Day 2 of the Taking Your Firm Virtual Summit was another informational and fun-filled day with some of the industry’s top speakers (and attendees!).
Day 2 Review
Yesterday we published a Day 1 Review, just in case you missed it. But now let’s talk about what happened on Wednesday! It was all about Networking in the fabulous “fluid space” of the Airmeet platform to get the day started. You can move around to get closer to those you want to engage in conversation with, whether in a one-on-one or a small group. These conversation “pods,” or maybe really “orbs,” allow you to chat, speak over audio, or connect through video chat. As I mentioned in yesterday’s piece, the chat is one of my favorite aspects of this summit, allowing you to see different comments, thoughts, and perspectives on the topic at hand. And just when I thought the chat interaction was just a fantastic way to connect, Nayo found an even better way. In Airmeet, during the sessions in the fluid space, you can video chat and really connect with a person (I’ll touch on what this does when I discuss the last session of the day).
Next up was David Sellick to present Deck it Out: Using a Streamdeck to Automate. I have recently been hearing more about using a Streamdeck, but really wasn’t sure what it was, what it did, or why I might need to use it. After that session… wow… the possibilities! What a cool tool to quickly access what you need. Then we had Can You Hear Me Now? Exploring VoIP systems with George Dandridge Jr. EA, CTC, NTPI, Rebecca Driscoll, CPA, Safietou D. Russel, CPA, EA, MST and Vimal (Vic) Bava, CPA. This session focused on a number of voice over Internet Protocol services and demonstrated how these professionals used them in their firms. The speakers used their actual dashboards for examples so you really got to see how these products were being utilized.
“I loved the VoIP session! It was beneficial to hear how the different speakers used these platforms to streamline client and internal communication”, said Mollie Macklin, Digital Marketing Specialist at Plinqit. “Client communication is often one of the most important factors in client retention and experience, so learning how to do this effectively could really help some firms take their client experience up a notch.”
The afternoon started with a Speed Networking session, and then for Lunch & Learn, we learned all about FreshBooks invoice and accounting software for small businesses. The next two sessions focused on you as the business owner, whether you’re running the business by yourself or with a team. Nakeisha Jones discussed Taking the Leap: Going from full time employee to full time business owner and the lessons she learned along the way. The key takeaway was to build community. “Don’t do business alone. Connect yourself with others that will push you and help your business grow.” Manasa Nadig next presented Solo-ish: How one firm owner is using her team & automation to run her practice. It is amazing how much work can be done when processes are in place and you can work smarter (not harder).
We then had 30 minutes to explore vendor booths and network in the fluid space. For me, as a sponsor, this was a fantastic opportunity! On the first day, I had visitors in the booth that I could immediately message and let them know I hoped they were enjoying the summit and that I was there to answer any questions. But during this explore time, I posted in the Summit Feed and encouraged everyone to stop by our booth to learn more about Bookkeep, connect with us on social media, join our free online community Ecomm as you are, and check out our downloadable resources:
- The economic impact of manual accounting data for retailers, restaurants and accounting firms (Research report 1)
- Inside the CAS department: Today’s practices & perspectives on ecommerce accounting (Research report 2)
- How to book sales & deposits from Square to QuickBooks
- How to book sales & deposits Grubhub to QuickBooks or Xero
With this, I had more visitors not only enter my booth, but join a table so that we could chat on video and they could ask questions. It was a great feeling to have multiple people at the table interested in what our accounting automation is all about. I don’t expect these visitors to jump and commit to Bookkeep, but just making that personal connection and giving them information and resources was a “win” for me.
The last session of the day was Jason Staats presenting Camera Ready: How to Stand Out on Video, and I learned so many valuable tips and tricks for utilizing video. It was so interesting to think about how going the extra mile to use video enables implicit trust. Clients want to hear your voice, they want to see your face, and the more they see and hear, the more trust they have with you. Video can be a huge trust builder, and can help streamline your workflow. Think about the things you explain often, make a sanitized explainer and re-use it! He passed along best practices about lighting, camera, framing, and orientation, and we all realized what we could improve on. If you are thinking about starting videos… just do it! Your peers already love the person you are, and they will get to know you better. It helps your business and your brand!
Conclusion
The information during this summit is invaluable to anyone working in the accounting industry. Hopefully this summary will inspire you to consider some of these tactics, and follow these speakers and Taking Your Firm Virtual on social media to engage in the conversation.
If you still haven’t registered and you’re starting to feel like you should’ve attended, you can go on and purchase the All Access Pass, which gives you lifetime access to all the session recordings from this year’s summit plus bonus content!
We’re here for day three and we’ll have one more blog for you tomorrow!
