If every email marketer possesses the possibility to make several wishes come true, one of them would be increasing the value proposition of emails. As we know, humanity lives in times when inboxes are flooded. That's why marketers understand very well that their goal is to find the proper method of attracting their clients. For this, marketers decide to send emails to customers that are both relevant and personalized. Nevertheless, there is no need to forget that it is not as easy as it seems to achieve this objective. If you are an owner of the business, you should probably handle recruitment and talent management. After you follow HR software development services, you will be able to create custom HR software to easily deal with administrative tasks. Speaking about marketers, they are lucky since they possess access to a large number of powerful real-time methods that assist them to bring their wishes into reality. As you may guess, the email segmentation strategy is among these methods. What Does Email Segmentation Mean? Being a widespread practice, segmentation is a process of dividing subscribers or email lists into smaller sections on the basis of certain parameters. These sections are also called "segments". Also, one may interpret this technique as a personalization method. It provides marketers with the opportunity to deliver highly targeted and customized messages to their customers. As a result, marketers can improve open rates, click-throughs, and conversions. This is not the only benefit of segmentation. According to recent research, segmented campaigns demonstrate unsubscribe rates lower by 9.37% in comparison with non-segmented campaigns. Do you hear about this practice for the first time? Do not hasten to panic since below we gathered everything you should know about email segmentation strategy and tips on how to build it successfully. Importance of Segmentation Have you ever wondered why marketers decide to make use of segmentation? Expert marketers know how significant segmentation is. First, it assists to satisfy the demands of diverse buyers. It is understandable that each of your customers possesses a number of their own interests and preferences. What's more, not all of them will be at a similar stage in your sales funnel. This is where the segmentation of the email list will be handy. It relieves you of the need to deliver the same emails to everyone on your customer list by allowing you to identify these various buyers. Moreover, segmentation is useful for the following reasons:   it assists in increasing conversions through personalization; with its help, you will be able to enhance your reputation; by introducing self-segmentation, one will have the opportunity to stimulate greater engagement; the possibility of using dynamic content, etc.   After answering the "why segmentation of email list" question, we may move on to learn about segmentation top practices, how to test the effectiveness of an email, and the enumeration of things to have attention while building a segmentation strategy. Take into Attention Next Things Nowadays, messages are becoming louder and clearer. That's why the segmentation of email lists is of high importance and an essential part of all efficient email campaigns. You can bring all of your staff onto a single interface using Troop Messenger for seamless team collaboration, helping you to work on your email list segmentation strategy. During building your segmentation strategy, your goal is to keep in mind several important things. One may wonder what those things are. Let's consider them in detail. Set Clear Email Segmentation Objectives The initial step you should perform before starting to segment your email lists is to ask yourself a significant question. What are the reasons for deploying target customer email segmentation? There is no doubt that segmentation assists marketers with numerous things. It enables them to drive greater interaction, boost conversions, curb unsubscribe rates, etc. Still, as an owner of a business, you should set a certain objective in mind before the process of the implementation of segmentation. Do you intend to segment your email lists for increasing content engagement? Or probably your goal is to boost sales? Or do you want to improve your deliverability? After all, you may desire to amalgamate these objectives. Howbeit, your task is to clearly understand your objectives for email segmentation. This will assist you to come up with email segmentation ideas and practices that would benefit your business the best. Pick the Fittest Kind of Segmentation After the main goals of segmentation are set, your next task is to define which segments will best assist you to achieve these objectives. For example, you set boosting sales as your leading goal. This means clients’ position in the sales funnel, previous purchases, demographic buying tendencies, interests, and preferences concerning products will be the main parameters on which you would segment your email list. In case you set another goal, for instance, lowering your unsubscribe rates, then the frequency of sent emails, preferences concerning the content, audience engagement rates, etc. should be parameters of your interest. Simply speaking, every objective of segmentation needs you to concentrate on various sets of parameters. This is another reason for remembering your end objectives while defining your segments. Choose Perceptible Segmentation Thresholds To divide your subscribers into various segments, your task is to indicate and choose perceptible segmentation thresholds for them first. Your subscribers will pretend for a certain segment only in case they correspond to the determining criterion for the same. Let's consider one of the audience segmentation examples and its threshold. We can suppose you hold an eCommerce store. You intend to create a segment titled "interested in coffee and tea sets". How do you think what threshold should be set? Should a client only browse sections with coffee and tea sets to merit an entry or is there a need to conduct several purchases in order to be classified as interested? Everything depends completely on you. On the contrary, what if you want to classify someone as “uninterested? What segmentation threshold will be in this case? Will you choose all clients who haven’t opened your emails for the last several months? Or do you desire to save the threshold at six months? Determination of segmentation thresholds assists marketers to stay up with the data expectations and demands of customers and, as a result, developing maximum personalized marketing campaigns. Choose Perceptible Segmentation Thresholds To divide your subscribers into various segments, your task is to indicate and choose perceptible segmentation thresholds for them first. Your subscribers will pretend for a certain segment only in case they correspond to the determining criterion for the same. Let's consider one of the audience segmentation examples and its threshold. We can suppose you hold an eCommerce store. You intend to create a segment titled "interested in coffee and tea sets". How do you think what threshold should be set? Should a client only browse sections with coffee and tea sets to merit an entry or is there a need to conduct several purchases in order to be classified as interested? Everything depends completely on you. On the contrary, what if you want to classify someone as “uninterested? What segmentation threshold will be in this case? Will you choose all clients who haven’t opened your emails for the last several months? Or do you desire to save the threshold at six months? Determination of segmentation thresholds assists marketers to stay up with the data expectations and demands of customers and, as a result, developing maximum personalized marketing campaigns. Top Practices of Email Segmentation After you defined all of your different customer segments, you can proceed to the creation of unique email campaigns for each. Still, how one may be sure these campaigns will be successful and will maximize their returns? The solution is to implement useful recommendations on segmentation. Make Things Easy There is no doubt that the segmentation of email lists is a useful activity. This leads marketers to decide to deploy complicated segmentations or Mailchimp segmentation. The reason is that these marketers believe this will assist them to make use of their campaigns as efficiently as possible. Nevertheless, the main rule is to measure returns against the time and resources one is investing in creating these complexities. