Quiz: Are you a Professional?

The following quiz has 4 questions that will let you know if you are qualified to be a "professional." Each answer is listed below. Hopefully you can pass!

1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?

The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator put in the giraffe and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.

2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?

Open the refrigerator put in the elephant and close the refrigerator. Wrong Answer!

Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.

3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend except one. Which animal does not attend?

Correct Answer: The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. This tests your memory.

OK, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.

4. There is a river you must cross. But it is inhabited by crocodiles. How do you manage it?

Correct Answer: You swim across. All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

For more funny business jokes click HERE.

How to Call Armenia from the United States

Datavo makes calling Armenia from the United States a breeze.

We know that making international calls can be hard for some. So we have developed a simple way to help you make the process easier.

Take these uncomplicated steps:

Landline:

• Start by dialing 011, the US international prefix or access code
• Second dial 374, Armenia's country code.
• Lastly dial the 2-3 digit area code and 5-6 digit phone number.

   Example: 011 + 374 + XXX XXXXXX

  Major Cities and Area Codes:

City	Area Code
Yerevan	10
Gyumri	312
Vanadzor	322
Kapan	285
Hrazdan	223
Abovyan	222
Artashat	235

Mobile:

• Start by dialing 011, the US international prefix or access code
• Second dial 374, Armenia's country code.
• Lastly dial the 8 digit phone number starting with 9

   Example: 011 + 374 + 9 XXX XXXX

                

Click HERE to go to Armenia's White Pages.

Do you call Armenia regularly? Well Datavo has a deal for you. Click HERE for more information on Armenia's calling rates.

10 Tips for Better Organizing Your Workspace

Is your desk or office cluttered? Do you have a hard time finding things when you need them? Here at Datavo, we know how important it is to keep your work space organized so that you can maximize your efficiency and become a more productive employee. 

Organizing your office does not have to be a daunting task, it can be done efficiently and in little time. Once your space is organized it can be maintained with minimal upkeep. To get started, just follow these simple tips. 

1. De-clutter. Go through everything in your office and get rid of anything that you do not use. This goes for equipment, furniture, supplies, files, decorations, etc. 

2. Put everything in its place. Go around your office and collect things that are out of place and put them where they go.

3. Keep things you need close. Make sure that things you use frequently are easily accessible and within arms reach. Things that you use less can be put away or in storage.

4. Clear & organize your desk. Remove everything from your desk, only keep items that you must use everyday. Use desktop organizers such as paper trays and paper clip holders to keep things in place.

5. Organize your drawers. Keep like items together. Sticky pads with notepads, stamps with envelopes, etc. Make a separate drawer for your own personal items. 

6. Seperate your inboxes. If you work directly with many people, create a tray, folder or inbox for each.

7. Don't accumulate piles. Once you are fully organized you will hopefully stop having piles of paper sitting around. Go through your existing ones and either file them away or toss them.

8. Read, Sort, Shread. Read all mail the same day it is received; decide whether you will need to act on it, file it, delegate or shread it.

9. Clean your desk. Before you leave each day, do quick clean up of you desk. Put everything back in its place so that you have a clean start each and every day. 

10. File at least once a week. When you let your filing pile up it can become daunting. By setting a specific  time aside each week, it will ensure you stay on top of it. 

Feel free to leave any tips in the comments you think we may have left out. 

9 Quotes About the Telephone

Take a look at Datavo's favorite quotes on the telephone.

