working at the same time every day and do not budge from this under any circumstances. This will help your colleagues and clients know when to contact you.
  
  
• Make yourself available to your colleagues and clients using chat and instant messenger tools, like Skype, Google Talk or MSN Messenger. By signing in you are signaling that you are "in the office," thereby holding yourself accountable. This tactic will also help prevent you from falling into the habit of hitting snooze and sleeping those extra 30 minutes.
  
  
• Set aside blocks of time every day to perform tasks that may not be related to specific work projects - for example, spend 15 minutes in the morning and late afternoon updating your Twitter account or surfing Facebook . Or, dedicate the last 30 minutes before you shut down your computer to checking the mail or paying bills.  Setting aside these blocks of time to allow yourself to perform these tasks will help you condition your brain to stay focused throughout the rest of the day.
  
  
• Spend some time at the end of your workday to prioritize the activities that need to be addressed the following day.  This will help you mentally prepare for what's ahead and give you an immediate starting point on the next day.
  
  
• Record your time to determine what you've accomplished throughout the day. I do this anyway, since I have to complete a timesheet, and I've found that this gives me a sense of achievement, or, a kick in the rear if I haven't been as productive as I should have been. If you don't work in an environment where you record your time, I highly recommend doing this on your own.
  
  
• Finally, don't get discouraged when you're having one of those days where you feel like you have the attention span of a lightning bolt. It happens to everyone - whether you work in an office or not.
  

What about you? Do you struggle with self-discipline from time to time? If so, what do you do to overcome it?

Photo Credit: suttonhoo

The silent "D" in workshifting stands for self-discipline. The freedom of "office anywhere" allows us to have is sometimes dangerous for the new workshifter. It is easy for the high productivity environment created by working outside the office to have the opposite effect. Not having the office to discipline us requires that we discipline ourselves. This can be hard (Remember the first time you left home on your own).  

Self-disciple is part of our character. It is not willpower or a set of activities. I used to believe I was disciplined because I had a planned calendar and kept to it. I now believe it is deeper. To develop discipline we must start with our thoughts. Our thoughts then determine our actions. Our actions develop habits and our habits form character.

Thoughts --> Actions --> Habits = Character

Simple (not always easy) ways to achieve self-discipline:

Remember what you want most, not now. Focus on your goal. Adopt long-term thinking as opposed to short-term thinking. Set up short range rewards along the way to get you to the next step. If you get this- You have won 75% of the battle.

Advanced decision making. Make your decisions ahead of time. When the choice needs to be made, it isn't as hard. For example, if I decide before I go to dinner that I am not going to order dessert,  when the waiter asks at the restaurant, it is easier to choose "no" because I already decided.  

Consistent action. Repeated actions lead to habits. Habits form your character. Start with a simple area to be consistent in. I have a friend who started making her bed each morning to develop a consistent habit. This small habit formed a character of discipline which has permeated into her professional life.

The freedom to workshift is a blessing or a curse. Discipline determines which one we experience.

What do you do to create a character of self-discipline?

Photo Credit: qousqous 

When organizations and individuals start having conversations about workshifting, the discussion seems to naturally gravitate toward how to manage a person who isn't sitting around an office all day. It's a reality and unfortunately, this is where the workshifting concept can often get stuck.

A basic tenet of workshifting is being able to manage yourself. That's not to say people who work in offices can't manage themselves, but I've heard from many people over the years that they need an office to visit each day. Because working from home or the local coffee shop can sometimes be a distraction. And having an office away from home keeps them focused.

So I thought it might be interesting to start a discussion on qualities of self-management. Obviously, they apply whether you're in a workshifting arrangement or not. But if you are considering asking for a workshifting arrangement, this might be food for thought. And even if you find these are qualities you need to work on, that doesn't mean you won't be successful in workshifting. It just means you need to reflect a little and perfect your ability to self-manage.