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that convoluted segmentation strategies can make your subscribers confused. That's why the top solution is to start simple. If you decide to start from an easy segmentation strategy, you will not be confused as well and will possess the benefit of having a solid basis at your disposal. It does not mean you can not add extra segments in the future. Stay Flexible In case you make use of one segmentation strategy example, you should be ready to change it if required. This modification should be performed no matter how certain you are in your segmentation strategy. There is a necessity to keep in mind a significant rule.   Segmentation is based on exclusively the actions and behaviors of your clients. Not to mention they are pretty arbitrary. This leads to the conclusion that you should be flexible in your segmentation strategies. Consider the latest data and ideas and appropriately adapt to them. Refer to Every Event on Its Merit In case your segmentation strategy is just for the "back to school" season, you should not wait for it to bring the same returns during the holiday season. The reason is that customer sentiment and buying behavior differ greatly and change from one season to another. The holiday season is particularly complicated because customers make purchases actively for other people, but not themselves. If you intend to boost the efficiency of your holiday email marketing campaigns, practicing hyper-segmentation can be considered in this case. With it, you will get an edge during your holiday campaigns. Conclusion Nowadays, personalization continues to be an important element of all marketing campaigns. This makes the segmentation of email lists a top priority for all marketers. It enables marketers not only to deliver relevant and personalized emails but also segmentation allowing companies to sharply increase their revenue and overshadow competitors during this process. If you still did not try to implement segmentation, do not hesitate to join smart marketers who are aware of the value of email list segmentation. Using it effectively provides you with the possibility to get a huge leg up on other companies.

The way we work is changing. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to rapidly adapt to a new reality where remote and hybrid work is the norm, not the exception.   This new way of working presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses. On the one hand, they need to be able to support their employees in this new environment and ensure that they have the tools and resources they need to be productive. On the other hand, there is a chance to re-think and re-design work in a way that leads to more engaged, satisfied employees and a more agile, responsive company.   So, what can companies do to improve their digital workplace and support their employees in this new world of work? Here are 12 things to consider. Table of Contents 1. Provide opportunities for professional development 2. Make the digital onboarding process more thoughtful 3. Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing 4. Make sure employees have the right tools and technology 5. Encourage flexible work arrangements 6. Use data to make decisions 7. Implement an employee recognition program 8. Encourage collaboration 9. Keep the lines of communication open 10. Respect employee privacy 11. Provide opportunities for social interaction 12. Encourage healthy habits Conclusion 1. Provide opportunities for professional development Employees want to know that they are able to grow and develop in their careers. If you want to keep your employees engaged and motivated, it's important to provide them with opportunities for professional development. This is especially important in an era of constantly increasing digitization, where employees often feel like they are not visible or that they spend more time interacting with AI and programs than they do with real people.   One way to provide opportunities for professional development is to offer training and development courses. These courses can be offered online or in person and can cover a wide range of topics, from leadership development to financial planning.   Another way to provide opportunities for professional development is to create mentorship and coaching programs. These programs pair more experienced employees with less experienced employees and allow them to learn from each other. 2. Make the digital onboarding process more thoughtful Bad onboarding accounts for a tremendous number of employees leaving a new company within the first six months. Employees tend to stay with employers through that crucial first year if they have thoughtful onboarding. If you want to improve digital workplace retention, focus on making the digital onboarding process more thoughtful.   Onboarding is more than just telling new hires where they will be sitting and what time they need to show up for work. It's about making sure they understand the company culture, the expectations of their role, and how they will be contributing to the overall success of the organization. When done right, onboarding can be a key driver of employee engagement and retention. 3. Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing The digital workplace is all about collaboration and knowledge sharing. When employees are able to easily collaborate with each other, they can share knowledge and ideas more effectively, which leads to better workflows and improved overall productivity. One of the ways to improve employee collaboration and work productivity is to bring them all to a unified platform, such as Troop Messenger, helping them to exchange work conversations using 1:1 chat, group chats, etc., This SaaS-based team collaboration software is affordable for enterprises of all sizes. None of the tools on the market provide such innovative and productive features for workplace communication as the Troop Messenger.   One way to encourage collaboration in the digital workplace is to use social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn to create groups for employees to join. These groups can be used for collaboration on projects, sharing ideas and best practices, or simply for networking.   Another way to encourage collaboration is to use video conferencing platforms like Zoom or Skype for Business to hold virtual team meetings. This allows employees to see and hear each other, which can help to create a more collaborative environment. 4. Make sure employees have the right tools and technology If you want your digital workplace to be successful, you need to make sure that employees have the right tools and technology. This includes making sure that they have access to the right software and applications, as well as the hardware they need to do their jobs effectively. You can also use small business CRM software to effectively manage your team and increase productivity.   