sidney, Author at Vaetas

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Vaetas Vlog | EP: 026 | Supporting Local Businesses

Our Charleston, SC team members have a mandatory evacuation for Hurricane Dorian. They are taking all precautions, and during this time it brought up an important reflection: When things like this happen, local businesses are impacted on many levels.In this episode, Jen takes a moment to encourage us to support our local businesses, especially during times after natural events, such as hurricanes."It's about us coming together as a community, that makes all the difference."

Connect with us:
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2xgk1Rq06jnoetyxLt_PpQ
https://www.linkedin.com/company/vaetas-llc/
https://www.facebook.com/vaetasconnect/

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Vaetas Vlog | Episode: 024 | Marketing & Sales Communication

In this episode, Jen discusses the difference between marketing communication and sales communication and what happens when they work together. She shares her own personal experiences as she's evolved through different chapters of her own career.

It's ideal when marketing and sales work together to create a great cohesive experience for a prospect to become a customer. That's the winning situation for all involved.What are your thoughts? What are your experiences with marketing communication and sales communication?

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Vaetas Vlog | EP: 023 | Taking A Moment

In this episode, Jen takes a moment with the launch of the Vaetas Video Communication Master Class, and what it means to her, the Vaetas team, and what we hope for the Vaetas community. We truly want to support YOU as we all are transferring into the Age of Video. Want to check out the Vaetas Video Communication Master Class? You can here.

Jen also takes a moment with the launch of the Vaetas Video Communication Masterclass, and what it means to her, the Vaetas team, and what we hope for the Vaetas community. We truly want to support YOU as we all are transferring into the Age of Video. Want to check out the Vaetas Video Communication Masterclass? You can here.

Jen also discusses the importance of taking the time to actually stop and intentionally take a moment in. In the journey of entrepreneurship and business development, we tend to continuously focus on where we still need to go.

Which is why it is rare for us to stop and recognize the important moments along the way and really take them in, as they're happening. Jen invites you to join her, as she shares this moment in time with you-her community.

At the end of this episode, Jen has one final reflection about something most people encounter when they are following the path of building a business on the path of living out their dreams. "It's not easy, but it DOES lead to a fulfilling life," says Jen.

Here at Vaetas, we encourage you to keep going! Follow what feels right for you!

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Top 5 Skills for Building a Strong Communication Foundation

Top 5 Skills for Building a Strong Communication Foundation

Growing up I was trained in classical ballet. The level of gratitude I have for this experience is insurmountable. Reason being, this experience trained me in so much more than just ballet.

Anyone who has trained in an art or a sport will relate to this. If you want to become the best at what you do, you learn that it requires intense practice. The more you do something, the better you become. Seems like common sense, right? Well in our present world of instant notifications and instant gratification, this concept can feel a bit more challenging to execute on than ever before.

I spent years training in ballet, and I got to witness myself improve year after year. However, I remember a moment of shock when I was in college. I wasn’t a dance major, instead I was majoring in communication, but I took ballet classes as part of my extracurricular classes.

One semester, the advanced ballet class did not fit in with my communication schedule, so I took a beginner/intermediate level instead. This particular semester I was forced to go back to basics.

I found myself class after class, doing the basics of ballet over and over, and you know what happened? My performance skyrocketed in my advanced work! It felt like a slingshot effect.

By going back and focusing so much on the basics, it had a huge impact on my advanced work, and became a major lesson in my life and work…

First Ballet Shoes

When you want to perform at an advanced level, never forget to continue to give attention to the basics, because the basics are the foundation in which everything stands on. The stronger your foundation, the stronger your advanced performance level.

I have found this to not only be true in ballet, but also in communication. (And, most things in life.)

In this day and age, effective communication is a challenge. We have so many distractions, that we are not given the opportunity to truly learn, practice, and develop some of the key aspects of a strong communication foundation. This requires us to be much more intentional with building and practicing our communication foundation.

Going back to communication basics…

Being in the tech video communication space now, I have conversations constantly on how to communicate effectively with video. I have found a huge difference in business conversion success between the users who operate from a strong communication foundation and those that do not.