• "Grand telegraphic discovery today ... Transmitted vocal sounds for the first time ... With some further modification I hope we may be enabled to distinguish ... the 'timbre' of the sound. Should this be so, conversation viva voce by telegraph will be a fait accompli." ~ Alexander Graham Bell

• 'Watson, ... if I can get a mechanism which will make a current of electricity vary in its intensity, as the air varies in density when a sound is passing through it, I can telegraph any sound, even the sound of speech.' ~ Alexander Graham Bell

• I have read somewhere that the resistance offered by a wire ... is affected by the tension of the wire. If this is so, a continuous current of electricity passed through a vibrating wire should meet with a varying resistance, and hence a pulsatory action should be induced in the current ... [corresponding] in amplitude, as well as in rate of movement, to the vibrations of the string ... [Thus] the timbre of a sound [a quality essential to intelligible speech] could be transmitted ... [and] the strength of the current can be increased ad libitum without destroying the relative intensities of the vibrations. ~ Alexander Graham Bell

• I then shouted into M [the mouthpiece] the following sentence: 'Mr. Watson-—Come here—I want to see you.' To my delight he came and declared that he had heard and understood what I said. I asked him to repeat the words. He answered 'You said—'Mr. Watson—-come here—I want to see you.' We then changed places and I listened at S [the reed receiver] while Mr. Watson read a few passages from a book into the mouth piece M. It was certainly the case that articulate sounds proceeded from S. The effect was loud but indistinct and muffled. If I had read beforehand the passage given by Mr. Watson I should have recognized every word. As it was I could not make out the sense—but an occasional word here and there was quite distinct. I made out 'to' and 'out' and 'further'; and finally the sentence 'Mr. Bell do you understand what I say? Do—you—un—der—stand—what—I—say' came quite clearly and intelligibly. No sound was audible when the armature S was removed. ~ Alexander Graham Bell

• As to Bell's talking telegraph, it only creates interest in scientific circles, and, as a toy it is beautiful; but ... its commercial value will be limited. ~ Elisha Gray

• TELESCOPE, n. A device having a relation to the eye similar to that of the telephone to the ear, enabling distant objects to plague us with a multitude of needless details. Luckily it is unprovided with a bell summoning us to the sacrifice. ~ Ambrose Bierce

• TELEPHONE, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance. ~ Ambrose Bierce

• Every improvement that is put upon the real estate is the result of an idea in somebody's head. The skyscraper is another idea; the railroad is another; the telephone and all those things are merely symbols which represent ideas. An andiron, a wash-tub, is the result of an idea that did not exist before. ~ Mark Twain

• If you had come to me a hundred years ago, do you think I should have dreamed of the telephone? Why, even now I cannot understand it! I use it every day, I transact half my correspondence by means of it, but I don’t understand it. Thnk of that little stretched disk of iron at the end of a wire repeating in your ear not only sounds, but words—not only words, but all the most delicate and elusive inflections and nuances of tone which separate one human voice from another! Is not that something of a miracle? ~  Sir William Crookes

Space Shuttle Endeavour Ends its Journey

Today, Datavo saw history flying in the sky. A few of my coworkers and I were able to see the Endeavour Space Shuttle flying for the last time from right outside our office.

Endeavour was delivered by the Rockwell International Space Transportation Systems Division to NASA in May 1991 and first launched a year later, in May 1992. Endeavour was the fifth and final space worthy shuttle that NASA built and was a replacement for the space shuttle Challenger.  It was named after the British ship HMS Endeavour, that is why it spelled in British English instead of American English (Endeavor). It flew its final mission in May 2011 and was decommissioned immediately after. 

NASA has ended the American Space Shuttle Program and retired all of its Space Shuttles. Each one has been delivered to its final site. Endeavour is the last one and has landed at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and will be moved through the streets of Los Angeles (La Tijera, Manchester, Crenshaw, and Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards) to its final resting place at the California Science Center sometime in October. 

10 Tips for Great Customer Service

Your Customer Service department is the front line for your company. They are the image that your customers see and hear. Datavo put together a list of 10 tips that every customer service department can use to be better and keep their customers loyal.

1. Smile and Posture. Always make sure to sit up and smile when taking any calls.

2. Stay Confident. The person that is the most certainty leads the conversation. Make sure you give off the feeling that everything will be okay and you are in control.