The first quality is knowing yourself. It's about understanding your strengths and weaknesses. Being very honest with who you are. Let's face it - we're not all rock stars at everything.

There are a few ways you can spend time learning about yourself. I always say there are three ways to learn - hearing it, seeing it and doing it.

1. Ask for feedback. Talk with people who have a sense of your working style and ask them for feedback about your strengths and areas for improvement. If you don't have anyone you can ask right now, think about prior performance appraisals you've received and use that feedback.
   
   Once you get feedback, take the time to process and evaluate it. I'd caution people not to immediately dismiss it. You might agree with all of it, parts of it, or none of it. But think it though, make the decision for yourself, and then decide what you will do with the information. Do you need to create an action plan to work on something that was mentioned?
   
   
2. Read books about developing strengths. One terrific book is called, "Now Discover Your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham. In the book, there is an opportunity to take an assessment that can help you define your personal strengths. Great way to create your own path of self-discovery.
   
   If you have ever taken any assessments in the past, this is a good time to take them out and review them. Consider the results and, like the process above, evaluate what you need to focus on moving forward.
   
   
3. Step out of your comfort zone and do something you haven't done before. For example, if you're apprehensive about public speaking...go out there and volunteer to do a public presentation. Use the evaluations from the sessions to improve. Then do it again.
   

Stepping back to assess and evaluate our personal strengths and weaknesses is a valuable exercise not only for workshifting but anytime. It allows us to keep ourselves focused and positioned to adapt as necessary.

Next up, how self-management and our careers are intertwined.

Photo Credit: Valerie Everett

Wifi is great. Except when it isn't there. And it's usually when you need wifi the most that it's either not available or goes down.

But if you have a smartphone and a good data plan, you can can get around any wifi problems that you might encounter. How? By tethering your phone to your laptop.

Tethering?
Think of tethering as turning your smartphone into a high-speed modem for your laptop or netbook. It's easy to do, and can not only but a life saver but a sanity saver too. Tethering has enabled me to get information and deliverables to clients when the wireless I've been using has gone down.

Tethering involves connecting your smartphone to your laptop. That can be a physical connection using a cable (I know, how old school!) or making the connection using Bluetooth. Once attached, your phone's data connection acts like wifi.

Your connection speed will, as you've probably guessed, depend on your phone's signal strength. When you're getting four or five bars your Internet connection will be barely distinguishable from a good wifi link. On the other hand, if you're phone is only getting a couple of bars ... like molasses is a good way to describe the experience.

What you'll need
Obviously, you need a smartphone and a laptop. Keep in mind that not all smartphones support tethering. Ones that do include the iPhone, several models of BlackBerry, and most Android-powered phones.

Besides a phone, you'll need a 3G data plan. Anything else and you might not be able to tether. If you can, then you'll get speeds that rival dial up. If you're going to tether, make sure you have a data plan that gives you a lot of bandwidth; at least 5 GB a month.

You'll also need a USB cable to connect your smartphone to your laptop; the phone usually comes with one. This is a moot point if you're tethering over a Bluetooth connection.

You might also need to install drivers -- specialized software that allows your computer to interact with your phone -- on your computer. This isn't always necessary, but whether or not you'll need to install drivers will depend on your phone.

Explaining how to tether specific smartphones is outside the scope of this post. You can find some good tutorials here. And here's an overview to tethering an Android-powered phone running the latest version of the operating system.

Drawbacks
Yes, there are a few. The biggest one is that you can really burn through your data plan's bandwidth by tethering. Getting hit by additional charges, like a colleague of mine recently did, can really hurt your wallet.

While your phone is tethered, you can't make or receive calls. Any calls will be shunted to your voicemail.

Finally, if you use Bluetooth to tether your phone to your laptop that will really speed up the drain on the battery for both your phone and your laptop. Using a USB cable isn't too bad -- taking this route will charge your phone.