One way to ensure that employees have the right digital tools and technology is to provide them with a list of recommended software and applications, as well as a budget for purchasing these items. You can later track the expenses by labor cost percentage calculation. Another way to ensure that employees have the right tools and technology is to provide training on how to use these items. This can be done through webinars, online tutorials, or in-person training sessions.   Using innovative technologies such as AI in the workplace can help to decrease repetitive tasks and let your employees focus on creative and strategically more important activities business-wise. 5. Encourage flexible work arrangements Flexible work arrangements are becoming more and more popular as employees seek greater work-life balance. If you want to attract and retain top talent, it's important to offer flexible work arrangements.   There are a number of different ways to offer flexible work arrangements. One way is to allow employees to work from home on a regular basis. Another way is to offer flexible hours so that employees can choose when they start and end their workday. Additionally, you can offer compressed work weeks, where employees work longer hours for four days and then have three days off. 6. Use data to make decisions Data should be used to guide decision-making in the digital workplace. This data can come from a variety of sources, including employee performance data, customer feedback, and website analytics.   This data can be used to improve a number of different aspects of the digital workplace, from the design of the user interface to the effectiveness of employee training programs. Additionally, this data can be used to identify areas where there is room for improvement. 7. Implement an employee recognition program Employee recognition is a key part of engagement and motivation. Employees who feel appreciated are more likely to be engaged and motivated, which leads to better performance.   There are a number of different ways to recognize employees. One way is to give verbal praise when an employee does a good job. Another way is to give written recognition, such as through email or social media. Additionally, you can give employees rewards, such as gift cards, personalized awards, or extra vacation days. 8. Encourage collaboration Collaboration is an important part of the digital workplace. When employees are able to work together, they can achieve more than they could work alone. Additionally, collaboration can lead to better ideas and solutions.   There are a number of different ways to encourage collaboration. One way is to use collaborative software, such as Google Docs or Slack. Another way is to create opportunities for face-to-face collaboration, such as through team-building activities or off-site meetings.   Additionally, you can encourage collaboration by creating a culture of openness and transparency. 9. Keep the lines of communication open In order for the digital workplace to function properly, it's important to keep the lines of communication open. This means having a variety of different communication channels, such as email, instant messaging, and video conferencing. Additionally, it's important to encourage employees to communicate with each other and to provide them with the tools they need to do so. 10. Respect employee privacy Employees should be able to expect a certain level of privacy in the digital workplace. This includes both their personal data, such as their email and social media accounts, and their work data, such as their performance data and customer information.   It's important to respect employee privacy in order to build trust and create a positive work environment. Additionally, respecting employee privacy is often required by law. 11. Provide opportunities for social interaction The digital workplace can be a lonely place if there aren't opportunities for social interaction. Employees need opportunities to interact with each other on a personal level, such as through social events or team-building exercises. Additionally, they need opportunities to interact with their co-workers on a professional level, such as through networking events or conferences. 12. Encourage healthy habits The digital workplace can be detrimental to employee health if employees are not encouraged to develop healthy habits that enhance their mental health, such as managing stress and getting enough sleep, in addition to focusing on physical health through exercising and eating healthy.   There are a number of different ways to encourage healthy habits. One way is to provide employees with resources, such as a gym membership or a mental health app. Another way is to create a culture of wellness, such as by having healthy snacks available or holding yoga classes. Additionally, you can offer incentives, such as bonuses or paid time off, for employees who adopt healthy habits. This can even include discounts or recommendations on items that improve their overall quality of life or make work easier, such as Zoma’s Body Pillow which helps employees with their sleep, or any desk chair that has adjustable lumbar support, promotes good posture and reduces pain from working long hours. Conclusion Digital workplaces are becoming more and more common as technology advances. While there are many benefits to this type of workplace, there are also some challenges that need to be addressed. By following the tips above, you can create a digital workplace that is both productive and positive.

All sorts of businesses need to provide service desk solutions, whether to help with in-house issues encountered by employees or to better assist customers with whatever problems they encounter. Of course, it’s not enough to simply set up a service desk and hope for the best; you have to put strategies in place to optimize the effectiveness of this resource, and to extract every drop of value from it as well. With that in mind, here are the best practices which you should follow if you’re looking for ways to enhance your service desk setup. Table of Contents Use a responsive cloud-based help desk Analyze current processes and make changes incrementally Focus on the UX first and foremost Go beyond the primary problem Take training seriously Integrate best practices across other departments Make frequent updates on progress a priority Wrapping up Use a responsive cloud-based help desk In the past, it was usual for service desk solutions to be hosted on-site, but today there is a multitude of cloud-based help desk software solutions which overcome the limitations of in-house equivalents. From a value perspective, the cloud makes a lot of sense as the place to host your help desk. Modern cloud platforms are entirely scalable, meaning you can expect your ability to assist end users to increase along with the growth that your business achieves. With this scalability comes cost-effectiveness, as you only need to pay for the capacity you require from the vendor, and won’t be hampered by having to apportion on-premises hardware for hosting duties while knowing that it won’t always be used to its fullest.   