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Practice Management > Marketing and Communications

Advisors 2.0: Tech tools for the savvy producer

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With the holiday season looming, Senior Market Advisor is putting together a pretty cool gift guide of the latest gadgets and gizmos for our December issue. We contacted readers to get feedback on their favorite tech tools and toys.

In our survey, we encountered some interesting responses. First of all, not all of our readers are embracing technology.

Read on to find helpful tools you can add to your holiday shopping list. Also, if you have a tech tool you’d like to share with our readers, send me an email at [email protected].

What is your favorite tech tool or toy?

I use different computers. For presentations I use a small Mac laptop with remote to control the presentation of a slideshow or movie. The laptop battery can last five hours. The Keynote slideshow software is inexpensive, easy to use and looks like a professional made it. In some cases I request access to a wireless network to access remote websites–like .gov. I’ve found that connecting wirelessly is one click and couldn’t be easier.

–MJ McDonnell

(1) I use two 22″ computer screens for my office computer. This allows more applications open at one time for faster communication, research, marketing design, etc. (2) I am trying PlanPlusOnline for $14.95 per month. This offers online and cell phone access of Contact and Customer Relationship Management. (3) Peter Montoya‘s Marketing Pro for $40 per month–an exceptional automatic mail and email contact management software. It’s truly comprehensive and powerful.

–Joel Cahn

Netbook with broadband card built-in along with a Blackberry

–David Selden

Act4Advisors and the Droid phone. I love the voice recorder. I record my thoughts right after a client meeting. I also use it to record seminars, so I can review the presentation while I drive home.

–Scot Shier

Any tool that will make me more efficient. Time is the only thing that all of us have exactly the same amount of. If I can make more efficient use of my time, I can do more than my competitors. Whether it is a faster processor on my computer or the smart phone I use, if it makes me more efficient, it makes my “favorite” list.

–Kevin Wedmore

Old School

[ed. Note: The following are comments from producers who like to interact with their clients the old fashioned way.]

What is your favorite tech tool or toy?

Not much of a tech guy–don’t even use Powerpoint in my seminars!

–Dan Ohlwiler

None. I try not to use the computer in the presentation until I need to look up the rates and future projections of the policy that is being recommended. During my presentation, I do not want my clients’ eyes focusing on a computer screen.

–Tom Schreiner

I don’t use any tech stuff, unless a pencil or pen is tech.

–Tim Fitzgerald

Yellow pad!

–Richard E. Friese


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