Overall, though, the benefits of tethering a smartphone to a laptop outweigh the disadvantages. As long as you do it sparingly, tethering can be a great addition to any workshifter's toolkit.

What are your experiences with tethering?


Photo credit: .shock from Photoxpress

Much like the shirtless dancing guy in the amusing but compelling video above, workshifting is a physical movement--but instead of flailing your arms, you seamlessly move the location of where you do work. One day, you're meeting your manager online from a coffee shop.  And the next, you're prepping a client presentation while sitting at an airport gate.  This is all possible thanks to the World Wide Web and its wondrous ways of allowing us to use remote technologies.

• www.workshifting.com ;)
• "Work Unchained: Workshifting and the Competitive Edge of the Anywhere Office" [podcast, eBook]
• "Leading Virtual Effectiveness: Four Strategies for Effective Communication in a Distributed Workforce" [eBook]
• "The Top Ten Strategies for Managers of Mobile Workers" [white paper]
• "Presenting the Business Case for Web Commuting" [white paper, podcast]

Today's post is from Josiane Feigon, author of the bestselling book Smart Selling on the Phone and Online, the sourcebook for inside sales. Her Cubicle Chronicles blog is voted among the top 25 sales blogs. She is founder and CEO of TeleSmart Communications, a 20-year veteran and thought leader of the industry, Josiane is recognized as one of the world's leading experts on inside sales team and manager talent, providing consulting, coaching, and training solutions for hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies. Visit Josiane's website: www.tele-smart.com to read her blog, purchase her book, and download her latest e-books and white papers.

As a home office-based working journalist and corporate copy writer, my job sometimes takes me on the road. This coming week, for example, I'll be gigging as a reporter for a private organization's trade show daily. Not sexy, but a nice gig amid the otherwise doldrums of summer-- a remote work gig for a remote worker.

But how will I make sure it happens seamlessly and without jeopardizing existing projects? And how will I make sure I work as effectively as possible from the road?

First, I clear it up front with this client: Between work for you, I'll need to do some work for my other clients. They're cool with that. They have to be, or else the gig won't work.

Next, I set expectations for my existing clients. I tell them I'll be on the road, with limited timely access to e-mail and phone calls. They know I have my BlackBerry, and I've kind of spoiled them by responding too quickly at times (or at odd hours). Not this time, I warn. "If you need me, it might take a while to get back to you."

As for my gear, that's how the work really gets done. My Oakley backpack, which generally is packed and ready for remote work on a moment's notice, will become my mobile office. In it are my...

• HP Tablet laptop. Small and portable with fairly long battery life, this has been a workhorse of my remote-work life.
• Verizon broadband USB card. I've been told I won't need my own Internet access - that the press room at the event will have Ethernet or wireless. But the size of my thumb, it's better just to bring it along and be safe and connected.
• Mini Surge Protector and power strip - with four outlets and two USB jacks for charging. I won't have my camera to charge (an extra BlackBerry charger is always packed in my bag). You never know when power outlets will be at a premium. And I've learned that power in hotels and cruise ships can be "dirty" with spikes and surges. Best to clean it up with a good protector.
• Laptop cable lock. Always. Small and portable, its high tensile-strength cable and compact size mean it never leaves my bag. There will be times I will want to leave my laptop behind - if only for a few moments. I just make sure to loop it through something secure.
• Laptop desk. My LapWorks folding tray/desk has turned awkward situations into more comfortable work settings. Weighing less than a pound, it folds to stash beside my laptop. When open, it can be a laptop desk, or a angled, desktop perch.
• Analgesics. I go nowhere without my Excedrin (in a small Dramamine travel tube) and little vials of saline for my contact lenses. Headaches can be the curse of any creative existence.

What's not in my bag? My USB headphones for Skype, my card reader and portable accessories kit, simple tools, and a few other things. We'll get to those in a future post. But I generally bring things I know I must have. Anything else can be purchased at the hotel gift shop.