In addition to the scalability and cost-effectiveness of cloud-based solutions, Help desk software offers the added benefit of hassle-free management, updates, and maintenance, ensuring seamless continuity and allowing businesses to focus on delivering excellent customer support without the burden of infrastructure management. Likewise, you’ll free yourself of all the other obligations that would previously have been unavoidable. A cloud-powered help desk will be managed, updated, and maintained for you, which is handy from a continuity perspective as much as anything else. Analyze current processes and make changes incrementally In the case that you already have a comprehensive service desk ecosystem within your organization, it’s necessary to be discerning in terms of how you review the processes that are already in place. The temptation to implement swinging changes when you realize that they are needed may be strong, but you’ll have to resist it. This is because if alterations are made too swiftly, and in too large a number, this will actually create more problems than it solves in the short term. It is more strategically sensible to carry out an analysis of your processes, pinpoint the main pain points, and work to integrate solutions at a slow, steady rate. This will not only give employees time to acclimatize themselves to the changes but will also ensure that existing customers who have used your help desk in the past or are in the middle of having a ticket resolved, aren’t left dazed and confused by overnight alterations. Another advantage to being more considered in your approach here is that you won’t blow the budget in one fell swoop, but can afford to pursue smaller projects over time and thus spread the cost while still extrapolating value. Focus on the UX first and foremost If you aren’t putting the user experience at the top of the agenda when revamping your service desk, you’re coming at the problem from the wrong direction. In the case that the help desk is online only, then aspects like the interface and the ease with which customers can navigate it to get their problems dealt with will be key. If your help desk involves other means of getting in touch, such as calling in to speak with a member of the support team, then this too must be tackled logically and with UX in mind. The more straightforward it is for help desk tickets to be created and for further action to be taken, the more cases you will resolve in the time available. This efficiency will pay dividends, making the cost of the entire department easier to justify. Go beyond the primary problem Having a help desk ticketing system that delivers value to your business is one thing, but it’s quite another to ensure that customers are also getting as much as possible out of the experience. A good way to achieve this is to make sure that the problem which is originally raised is not the only hiccup that an end user is faced with. Dig a little deeper and you may find that there are other elements of a product or service which are causing dissatisfaction, but which have not been pressing enough for the involvement of support staff so far. Customers will feel valued if your service desk is set up to help them as thoroughly as possible. While this can mean that cases take longer to resolve, the end result is that you’ll also see satisfaction and loyalty levels increase. People who are more amenable to your business or brand will come back to you time and again, and this is valuable in its own right. Take training seriously Every team member on the service desk has to be on the same page so that every end user they interact with gets the same quality of experience. The only way to do this is through rigorous, regular training. As well as making sure that support staff is up to speed with how to use the software tools they use from day to day, you should also instill in them the best practices that you’ve decided upon in terms of customer interactions. From the tone of voice used in messages sent, to the questions asked in phone conversations, uniformity in this context is vital. Likewise, you have to give your team a degree of autonomy and let them know that if they need to take special measures or go off-script if the scenario demands it, they’ve got the remit to do so. Integrate best practices across other departments It’s no good having a top-notch service desk setup if the other teams in your organization are not in the loop about your best practices or the tools that you’re using. You can integrate Chat APIs from the best instant messaging team collaboration tools such as Troop Messenger in order to provide a seamless service desk operation to your in-house staff as well as your customers. Indeed support staff will regularly need to liaise with colleagues in different departments to resolve the issues they’re presented with, so encouraging communication and collaboration here is advised. Make frequent updates on progress a priority Lastly, it’s always a good idea to let help desk users know where their case is up to, even if that just means sending them a message to say that you are still working on finding a solution. A lack of contact can be seen as a sign that you are either ignoring a problem or are not being especially efficient in your processing of it. Thankfully, the aforementioned service desk software solutions are equipped with the ability to automate updates so that customers are aware of what’s going on at any one time, without taking your team away from their other duties. Wrapping up Delivering a compelling service desk experience doesn’t have to be a drain on your resources, and in fact, it can actively add value to your business if it is handled well. A combination of the right tools, tactics, and training is needed to deliver on your dreams of a value-oriented service desk, and the sooner you start making changes, the sooner the benefits will roll in and start to make a difference.

Technology has long been used to simplify business processes, but in the digital age, the software has become our productivity savers, communication initiators, and management leaders.   Team collaboration tools can help your team improve its overall quality of work. However, real estate teams often overlook these tools because agents mainly work independently. This can sometimes silo processes that benefit from collaboration.   If you want a reliable way to manage your team, do away with paper checklists and contracts and stick to completely digital and automated real estate team management software. Table of Contents What is Real Estate Team Management Software? How Can Real Estate Team Management Software Help You? 1. Automate Task Workflow 2. Integrate With Other Apps 3. Track Transaction Due Dates 4. Create Commission Statements 5. Populate Financial Statements 6. Automate Production Reports 7. Stay Complaint and Audit-Ready Conclusion   What is Real Estate Team Management Software? Team management software helps teams manage their tasks and projects from one dashboard. It provides a shared platform that gives project managers a birds-eye view of projects.   SaaS companies like Paperless Pipeline have created their own team management software with a real estate focus. Since the software is more focused, it makes team management easy for real estate agents and brokers.   Although real estate agents work independently for most of the day, they need help from other agents, brokers, or administrators to close a real estate transaction.   From list to close, a typical house will take 66 days to sell. Think about all the mistakes, compliance issues, and communication breakdowns that could happen in 66 days. Instead of playing broken telephone, you can put your project workflow in a single location. How Can Real Estate Team Management Software Help You? The whole point of adopting a team management process is to streamline your workflow, but the benefits don’t stop there.   Here’s how team management software can earn you more sales. 1. Automate Task Workflow Real estate agents don’t actually take on “projects,” so project management software would only serve to slow them down. However, real estate team management software focuses on tasks or documents they need to track and populates a checklist based on labels or status.   Once an agent makes a series of checklists, they never have to create the same one again. This cuts down time spent on tedious processes and saves a lot of money on paper.   