MRSware has two services that when combined and used in Outlook allow Users to take a good portion of their information offline (work with it when no Internet connection is present) and then synchronize any changes made back to MRSware the next time an Internet connection is available.

The two services are IMAP (for synchronizing email) and Funambol/MRSware Sync (for synchronizing contacts, calendars, and tasks).  Below is an overview of the instructions to set up Outlook, with the links to the more specific instructions for each section.

A. Email in Outlook

Set up a new Account in Outlook that is your MRSware IMAP Mailbox.
IMAP Settings for MRSware EMail


B. Contact, Calendar, and Task synchronization with Outlook
  1. Create your MRSware Mobile accounts in System Administration.
  MRSware Mobile Administrator Setup for service


  2. Assign Companies and Contacts to your MRSware Mobile Category.
  MRSware Mobile User Setup for synchronization


  3. Set up Outlook with the Funambol plug-in to synchronize with MRSware.
​  Outlook Funambol plug-in installation for MRSware Mobile

In my previous post I talked about how our behavior is affected by the introduction of a stimulus (ringing  or vibrating of a cell phone or mobile device) bringing about a conditioned reflex (immediately answering the call or reading & replying to the message).   

In this post I want to offer some suggestions, for in-the-field reps, on how to manage the beast (remember Pavlov’s dogs) – our conditioned reflex – in all of us. 

First – the dilemma.  I was a manufacturers’ representative for 25 years and as such know when you’re in sales it is difficult not to automatically respond to a ringing or vibrating phone.  It could be a customer, prospect, end user, designer, or contractor looking for information on one of your products.  Who doesn’t want to be known for responding quickly to one of these opportunities?  The tricky part is managing the desire to respond quickly with the ability to be efficient and productive throughout the day.

Now that we all agree managing this conditioned reflex can create a challenge, let’s look at some suggestions that may help in the field reps to be efficient and productive, as well as responsive to customer’s, prospect’s, end user’s… needs.

Are you managing your technology tools or are they managing you?

You probably remember from your school days reading about Pavlov's dogs.  Pavlov ran experiments showing that introducing a certain stimulus to dogs could bring about a certain behavior in expectation of a reward (food in their case).  What he did was ring a bell (among other stimuli) and then measured the amount of saliva the dogs produced thinking about the food they were going to receive after the ringing of the bell.

The upshot was he showed introducing a stimulus brought about a conditioned reflex that affected behavior.

Now, fast forward 120 years - today's version of this experiment -

The stimulus - the ringing or vibrating of a cell phone (mobile device)

The conditioned reflex - answering the phone or reading the e-mail or text message (no matter what we are doing, who we are with)

The behavior - a slave to our cell phones (technology tool) 

Now ask yourself the first question - are you managing your technology tools or are they managing you?

My next post will go over some suggestions on "How to Manage Your Technology Tools".

We all know the old adage, "you have 1 mouth and 2 ears, so you should be listening twice as much as talking".  Do we practice this as much as we should?  With the pace of life today, I fear we sometimes don't take the time we should to really listen.

How important is listening in business?  As shown below - Super Critical.  When I started my CPMR course, the very first class in CPMR Course 101 was "Listening Skills" led by Dr. Frank DiSilvestro.  The information I'm sharing with you is from this class. 

An article from "Training Today", June 1978 discusses a study done to learn what Certified Administrative Managers (CAMS) felt were the activities that promise the most bang for the buck in business.  The study came up with a list of 20 Critical Managerial Competencies.  The top ratings in importance were deemed "Super Critical".  The article continues, "And please note that of those four top-rated skills, the numero unoskill was a specific communicating-with-people skill.  Active Listening, which includes such communication sophistication as hearing how the speaker "feels" and showing him that you care and consider him important."  I believe this is empathy, another super critical communication skill.  

Dr. DiSilvestro passed along some interesting statistics:

• 80% - the amount of information lost (forgotten) when it is passed on
• 50% - the amount of information forgotten right after we hear it
• 75% - the amount of information forgotten after 6 - 8 hours has passed

Sounds discouraging doesn't it?  The good news is he gave us 5 skills to improve our listening habits. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Email is a ubiquitous form of communication.  It is perhaps one of the most important and continuous ways we communicate with each other on a daily basis, whether personal or professional.  In business, everything from order confirmations to status updates, deliverables scheduling, billing invoices, and termination notices are sent via email.  That is where it gets a little sticky, as email is not a guarantee of delivery or that the recipient will see it, much less see it how you intended.
​In the beginning, email was a simple thing.  It was text-based, which meant it was readable on any type of device, platform, or terminal available.  Likewise, it was transmitted simply.  Sometimes it was sent as just plain text, sometimes it was simply encoded to make sure that the contents got where they were going laid-out with the correct punctuation and spacing in the correct places.  This is not so any more.
​

I recently took my father to get new hearing aids. The experience started me thinking about our ability to listen and hear what is being said.

The process of fitting hearing aids is quite complicated. Hearing aids, the audiologist told us, are little computers with software pre-installed. She took about 45 minutes to set up the software and train my father (and me) on how to use them. There are program modes (telephone, noisy crowds, etc) and volume controls and batteries (which need to be changed every 5 to 7 days; we should all be so lucky as to represent the battery manufacturer!) and accessories for cleaning and storing. Not very complicated for us youngsters, but when you're 94, it's a lot to learn. Add to that, being legally blind and it's another whole kettle of fish. 

During the training the audiologist told us that the hearing aids will not completely restore my father's hearing to 100%, but are a tool or aid to improve his hearing. 

On the way home, I laughingly told my father that he wasn't going to have an excuse to not hear me anymore - you know "selective" hearing. We're all guilty of this at some time or another. Parents filter out their children's noise; husbands filter out their wives and children's noise; we all filter out background noises we become accustom to. An example is the country person who goes to visit their city cousin and can't sleep at night because of all the noise (sirens, cars, people on the streets, bells, etc) that the city person doesn't even hear anymore.

The important question in all of this is - are we transferring our ability to tune out extraneous noises to important conversations, in our personal lives as well as our business lives? With all of the distractions in our busy lives today, we may need to re-think our ability to listen and really hear what is being said. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Welcome to our MRSWARE.com blogs.  We will be expanding and including much content for the general audience interested in MRSWARE and what is going on in the Manufacturer-Rep relationship space.

As always, our MRSWARE User Site, social.MRSWARE.com, continues to be the main source for the active MRSWARE User community.