This Workshifter exclusively uses Gmail, Google Contacts and Google Calendar for all my email, contact management and scheduling. So it's as pervasive and close as my access to The Cloud. For those projects I'm working on while away at this gig, they're never farther than my Carbonite.com online back-up account. Everything on my desktop is backed up - and accessible from - "out there."

With my bag packed and assuming my Cloud's intact, my office is ready to go anywhere. If you need me, leave a message. I'll get back to you - even if it's 2 a.m.

What are your essential tools?



Photo Credit: Jon Dunning

Where do workshifters come from?  Obviously, they're dropped off by a stork. But, are they born workshifters or do they have to become workshifters?

Most workshifters were at one time or another sedentary office workers, before they took the leap to working independently.  Recently, I was preparing to make the shift from occasional workshifter to permanent workshifter.  It occurred to me when making the transition, that despite the fact that I had been working outside the office for several days at a time, the move to permanent workshifting required a lot of preparation.

And so, to help others who are just about to take the plunge, here are some tips for how to effectively prepare yourself.

Tip 1: Start preparing early.  If you stop reading here, that's fine, as long as you take this piece of advice.  It will shock you just how much prep work you have to do to transition to workshifting, especially if you hadn't been conscious of the fact that you might eventually need to.  Because you'll likely be doing this prep work at the same time as your day job, you'll need time to get it done, so start early.

Physical Documents

Tip 2: Develop digital habits. Physical documents are just a given when you work in an office, but as a workshifter, they're a pain in the neck.  No one wants to carry around manilla folders, take the risk of spilling coffee over them, having them get crumpled in your bag, or risk bringing the wrong folder to a meeting.  Instead, workshifters need to go digital, and so that means that while you're still an office worker, you should start developing digital habits: take notes with software, keep a digital calendar, scan documents, opt for electronic versions whenever possible, etc.

Tip 3: Take stock of all your hard copy files. So, all those manilla folders that you've stowed in your filing cabinets over the years, it's time to go through them and decide why you're really keeping them.  Chances are, you will find documents that you recall why you wanted to keep them in the first place.  Trash as much as you can at this point.  It's about streamlining.

Tip 4: Scan everything you need to keep. Now that you've gotten rid of the excess, get access to a scanner and scan all the documents you've decided are important.  Once you've digitized (and backed them up), you will go ahead and shred these paper documents.  They will no longer weigh you down.

Tip 5: Store everything else with colleagues. If you're leaving the office worker role, but remaining with the same company, there may be files that you don't quite need, but that you think others might, or that it would be a good idea if someone had them.  Lean on your colleagues, or your successor to take this stuff from you.  Make sure to explain what it is, and why they might need it, otherwise it will land at the bottom of a filing cabinet, never to be seen again.

Tip 6: Digitize notebooks. As much as I like to think of myself as a digital native, I still take notes in notebooks, on notepads, and on post-its.  When I went back through these notes, I found that most of the stuff was no longer useful, but was surprised to see that some notes I had taken over a year ago could still be useful today.  So, I went through my notebooks and recycled or shredded that which was unnecessary, but added all my notes that were still relevant to a text file, that I could keep at my disposal.

Tip 7: Keep your notes as simple as possible.  In the previous tip, I said put the notes in a text file.  Over the years, colleagues have laughed at me for my staunch devotion to Notepad, the hyper-basic pre-installed Windows text editor (actually I've upgraded to Notepad++, but still find myself opening Notepad out of habit).  While they laugh, I continue to use text editors for many reasons.  They are lightweight, and so I can have a ton of windows open at once and not experience any additional drag on my hardware (and for those who've worked with corporate PC's, you know this can be crucial).  They're also universally readable.  I don't need to worry about the compatibility of my text file if I move it from my office desktop, to my Macbook or to my Linux laptop.  In a pinch, I can even read my text file from a command prompt.  This flexibility will come in handy as a workshifter.