3. Be Authentic. If you have a script that you read, make sure to not sound like you are reading. Make sure you are listening and responding properly.

4. Listen and Repeat. Make sure to confirm what the customer has told you so that you are sure you clearly understand their needs. This will also make the customer more confident in your ability to handle their problem.

5. Be Gracious. Always thank your customers for calling, especially if they have a complaint. You may be able to fix the problem and gain their loyalty.

6. Stay Honest. If you do not know something, don't lie. Tell them you are not sure but you will be following up on it and will have an answer for them shortly. Make sure to follow through and provide them with the answer. 

7. Train Properly. Make sure all of your employees that have customer interactions have basic communication skills.

8. Put in Extra Effort. Customers will appreciate and be loyal to you if they feel you have gone above and beyond what the expected.

9. Own the Call. When it is possible try not to transfer the customer to anyone else, people don't like having to repeat what they have just went over with you. 

10. Apologize, Fix It and Move On. Make sure to always apologize when something goes wrong then fix it. Customers tend to remain loyal and be forgiving when you are able to fix their problems quickly.

Feel free to leave any tips in the comments that we may have left out. 

How to Make a Call to Colombia from the United States

Datavo gives you an uncomplicated look at calling Colombia from the United States.

We know that making international calls can be difficult at times. So we have developed a simple way to help you make the process easier.

Take these uncomplicated steps:

Landline:

• Start by dialing 011, the US international prefix or access code
• Second dial 57, Colombia's country code.
• Lastly dial the 1 digit area code and 7 digit phone number.

   Example: 011 + 57 + X XXXXXXX

  Major Cities and Area Codes:

City	Area Code
Bogotá	1
Medellín	4
Cali	2
Barranquilla	5
Cartagena	5
Cúcuta	7
Bucaramanga	7

Mobile:

• Start by dialing 011, the US international prefix or access code
• Second dial 57, Colombia's country code.
• Lastly dial the 10 digit phone number starting with 3

   Example: 011 + 57 + 3 XXXXXXXXX

                

Click HERE to go to Colombia's phone book.

Do you call Colombia regularly? Well Datavo has a deal for you. Click HERE for more information on Colombia's calling rates.

20 Great Motivational Quotes to Start Your Day

Do you find yourself needing motivation? Datavo has collected a few motivational quotes to get the fire inside you burning so that you can be great. 

Leonardo da Vinci

• “Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else.” - Leonardo da Vinci

• "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." - T.S. Eliot

• “It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.” - Mark Twain

• "I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.' " - Muhammad Ali

• “A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.” - Richard Branson

• “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” - André Gide

• “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” - Winston Churchill

Albert Einstein

• “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” - Albert Einstein

• “We should not teach children the sciences; but give them a taste for them.” - Jean Jacques Rousseau 

• “It matters not the number of years in your life. It is the life in your years.” - Abraham Lincoln 

• “Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself.” - Cicero

• “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” - Michael Jordan 

• “No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess” - Newton 

• “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” - Albert Einstein 

Nelson Mandela

• “One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.” - E. M. Forster 

• “When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat.” - Nelson Mandela

• “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison

• “When you innovate, you’ve got to be prepared for everyone telling you you’re nuts.” -Larry Ellison 

• “All that counts in life is intention.” - Andrea Bocell

• “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” - Emerson

Feel free to leave any quotes you think we left out in the comments.

10 Ways to Think Like a Successful Business Owner

Everyone wants to be successful in business but not everyone knows how. A lot of it comes from the way that you handle situations when they arise. 

With Datavo's ten tips, you will be able to deal with issues as they come along and focus on the positives. Five of our tips focus on what you need to do internally, while the other five focus on your outward success.

Changing your thinking on the follow five things within yourself will start you on the road to success. 

• Always Admit Your Mistakes. Things happen, people make mistakes, have bad days, and don't always make the best decisions. Being able to acknowledge when you have done something wrong  without becoming defensive or offensive, makes it easier to fix the issue and move on.