While checklists play a big part in automating your tasks, the dashboard itself can keep your workflow in one place. After setting up each agent's name, their use status, permissions, and more, you can automatically apply pre-made checklists to individual team members. 2. Integrate With Other Apps Modern software isn’t created in a bubble. It’s often integrated with hundreds, sometimes thousands of apps that make team management a breeze. However, some less trustworthy software will integrate with untrustworthy apps that may give you viruses, so be careful.   You’ll find that most real estate team management software will integrate with Hubspot, Google Drive, Salesforce, Quickbooks, Infusionsoft, Oracle, Tray.io, Pentaho, Informatica, and Xplenty.   But if the team chat app such as Troop Messenger could integrate with Zapier, you know it’s the real deal. Zapier is a no-code platform that comes equipped with over 1000 apps. When you hook these apps together, you no longer have to close or reload a program. Everything is accessible in the software. 3. Track Transaction Due Dates Contract management is hard enough as it is, but when you have to settle up a disclosure agreement with a rapidly approaching deadline, it becomes straight-up stressful. Instead of chasing your clients down and risking the sale, load up your team management software.   On the dashboard, you can stay on top of compliance because the software automatically calculates the due date. It then applies it to tasks and notifies you if a due date is close.   With integrations, you can sync those dates to an online calendar or a shared work calendar. This can be helpful if agents work in separate offices, teams, or departments. You can set permissions for each agent or broker so everyone sees only what they need to see. 4. Create Commission Statements Real estate agents earn a living with commissions, but generic management software won’t have a commission option. If they do, there isn’t a way to go back and forth between a flat or split fee. In the end, you have to duct tape your commission statement process together.   When your software isn’t working as you planned, mistakes happen. Even a small error could cost you thousands of dollars from your commission, which isn’t motivating or fair at all.   With real estate team management software, you can check everyone’s commission percent threshold. You can even break it down further by license number, sales volume, and start date. When you can provide accurate commission information to your clients, they trust you. 5. Populate Financial Statements If real estate team management software could be compared to any other tool, it would be transaction management software. Since agents primarily use team management software to populate financial statements and commission reports, this workflow makes a lot of sense.   Besides creating commission statements, this software can draft financial statements that calculate a property’s sales price and the agent’s commissions and brokerage fees.   You can use these documents to send commission distribution authorizations, with multiple kinds of authorization features, instantly. Not only will your financial reports help you manage commission plans, but they also help you create a personal and business budget. 6. Automate Production Reports Ambitious real estate agent pays attention to their own metrics and numbers if they want to improve. While that may not be hard on a personal level, it can get complicated if they’re trying to track how well a team performed or how successful their district is compared to another.   With software, tracking agent metrics is super easy and barely requires any extra input other than the information you provided after a sale. Now, all you need to do is print the report.   Monthly production reports are helpful for agents that want to stay up-to-date with their sales history. An agent could simply pick a location, date range, side, and label to receive a custom commission statement instantly. This document could offer enough motivation to get a sale. 7. Stay Complaint and Audit-Ready No matter how many years you’ve been in business, the IRS is still going to make you nervous. You’re never sure when the IRS is going to audit you and what documentation they’ll need to prove your compliance. This added stress can make tax time more painful than it needs to be.   Real estate team management software keeps a repository of your agency disclosures and listing agreements, which ensures you have an evidence trail if you’re ever audited.   Plus, this software can back up your documents and review logs if you need some extra security. While maintaining compliance doesn’t directly help you get more sales, it does help you keep your real estate license, and it would be hard to sell real estate without one of those. Conclusion Real estate team management software is a quadruple threat. It’s a team management software, transaction management program, communication tool, and storage system all in one. If you utilize all of these features to the fullest, you’ll surely sell more homes and properties.   Creating a real estate project workflow will be tough at first. You’ll need to input a series of checklists, input agent information, and dole out authorization to required parties. But once you get over that initial hurdle, you’ll rarely have to adjust your already standardized process.

An adage goes, "Communication is critical to a company's success." More or less every company acknowledged the importance of communication, hence the preceding quotation was changed to "Your workplace collaboration software plays a crucial role in the business's success." With the advancement of the digital world, the requirements have also evolved, therefore you can't afford to stick with an outdated or subpar workplace collaboration tool. If you do, it will be considered a risky ideology, as it will have an instant impact on operations. Do you know your Collaboration Tools in the Workplace determine your business success? Here are some recommendations for the finest workplace collaboration tools that may interest you. Table of Contents 1. Troop Messenger 2. Mattermost 3. Slack 4. Microsoft Teams 5. Rocket.Chat 6. Ryver 7. Discord 8. Google Chat 9. Twist 10. Flock 11. Pronto 12. Podio 13. Jotform Apps 1. Troop Messenger   Before you assume we're boasting about our tool, I'd like you to double-check the details listed below to see how genuinely we wrote the segment. Troop Messenger is one of the few team chat apps that has been popular among many businesses for a variety of reasons such as security, proactive features, support, etc. This workplace collaboration software is a cost-effective solution that provides users with a variety of capabilities as well as some unique features, which can adhere to any domain or business requirements. The research and development of this tool are geared toward empowering users, enhancing workplace communication, and providing a safe and secure platform for seamless communication, which prompted office, hybrid, and remote teams to opt for this secure collaboration software during pandemic times. To emphasize, Troop Messenger is one of the few encrypted collaboration tools which is used for defense collaboration services by defense agencies of a few powerful nations, and the list extends to political parties, corporate companies, government agencies, and healthcare organizations, among others. As a result, you can imagine how safe this workplace communication software is. As a result, your chatting, audio/video calls, file sharing, conference, screen sharing, remote access, and other communication channels are all protected. Highlights   Bulk messaging Live location tracking Jointly-Code editor Real-time translation Respond later   2. Mattermost   Mattermost