E-mail

Now that you've cleared your physical world of clutter, it's time to do the same for your electronic world, and where better to start than with every knowledge worker's biggest time suck: e-mail. Note that this is really only going to be important if, like me, you're transitioning from a local e-mail client (a la MS Outlook or Lotus Notes) on a company machine to a web-based client, or using an exchange server.  If your email has always been cloud-based, then things should be business as usual for you.

Tip 8: Pick a system and stick to it. There are as many e-mail organization systems as there are people.  I have a colleague who is the neatest most organized person I have ever met.  The consequence of this is that you need a blueprint in order to figure out the folder structure of his Outlook mailbox.  Tracking down an archived e-mail is like navigating a labyrinth.  I am a Gmail fanboy, and my e-mail classification of using only 3 folders spills over from that experience.  This can sometimes be slightly problematic because Outlook's search functionality is not as great as Gmail's, but overall, I still find I have an easier time searching for an e-mail than I do retrieving it from a labyrinth of folders.  In the end, though, which system you use, doesn't matter, as long as it's consistent.

Tip 9: E-mails that you think will be important, save on your company Exchange server. Remember that when you archive e-mails, by definition they're coming off your company's server and being saved elsewhere (by default, that's on your PC).  If you're leaving behind your old machine when you turn workshifter, saving those important e-mails to its hard drive won't be helpful, so instead, make sure important e-mails stay on the server, so that they can be accessed from webmail, your Blackberry, or other e-mail client.

Tip 10: Locally archive things that you probably won't ever need. Like with physical documents, there are many e-mails you will likely never need.  If you are sure you'll never need them, delete them.  If you doubt that you'll ever need them, but aren't sure, archive them.  After all, most companies give you limited space to save e-mail on the server and require you to archive.

Tip 11: Create a copy of your archive. Now, if you're leaving your old computer behind, archiving files that you think you might possibly need some day isn't going to do you any good, so go ahead and create a copy of your archive.  In fact, create multiple copies, because data can easily be lost on something as fragile as a CD/DVD or a web server.

Tip 12: Get used to using webmail services.  I actually spent my last month as an office worker accessing e-mail through webmail.  Partially by necessity (I'll get to that later), but also because it was a good habit to create for when i would be accessing e-mail this way all the time.

Electronic Files

Tip 13: Organize your files. Are you starting to see a theme here?  When making the switch from office worker to workshifter, organizing yourself is a great way to make sure nothing gets missed.  In terms of organizing your files, there are actually software programs that will do this for you (Belvedere for PC, Hazel for Mac).  Or, you can do what I did and take this opportunity to go through your hard drive and see just what all the files that you've saved since you started working for your current employer are.  You can then triage, organize, and delete to your heart's cotent.

Tip 14: Store everything in a specific folder.  For ease of back-up, and to make the next step painless, it's a good idea to save all the files that you will want to keep to the same folder.  That folder can have as many subfolders as you'd like, but it's important that everything be in one place.

Tip 15: Sync that folder to the cloud using Dropbox. As a workshifter, there are tons of applications out there that will promise to make your life easier.  For me, Dropbox wins the crown of favourite workshifting app.  Its potential uses are nearly limitless, but in this case, you'll be doing something very simple.  You'll install Dropbox (Dropbox referral link) on your machine that you're about to abandon (if you follow the above link, you'll get an additional 250 megs on top of the basic 2 gigs - I will also get an additional 250 megs - win win!).  Once that's done, you will take your folder that you've organized all of your files in and move it into your Dropbox folder.  Now, you can do two things with this folder.  First, you can install Dropbox on the machine you will be using from here on out so that you have access to those files indefinitely.  Second, you can share this folder with another user, so that if you want to leave your boss all your old files so he's not lost without you in the office, he'll have access to them too!

