Skype has made impressive improvements in it's features and performance. It might be time to dust off your Skype account and give it a fresh test run. Strong video performance, recording capabilities and the ability to integrate with Facebook and mobile devices are all big improvements. Link to a free "Skype Jump-Start Guide for Business and a tutorial video are available at the end of the slide deck
18. Watch a video tutorial of this information at: http://youtu.be/v_5buaPgnXw
Hinweis der Redaktion
In this video, you’re going to learn the features of Skype that real Power Users take advantage of every day.We’re going to go through them at a high level, and then it’s up to you to dive into your Skype and put these features to work for you in your business.
To set up Caller ID and have your Skype calls show as real numbers when they’re being received, go to your Skype Menu > Account. That will take you to your main account page online, in your browser.Look for the Manage Features section. Just click on the “Caller ID” icon and follow the instructions.
You can keep your favorite, frequently called contacts in a separate Favorites section, so you can find them quickly.Just Drag and drop contacts to the ‘Favorites’ panel to have them easier to find, or click on the star beside their name in the contact list to save them as favorites (Mac). You can also right-click on their name and click on ‘Add to Favorites’ in the drop-down menu that appears.
You can personalize your notification times/alerts and sounds by clicking on the Tools menu in WindowsTools > Options > Notification settings.You’ll see a whole list of different possibilities for when you can be notified, such asWhen someone comes online,When someone sends you a video message or fileWhen a contact has a birthdayYou can even tell Skype not to notify you when you’re recording a video message or sharing screens.
On a Mac it will look a little different. Rather than a whole list of checkboxes, you’ll get a drop-down menuJust go to Skype Menu > Preferences > NotificationsUse the drop down menus to select your notification preferences.
Rather than relying on voice messages, you can be much more personal and leave a video message for someone.To send a video message, just click on the + symbol in your contact’s window, then select ‘Send a Video Message…’ and follow the instructions.
Just like with a regular phone, you can set a personalized voicemail message for people trying to call you.You can set your message to play if you don’t answer after a certain number of seconds, if you’re already in a call, or even if you reject an incoming call.To personalize a voicemail message on Windows, go to Tools > Options > Calls > Voice Messages. If you don’t already have voice messaging enabled on your account, you can do that by going to your main account page online for Skype and then clicking on the ‘Voice Messages’ icon in the Manage Features section.
On a Mac, it will look a little different. Just go to Preferences > Calls > and Enable Voice Messaging
There are a lot of reasons you might want to record your Skype calls. For example,Conducting an interview you want to post on your websiteTo give to a coaching client after having a live Skype coaching session with themAs a form of ‘meeting notes’ that you can have transcribed afterwards- ….etcTo record calls, with or without video, you can use a free program such as MP3 Skype Recorder , Pamela.bizor one from DVDSoft. You can record both Skype-to-Skype and Skype to landline calls… but will need to inform anyone you’re talking to that you are recording it.
Add a Skype button to your website so that people can call or message you when you’re online.This can be a great feature for customer service since you can allow people to call or chat and you never have to give out a phone number. To find the set up panel, go to the Explore tab on your main Skype account page online.Click on FeaturesThen scroll all the way down the page to find the ‘Skype Buttons’ option.Follow the instructions you’ll see when you click on that link. You’ll then receive some code to copy and paste onto your website. If you’re using WordPress, you can just paste that into a ‘text/html’ widget on your sidebar.
If you’re going to be away from your computer, or just want to have Skype forward to a different phone number, you can easily set up that option. However, remember that you will need to buy Skype credits to forward to phones or mobiles.To use call forwarding on Windows, just go to Tools > Options > Calls > Call Forwarding and Voicemail. .
On a Mac, it will look a little different.Go to Preferences > Calls > Check ‘Forward Calls’ and then Select ‘Set up Call Forwarding
There could be many reasons you don’t want someone to contact you via Skype. Just like with land lines, you can get spam calls.To block a person from contacting you, right-click on their username and select ‘Block…’ This will prevent them from seeing when you are online and being able to contact you.
If you’re the sort of person who prefers to keep your fingers on the keyboard, Skype has a number of different ‘hotkeys’ you can enable.Some are built-in and others you can specify for yourself.You can enable and customize hotkeys for Skype by going to Tools > Options > Advanced > Hotkeys.
Are you a Facebook junkie? Well, you can connect your Skype to your Facebook account and see your Facebook newsfeed, like and comment on Facebook posts, post status updates, message your friends on Facebook, start video calls and more. Just go to Contacts > Contacts List > Facebook and click on the Connect to Facebook button. Follow the instructions to allow Skype to connect, post, and receive messages.To see your Facebook information and feed at any time, just click on the little ‘home’ icon in your menu bar. Your favorites will be shown at the top.
Finally, you’re not limited to using Skype just on your computer. Ever wanted to make an international call from your mobile phone? It’s free if you’re making a Skype to Skype call! Working on your iPad and want to chat via Skype with someone? Just use the Skype app for iPad/iPhone. Go to the Skype for Mobile page from your mobile device and download the relevant app for your platform. Then follow the instructions to set up and login to your account.
I think you’ll agree, Skype is a powerful and easy to use tool that should be in your personal toolbox.If you would like to learn more about how to use Skype and integrate it into your daily business life, visit the link on the screen to download a free copy of “Skype Jump-Start Guide for Business”. This report provides a step by step approach to get the most out of this tool. You will also receive a handy ‘cheatsheet’ and loads of screenshots.Check it out at www.fillthefunnel.com/skype