• Perfection Doesn't Exist. Try not to focus on being perfect. Things rarely are and by focusing on  doing the best work you possibly can, instead of the minuscule details, your strive for success and happiness will be found much sooner.

• Don't Hold Grudges. Things or people at work can sometimes make you upset. Staying mad at yourself or someone else does not fix the problem and can create an uncomfortable work environment. If you have an issue fix it and move forward. Try to forgive and forget.

• Stay Positive. Positivity breeds creativity and success. Negativity can suck the air out of everything. If you try to always look at situations as the glass half full it will make your road to success a lot less bumpy.

• Don't Jump to Conclusions. Don't decide that something has failed or been successful without the proper back up. Make sure you analyze and research your facts before thinking in conclusive terms. 

You also have to change your thinking on how you deal with others in the outside world. Following these five steps will help you get there.

• Always Admit Your Mistakes. As with yourself, you need to be able to admit when you have made a mistake to others so that you can move forward. Don't try to blame your mistakes on others it will make people dislike and distrust you.

• Be Loyal. Always show loyalty to your customers, even if you think they may be looking for a different service. If you show them you are dedicated and want to go the extra mile you most likely will be able to change their minds and retain their loyalty.

• Think Long Term. Make sure to approach all of your clients or customers with an attitude that you want to supply your particular service to them always. You want to have clients for life.

• Make Definitive Decisions. People in charge have to make decisions to keep their work force confident in them and the business moving successfully. If you make a mistake, own it and move on. But first you have to be willing to take the leap to move forward in your success.

• Improve and Move Forward. Nothing is perfect (like we mentioned above). You can always do something to make something better or run smoother. Take suggestions from employees and keep an open mind. With this approach to business your success will hit the roof. 

Feel free to tell us how you have been successful in the comments. 

We Will Never Forget

It was a fateful Tuesday. It was as if everything stood still, we no longer felt the safety we had prior to that first plane hitting on Sept. 11, 2001. Eleven years later, we will never forget the innocent people and brave servicemen that were lost.

Instead of dwelling on the hate and tragedy of that day, we choose to remember how Americans came together in the aftermath, how everyone seemed to have compassion. There was a mutual understanding that you could feel with just eye contact. People were open and wanting to connect with each other. There was a feeling hat we are all in this together, that we all want to help each other, comfort each other because in the core of each of us there is hope, compassion and love for our fellow man. 

Datavo will never forget.

How to Call Puerto Rico from the United States

Making an international call can be hectic at times. Let Datavo make your calls to Puerto Rico from the United States effortless.

We know that making international calls can be tough. So we developed a simple way to help you make the process easier.

Just follow these simple steps:

   

Landline/Mobile Phone:

·         Start by dialing 011, the US international prefix.

·         Second dial 1, the Puerto Rico's Country Code.

·         Lastly dial the area code 787/939 and 7-digit phone number.

   Example: 011 + 1 + 787/939 + XXXXXXX

Click HERE to go to Puerto Rico's Telephone Directory. 

Do you call the Puerto Rico regularly?? Well Datavo has a deal for you. Click HERE for more information on our Puerto Rico calling rates.

24 Important Questions Business Leaders Should Ask Themselves

Datavo knows that in today's market you have to be flexible and ready to move ahead so that your business can continue to be successful. 

If you look at our businesses today, they are all components of an enterprising network of relationships with partners, clients, and suppliers that mold the way we take care of business. With the rising expectations and demands of consumers, small and large business are showing up in all places around the globe. These business conditions can present both pros and cons to an owner.

So when contemplating what methods make your business' run efficiently, make sure these 20 questions are included.