Tip 16: Backup to an external hard drive.  Honestly, this tip is mainly for those who work with large files that may be too large for Dropbox's free basic 2 gig limit.  In my case, the vast majority of my files were excel reports, databases, power point presentations and word documents.  Nothing too heavy.  But if you do video editing, or heavy design work, you may want to invest in an external hard drive to bring your old files with you.

Software & Hardware

Tip 17: Make a list of what kinds of files you use. As mentioned above, in my case, the majority of my files were spreadsheets, databases, power point presentations, word documents (and of course text files).  By doing this exercise, I know exactly what medium I spend my time working in.  That's important for the next tip.

Tip 18: Determine what the ideal tools for you would be. Here's where you get to have some fun and create your wishlist of tools you want.  Based on the file types you saw that you used, what tools would you ideally like to have?  Word?  Excel?  MS Project?  Photoshop?  Adobe Premiere?  Write this list down.

Tip 19:  Determine what on that list will be provided for you.  If you're workshifting, but are still an employee of a company, you may still get all the tools and comforts you're used to having at the office on the road, and it's just a matter of asking.  So, see what you can get your workshifting laptop set up with from your IT department.

Tip 20: Find open source alternatives.  If you're not workshifting on the company dime, or you prefer to use your own tools, shelling out for things like corporate editions of MS Office and Photoshop may be cost prohibitive, so find alternatives.  For starters, open source software is awesome.  I have been running Open Office on my home PC for years, and NeoOffice on my MacBook Pro with great success.  To find other open source alternatives for traditioinal software, check out osalt.com.  

Tip 21: Find cloud-based alternatives. Cloud-based software has come a long way in the past year or two, and many cloud-based apps are more than enough for most people.   Cloud-based alternatives can even be more convenient than traditional software because for a workshifter, it allows you to work from any machine with internet access.  Good starting points for cloud-based software are Google Docs, Zoho Docs, and the 37Signals suite of collaboration applications. There are tons more with price tags varying from free to pricey. Explore them all.

Tip 22: Determine your hardware needs.  I firmly believe that it is only once you've decided what software you need that you should decide on what hardware to purchase.  If every piece of software you need is Windows-based, buying a Mac is nonsensical, even if you can dual boot Windows on it.  (Although, it should be said that since having made the switch to Mac, the only file I have had issues with is MS Visio .vsd files, so perhaps I'm overstating the importance of picking the right hardware.)

Now, install your software, access your dropbox and your webmail, and it's like you never left the office!  The transition from office desktop to mobile workstation is complete.  If you've gone with cloud-based apps and webmail, your freedom is virtually unlimited.

Habits to Keep

Tip 23: Take digital notes. I'm horrible at following my own advice on taking notes one way.  In addition to text files, I use Evernote, moleskines, sticky notes and voice memos on my phone.  Don't be me.

Tip 24: Keep all your files in the cloud.  Whether you use Dropbox to keep all your files in the cloud, or Google Docs so that they're just cloud-based documents to begin with, keeping this habit means that you could drop your laptop in a river, and never miss a beat.

Tip 25: Save things in standard file formats. This is especially important if you start using some of the open source software I mentioned earlier.  Open source software generally allows you to save files in about 1,000 different formats.  Always pick the format that most closely resembles the standard file format for industries.  So, while I use Open Office and Neo Office, both of which have a .odf standard file extension, I save everything in MS Office XP format.  That way, I know just about anyone can open my file.

Bonus

Not so much a tip, but an anecdote that illustrates a bonus that comes with this kind of preparedness. I started preparing to transition to full-time workshifter about one month before my planned transition.  About two weeks before the move, my company laptop (an IBM Thinkpad T43 - a tank of a machine) died.  Had this happened to me two weeks earlier, I would have lost about two years worth of work that had been saved on my local hard drive, and that I had not been very diligent about backing up to company servers.  Because of my preparation to move to full-time workshifter, I lost nothing. All my most important files were already in my Dropbox, and ready and waiting for me when I booted up my MacBook Pro.