So here are some communication skills and techniques to continue to come back to in order to secure an effective and strong communication foundation for growing your business:

Improve Communications

1.    Listen First, Then Respond

Listening first, then responding creates an atmosphere of open communication. It can feel very natural to immediately want to communicate with someone, however to be the most effective in our response, we must first take a moment to really listen to what is actually being communicated to us. There is a difference between “Responding” and “Reacting. ” When we react, we are quick to say/do whatever is our first instinct. This can very easily lead to miscommunication. To remedy this, it is best to be conscious of really listening to the person first, and pay attention not only to what they are verbally saying, but also what they are non-verbally saying. Which leads to the next skill…

2.    Practice Non Verbal Communication Awareness

You may have heard the saying, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” This is a great description of the power of non-verbal communication.

The main non-verbal communication areas to stay aware of for a strong communication foundation are:

  • Body Language- For example: Posture, Eye Contact, Hand Movements
  • And Voice Tone- For example a voice tone we might want to strive for is: Confident, Friendly, Professional, and Welcoming

Bonus Awareness: When it comes to video communication, be sure to be intentional with your video background. This is another area of non-verbal communication that most people forget to take note of. The backgrounds in our videos send a non-verbal message to our viewers, so it is very advantageous to be intentional about what that non-verbal cue is communicating.

3.    Choose the Most Appropriate Communication Medium

  • Phone Call? In Person? Text? Email? Social Messaging? Direct Messaging? Video Conferencing?

Different situations call for different communication mediums. As technology advances, so do our choices of communication mediums. Therefore, it is important to reflect upon the most effective option for the moment at hand. Odds are it will continue to shift and change, depending on what needs to be communicated. A strong communication foundation takes note of what medium will be best for the communication receiver to receive the message in a way that is best for them.

4.    Don’t Assume, Instead Clarify

You know what they say when we assume, right? It makes an ass-(out of)-u-(and)-me. The practice of clarifying alone has the potential to clear up most misunderstandings in the world. However, it is a practice. One that is easier said then done. It’s always worth it to take the time to clarify a message with someone. Make this a conscious part of your communication foundation, and it will help lead you to the most effective and efficient communication.

5.    Stay Concise and Succinct

In business in particular, if you want to keep forward movement with your communication, focus on one point at a time with a clear call-to-action. We live in a day and age where attention spans are short and are only growing shorter. Therefore, avoid using 10 words, when 5 will get the job done.

When we consistently come back to practicing these basics of communication, we will see how much more effective and efficient our communication will become. A strong communication foundation makes a huge impact on the success of our businesses. Communication is the foundation of healthy and strong relationships. And, what builds sustainable business for the long term? You guessed it - Healthy and Strong Relationships.

As technology advances, so do our communication practices. If we are to be successful with advanced communication, it will consistently be advantageous to tend to our communication foundation.

Wishing you successful communication always! Especially success in my personal favorite…video communication!

-Jen

Jennifer Santoro is a co-founder of Vaetas, a technology company that offers the product, Vaetas Video Connect: A Tool for Client Relationship Building. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and her master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC). She received her certificate in project management, as well as became a certified professional life and business coach.


To learn more about the technology her company, Vaetas, offers and how it can help you communicate more effectively for your business, visit VAETAS.com.

To support you in transitioning into the Age of Video, Vaetas officially launched aVideo Communication Master Class that is included in all Vaetas Connect memberships.

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Jen Santoro

Vaetas Vlog | EP: 021 | Video & Consulting

In this Vaetas Vlog episode, Jen interviews Roy Adams, who is a professional Strategist and Innovation Consultant. Roy provides insights on how video has been a game changer in building his consulting company. Roy offers great advice to the consulting field! From winning new business to retaining clients; Roy has experience in the full business development process. He is truly a star Vaetas member!

If you're curious on how you can bring the power of video into a consulting practice, this is the Vlog episode for you!

Connect with Roy Adams:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/royhadams/

Connect with Vaetas:
https://vaetas.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/vaetas-llc/
https://www.facebook.com/vaetasconnect

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