is an organizational team chat and messaging tool for developers and system engineers. It also benefits remote teams, financial services, healthcare, and other industries. This platform can be customized with features like webhooks and custom slash commands with a bit of DevOps technical know-how. Mattermost is a unified digital collaboration tool that incorporates task and project management, team communication, and workflow orchestration into one convenient place, making it one of the best workplace collaboration software. It includes all of the standard components for organizing and structuring team communication. Using advanced permissions, you can limit users to certain chats and allow approved team members to send messages. Highlights   Flexible automation Powerful workflows Secure collaboration Granular permissions Full history search   3. Slack   Slack is one of the widely used collaboration software platforms, that has gained traction around the world, and it quickly established itself as a viable replacement for email for team communication. This instant messaging app, in comparison to other tools, is claimed to be able to integrate with over 2400 solutions. Through several channels, Slack allows you to contact colleagues based on the project you're working on or the team you're working with. Direct Messages are the most prevalent method of communication in Slack: Slack's direct messaging system operates identically to other chat programs as you launch a private conversation by clicking on a person's icon in the chat listing on the left side.   Threads: Since messages in chat apps tend to pile up, Slack allows you to respond to comments directly via a thread. Slack channels: Every team does have its group of channels on Slack. These channels, such as announcements, encourage discussion about a certain topic. Highlights   Apps & integrations Workflow builder Channels Message history Streamlined administration   4. Microsoft Teams   Microsoft Teams has begun to overshadow other Microsoft products such as Skype for Business and Microsoft Classroom owing to its excellent design. It's an Office 365 chat-based workspace designed to bring teams together, enabling them to have conversations and share documents while also giving privileges to teams who need to collaborate. Users can schedule business meetings and add agendas and also take advantage of surprise phone calls. Its close integration with Microsoft Office for note, document, calendar collaboration, and among other things, has made it one of the most popular workplace collaboration platforms. Counting its free plan few Entrepreneurs started using this collaboration software for small businesses. Highlights   Cloud storage Meeting recording and transcripts Advanced auditing & reporting Guest access Configurable user settings and policies   5. Rocket.Chat   Rocket.chat is one of the popular workplace collaboration software that can be completely customized for businesses that value data protection. Productivity and customer satisfaction have risen as a result. This online collaboration software is one of the few encrypted chat programs that offer encryption as a free option. It becomes a task management hub, bringing together all of your team's collaboration tools in one place. It allows you to communicate with your peers, other units, and clients/customers in real-time, regardless of how they contact you. This business chat software has features like enterprise process automation, RSS streaming, and audio and video conferencing, all of which can help you increase your company's efficiency. Highlights   End-to-end encryption Online ticket creation Social network login Message audit panel/ audit logs Unlimited push notifications   6. Ryver   Ryver is an easy-to-use team communication tool that makes it simple to organize your team. Its innovative Active Response Technology replaces an error-prone, delayed human response time with a complex, automated event response collaboration mechanism. It's tough, complex, and expensive to interact with your team using various apps and email. Ryver is a complete workplace collaboration software that makes organizing your team's cooperation easy, simple, and inexpensive. Task management and team communication are two features of this work collaboration software. Communication takes place at three different locations: Discussion Boards, Teams, and Groups. The team members will be enabled to break down the conversation into chat, subjects, and tasks. Highlights   Task management Unlimited file sharing Annual plan available Custom invite links Testing sandbox   7. Discord   Discord started as a gaming chat platform, but it swiftly grew into a social chat tool for groups established around the same interests, hobbies, and other characteristics. It soon drew a huge number of users who regarded it as a credible alternative to prominent social media platforms and messaging apps. Topic-based channels on Discord servers allow you to collaborate, communicate, and simply talk about your day without filling up a group chat. Owing to Discord's screen-sharing functionality, this gamers’ favorite chatting app has evolved into a workplace collaboration app. Initially, it was just used by gamers, but some startups and small businesses have subsequently adopted it. Discord claims that all calls and texts are encrypted end-to-end and it does not sell its users' information to third parties. However, no matter how many small businesses utilize this tool, it may not be as effective as other workplace communication software in terms of adhering to requirements proficiently. Highlights   Bigger uploads HD Video Screen share   8. Google Chat   Google Chat is a group communication service from Google that combines messaging, group creation, and file sharing via Google Drive. Google Chat is regarded as one of the greatest chatting programs and is well-known for its reliability. Chat and spaces are the two areas of Google Chat. Direct talks with other people and group conversations are both available in the Chat section. Google Chat can be accessed via its website and app, as well as through its interaction with the Gmail website and app, and it enables you to track ongoing projects. In this workplace communication tool, the chat feature takes center stage. Once you paste a Google Doc link into a document, the permissions for that document are updated to allow everyone in the room to open it. By tagging your coworker in Google Meet, meeting data such as date and time will show, allowing you to instantly plan a meeting with anyone. Highlights   Cloud storage Searching Security   9. Twist   Twist is a well-known office collaboration tool for in-office and remote cooperation that necessitates a higher level of communication. It helps teams manage their business discussions more successfully. Team communication remains accessible and organized, eliminating the need to filter through lengthy email threads in search of information. This work collaboration tool has been carefully designed to address all of the issues that arise during corporate chats. Twist is a web-based communication tool created specifically for remote teams, with that said many office teams are also using this currently. It works with a policy to increase productivity through simplifying communication. It delivers a cleaner chat, so conversations don't become lost or buried. Highlights   Threaded conversations Organized channels Shareable threads Unlimited file storage Unlimited members   10. Flock   Flock is a famous team chat application and online collaboration platform that combines project management, team collaboration, and other essential features into a single app. Flock makes team communication simple with a variety of messaging methods. Personalized chat