Being a workshifter is all about planning for eventualities, so planning to become one, has the fortunate byproduct of just plain making you better prepared.

What do you think?


Photo Credit: Matthileo

Gear. It's an essential part of workshifting. While you don't want to be that guy or gal, you do need to carry a few things with you when you're working away from the office. And I don't just mean a laptop or netbook or tablet, either.

Whether you carry a little or a lot when you workshift, a good bag for all of that gear is essential. Here are a few pointers for choosing the bag that's right for you.

Size matters

Up to a point, anyway. You're probably not carrying everything and a microwave oven. But you're also probably carrying more than just your smartphone and wallet.

Look for a bag that has enough room to carry the tools of your workshifting day. At the very minimum, the bag you choose should have space for a notebook or netbook computer, your phone and MP3 player, some physical files, a paper notebook and pens, and a USB flash drive or two. You might also want to make sure that the bag has space for a book (or an ebook reader), your wallet, a bottle of water or travel mug, and some snacks.

The bag itself should have as slim a profile as possible, though. I've lugged bulky bags around and they've been an inconvenience to me and to people on transit. Duffle bags are out, as a some backpacks - way too bulky. A good messenger or courier bag is a worth holding on to. More about this in a little while.

Accessibility

I don't know about you, but I usually need to get to the things in my bag in a hurry. Whether it's pulling out my wallet to pay for a hot chocolate at a cafe, putting away my netbook, whipping out a USB flash drive, or getting to my Moleskine and pen to jot down a note, I don't want to struggle with too many zippers or clasps.

A usable gear bag should have enough easy-to-access pouches of varying sizes - small for things like your wallet and phone, and larger for ... well, for larger items. Velcro covers or straps for those pouches make getting to what's in them easier.

Durability

No one like a bag (or anything else) that doesn't last. It's more than annoying; it adds another expense to your balance sheet. Over the years, I've owned a few bags that didn't last 12 months. Straps frayed and broke. The outer shell tore. Pockets wore out. And I'm careful (almost paranoid) when it comes to my stuff!

You're going to pay a premium for a durable bag. Even then, you're not always assured of getting one that will last. There are a few things to look at when choosing the right bag.
First, make sure that the fabric is thick but not heavy. Thin nylon doesn't cut it. In fact, it's easy cut. Heavier nylon is good, and it's lighter than canvas. Canvas, on the other hand, is tough and it's a lot more resistant to water than nylon.

Next, look at the zippers. Are they thin or thick? Plastic or metal? And how strongly are they stitched to the bag?

Versatility

Chances are you won't just use your gear bag for ... well, just lugging your gear. If that's the case, then the venerable laptop bag just doesn't cut it.

My gear bag (more on this in a moment) is also my carry on when I fly. And I use it as an overnight bag when taking short trips. So I need something that can carry my gear and my travel items. That means a bag that's big, but not too big, and durable.

A few choices

There are a lot of bags on the market. Here are a few that I recommend, based on all of the factors I discussed earlier.

My favorite, and the bag I use daily is the Carry On Travel Pack from Mountain Equipment Co-Op (a Canadian outdoor and gear retailer). I've used that bag daily for over five years, and it's been everywhere with me from around town, throughout Canada and the United States, and to China. Best of all, whenever I need to I can turn the Carry On into a backpack.

The Tom Bihn ID, while pricey ($140 USD), is well worth the price. If I wasn't so attached to my Carry On I'd seriously consider one of these. The ID big enough for a laptop and your other gear. It also has enough pouches for any and all of your accessories. The main portion of the bag is also well reinforced with foam, which will protect your laptop.

While the design isn't quite to my liking, I'm impressed with the Ogio Hip-Hop. Once again, it's a bag that has more than enough space for your gear and offers quick access to your phone, MP3 player, and even your laptop's AC adapter. There are also a pair of pockets on either side of the Hip-Hop for bottles of water or a travel mug.

What gear bag do you use? Share your favorites by leaving a comment.

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