organization, real-time collaboration, and a free edition that is suitable for small groups are all included. Audio and video conferences, as well as screen-sharing and productivity features like polls, note-sharing, and reminders, are available, and users can allocate tasks to specific members of the group. Highlights   Smart channels Search for messages Unlimited private & public channels Active Directory sync   11. Pronto   Pronto is a popular workplace collaboration tool that helps users communicate more successfully. It has a clean and simple layout with a lot of essential features like messaging, file sharing, video chat, announcements, task management, and real-time translation. This is an easy-to-use communication platform that stimulates connection and engagement. Pronto claims to bring teams together with a human touch, no matter where they are. Highlights   Task management Real-time translation Announcements   12. Podio   Podio is a web-based platform for automating operations and building no-code solutions. Combining team communication, business processes, data, and content in project management workspaces as per project demands is part of the feature set. This workplace collaboration software allows you to share files, track the progress of ongoing tasks, and receive feedback on the projects you're working on. Highlights   User management Advanced workflow Unlimited external users Visual reports Task management   13. Jotform Apps   Jotform Apps is a feature-packed no-code app builder that allows you to fully design an app and share it with your colleagues. The apps take no coding knowledge to build and can be used to collaborate in endless ways. They have a number of interactive features you can drag and drop easily onto your apps such as forms and surveys, but you can also add many widgets and documents you’d like your teammates to have easy access to. The best part about Jotform Apps is the fact that it’s so easy and versatile at the same time: the design interface is intuitive and the apps you create can be downloaded and used on any smart device that has access to their link or QR code. There are many templates to choose from as well as integrations that allow for a seamless workflow. Communication, progress tracking, and collaboration are made effortless.   Highlights   No coding needed Share with QR code/link Analytics tool for data Store documents and information Many integrations   Conclusion Since the nuances, complications, etc. of each domain, or type of industry, differ from one company to the next, every workplace collaboration software may not be appropriate for your needs. As a result, you'll need to conduct some research, beginning with a list of your criteria and then comparing them to collaboration software to select the best solution. So, be advised, to be wiseful in selecting your workplace collaboration services.

Project-related issues are inevitable, but how you’re prepared to solve those problems will determine how successful your project will be.   As project managers, you know there are many complex elements to balance, and it's a challenging profession to tackle. Project management challenges encompass the duty of putting all key factors into perspective when mapping out a new venture with your team. It involves delegating the time, money, people, and resources involved in getting a project off the ground. Successfully managing these challenges requires careful planning, effective communication, resource allocation, risk mitigation, and adaptation to changing circumstances. Project managers must navigate through these complexities and ensure the project's success by applying their expertise and employing project management best practices.   In a recent study done by Project Management Institute, for every billion dollars invested in the US, 122 million of it was wasted in poor performance and management. You don’t want that to be you.   Use your skills and expertise to take whatever complications that come your way and feel ready to resolve them with confidence. Start by identifying ten project management challenges with expert solutions. Table of Contents 1. Poorly defined goals 2. Insufficient communication 3. Unrealistic deadlines 4. Improper budgeting 5. Disconnect in teamwork 6. Lack of project management software 7. Mismanaging the risks 8. Unexpected scope changes 9. Inadequate skillsets 10. Missing accountability  1. Poorly defined goals This may seem like a no-brainer, but more often than not, project managers get so caught up in the big picture of their objectives that they lose sight of the value of defining the smaller purposes involved in the overall goal. Without clear intentions established and communicated to your team, your new campaign is doomed.  Solutions   Set short-term and long-term goals, identifying the team members tasked with each objective and what’s expected of them. Cover the bases of who, what, when, where, and why.  Create benchmarks to measure the progress and performance of your project to determine what may need adjusting before confusion and chaos ensue.    2. Insufficient communication According to Nick Drewe, Founder & CEO of Wethrift, you must, “communicate with your team as the leader who wants to be sure their employees are motivated to work. Provide them with an efficient understanding of the big-picture goal along with how their role is essential.”   The way you communicate with your employees will be the greatest attribute you use while managing a project. Without it, you’re going to be anticipating conflict and misdirection of the desired path to success. Solutions   Meet with your team one-to-one and in a group setting to provide them with direction, updates, and feedback about the work they’re doing and the overall scope of the project.  Consider using collaborative communication software like Troop Messenger that allows your team to be in constant communication about the progress of their work and any concerns or needs they may have. Be open and transparent with your team to establish the trust and motivation needed to complete the work.    3. Unrealistic deadlines Just because you confidently laid the foundation of a project and feel your team and you have the bandwidth and resources to make it happen, it doesn't mean that time is going to be on your side. Project management challenges, such as unforeseen delays, resource constraints, and scope creep, can arise and impact the project's timeline and success.   Clear direction and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) do not mean clear time management. If you place unattainable expectations on your team members with regard to time, they will lose their motivation and clarity to complete their tasks efficiently. Solutions   Individualize each task involved with your short-term benchmarks and establish a timeline for them, taking your employee’s workload into account.  Go over your prospective timeline with your team members and clients, addressing any possible issues or concerns that could come up. Use a time-tracking software tool to assist you in monitoring performance and productivity.   4. Improper budgeting Errors in expense planning are one of the most common project management challenges, and could also be the most detrimental. What’s worse, is that they’re often not caught until it’s too late, overrunning the designated funds for the project before you get a chance to stop it.   Brian Dechesare, Founder & CEO of Breaking into Wallstreet, says, “Without implementing the task of financial modeling to represent the portfolio of a project, you cannot expect to successfully unify your project and bring it to completion.” Solutions   Your timeline comes in handy here. Once you know this, you can effectively craft how much each task will cost and what their expenses will be during that time. Get clear on your business’s unique needs and the common challenges faced so you can factor in any bumps in the road and be financially prepared to handle them. Consider things like equipment, software, payroll, and others that could adjust throughout the duration of your project.    5. Disconnect in teamwork If your team is not aligned, your project goals won't be either. Project management challenges, such as a lack of communication, conflicting priorities, and team dynamics, can hinder collaboration and jeopardize the success of your project. Without a sense of company morale and a mutual desire to work together, how can you expect to navigate these challenges and run a campaign to completion without conflict?   You’re in charge of keeping your team inspired and connected, and while that might seem difficult when dealing with different personalities and skill sets, it’s essential to make sure things go smoothly by finding reliable ways to manage your team. Solutions   Boost company morale by getting to know your employees and the way they work, paying attention to the type of workplace environment you create. Break down barriers by hosting pep talks or motivational work meetings that establish a safe space for you to provide feedback and allow input from your team.  Promote team communication and team-building activities.    6. Lack of project management software You cannot expect to organize tasks, delegate goals, track progress, and mediate a project without help. However, project management challenges arise when assigning more employees to these tasks could potentially slow down productivity and divert their focus from more important responsibilities. That's why finding a software program and task management tools to generate comprehensive support in one place is crucial for efficient project management. Such a program can help overcome project management challenges by streamlining processes, improving collaboration, and providing a centralized platform for task management and progress tracking.   “The digital world is rich in software to assist business owners and project leaders to manage their work and team members without being overwhelmed. Use them to simplify and elevate your tasks,” is sound advice from Chelsea Cohen, Co-Founder of SoStocked. Solutions   When choosing a project management software, be sure it’s something that assists you with multiple core tasks and projects and gives you optimal visibility of all its features.  For team collaboration software, consider how platforms like Troop Messenger allow your team members to message, audio/video record, screen share, and even seamlessly integrate some of your most used programs like Google Drive.    7. Mismanaging the risks “You must weigh all the risks when starting a new project, especially in the current financial market, or you leave yourself vulnerable to unknown factors that could potentially crush your production and productivity,” Says Jim Pendergast, Senior Vice President of altLINE Sobanco.   Not considering the risks that could potentially occur during a project is, quite frankly, irresponsible. If you don’t identify and assess the risks you cannot minimize or control them, potentially throwing your whole project off course. Solutions   Collect detailed data and information before your project begins that reflect the possible risks and their outcomes.  Develop a strategic plan for what you can do when the risks come up so you have a sense of damage control to implement right away.   8. Unexpected scope changes Scope changes don’t always have to be the result of mismanaging the risk factors, though it is a part of it. But you can’t assume that things won’t need to be changed and adjusted for other reasons like a client changing their mind about something at the last minute. Knowing how to deal with this is important.   As Brett Larkin, Founder & CEO of Uplifted Yoga mentions, “Challenges and derailments in life will always occur, but if you want to reduce stress and ease the atmosphere in your environment, make it a priority to uncover the most suitable ways you can deal with those challenges before they arise.” Solutions   Communicate with your clients and team members beforehand about the timeline, schedule, and budget for the project so they’re aware of what’s at stake if things don’t go as planned. Establish check-in points to discuss progress with employees and clients so everyone remains on the same page at all times.    9. Inadequate skillsets There is nothing more counterproductive than assigning someone to do a job who is not properly trained or skilled in that area. While you may assume that someone’s professional assets could benefit a certain task that’s out of their wheelhouse, it doesn’t mean they should be one’s working on it. Furthermore, availability is not synonymous with the best fitting for the job.   It’s your responsibility to be sure your team is trained and has the adequate skills needed to get the job done, or you’re going to find yourself spiraling down the path of confusion that could put your work to an unexpected halt. Solutions   Identify the key skills needed to get each short-term and long-term goal for the project to be completed, and then consider which team members have the attributes you need.  Do some research about proper training programs and developmental tools you could provide your team members to enhance their skills and make them more qualified to do the jobs you need.     10. Missing accountability  Avoid the blame game that occurs when things derail and everyone is pointing fingers about whose “fault” it is that it happened. Not only will it crush the morale of your workplace environment, but it will completely stop production and force you to kill time in back-tracking.   If your team is not taking responsibility for their actions, both positively and negatively, the bumps in the road will tear apart your team’s trust, along with potential clients and customers. Solutions   From the start of the project and at several points during the workflow, reiterate the role each individual is to play in getting the project successfully completed so everyone knows what they’re constantly responsible for. Establish terms that lead to one unified vision for your team to collaborate on, inviting them all to think on that scale as they continue to go through their tasks.    You need an effective approach to all the elements of your project and ways to analyze all of your data consistently. Some projects may go smoother than others, and there may come a point where the challenges of a project feel beyond your abilities.   But with the right mindset and perspective with actionable tools to meet the needs of those challenges, you will continue to build your skillset and achieve more success with every campaign you’re in charge of. Conclusion Project management presents a myriad of challenges, known as project management challenges, that can hinder the success of any initiative. However, with expert solutions at hand, these challenges can be effectively addressed and overcome. By understanding the common pitfalls associated with project management, implementing strong communication channels, fostering collaboration among team members, and utilizing robust project management tools, teams can navigate through these obstacles and achieve their goals. Additionally, maintaining a flexible mindset, embracing change, and learning from past experiences is crucial for adapting to unexpected situations that may arise during the project lifecycle. Ultimately, by employing the right strategies and leveraging the expertise of project management professionals, organizations can enhance their project outcomes and drive success in today's dynamic business landscape.