1. What is the purpose for your business existing?
2. Who is your target customer?
3. What are your competitors up to?
4. Has your business adequately changed with the times?
5. Do you have the right leaders employed?
6. How does your business handle change?
7. Are your business practices outdated?
8. Are there better ways to integrate your different business processes, to make them work easier?
9. Are you able to reduce your expenses, without hurting your product?
10. Are you able to automate repetitive actions?
11. Are your systems so slow they are affecting your response time to customers?
12. Do you embrace new technology?
13. Do you ensure that your data is backed daily, in case of a system failure?
14. Is the information on your website current?
15. Are your Customer Service Representatives trained with current business information?
16. If you systems were to go down, do you know how to fix or restart it?
17. Does corporate management share the same goals as the IT department?
18. Are you making the right decisions with the IT and Operations departments?
19. Are you securing your networks properly from outside threats?
20. What part of your budget is for maintenance as opposed to new product development?
21. Do you have the right employees?
22. Are your employees happy?
23. Are you using your employees to the best of their abilities?
24. Do you ask your employees what feedback they are getting from customers on the business?

Feel free to leave any that you think we left off in the comments. 

Top 5 Tips for Successful Sales Agents

Your sales success can be the result of superb marketing or excellent selling finesse. With the majority of things in business, the more information you know the higher you can reach on the sales ladder. Datavo has put together a list of five tips to help you along your way.

1. Listen. Always let your prospective clients state their needs before you attempt to sale them anything. By finding out that their needs you are better situated to understand and meet the requirements they are requesting. Also, people like to feel like they are being heard so it will help you gain their trust and approval.

2. Set the Stage for Good Rapport. First impressions can be a deal breaker and is not always based on only words. People judge you by your appearance, manners, demeanor, and even your sense of humor. Make sure you always come across as warm and accessible. People are more willing to purchase something from someone that they like.

3. Be Adaptable. Each of your buyer has a different set of priorities and reason for their purchases, so you should always be prepared to adapt your sales pitch according to the immediate needs of your current client. Some people are purchasing a necessity, some opportunity, and others just because. Being able to decipher what type of buyer you have on your hands and adapting your script to fit them will ultimately lead you to more sales.

4. Be Convincing. A good sales agent does not take NO for an answer. Using the following moves to sway your customers can inevitably lead to more closed sales. Always have a product that is relevant and of good quality. Make sure you are pitching your product at the right time and for the right price. Always be easy to deal with. Believe in the product you sell so that you come off as sincere and convincing.

5. Do Not Buy Your Sales. Customers always want to feel like they are getting the best deal possible so it it necessary to sometimes give them a bit of leeway to help negotiations such as free voicemail, extra features etc. Try to only do this when necessary, as cutting prices is not a good long time strategy and does not help. You must always remember that you are in this field to make money and neither you or the business will survive for very long without making a realistic profit.

Please feel free to add any tips to the comments that I may have left off.

15 Strange, Funny, Dumb and Outdated California Laws

Do you know of any stupid laws in your area? California has quite a few and we here at Datavo put a list of them together for your enjoyment.

• Sunshine is guaranteed to the masses.
• Women may not drive in a house coat.
• No vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 mph.
• Ice cream may not be eaten while standing on the sidewalk. (Carmel)
• Peacocks have the right to cross any street, including driveways. (Arcadia)
• Nobody is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool. (Baldwin Park)
• You are not permitted to wear cowboy boots, unless you already own two cows. (Blythe)
• Bowling on the sidewalk is illegal. (Chico)
• Men who wear mustaches are forbidden from kissing women. (Eureka)
• You may not hunt moths under a street light. (Los Angeles)
• It is illegal to set metal balloons afloat in the air.  (Los Angeles County)
• It is illegal to molest butterflies. (Pacific Grove)
• Elephants are prohibited from walking down Market Street unless they are on a leash. (San Francisco)
• Persons classified as "ugly" may not walk down any street. (San Francisco)
• One must not leave sand in their own driveway. (Walnut)

So what did we learn from these laws today? Sunshine is guaranteed (even if it rains). Always stop for pedestrian peacocks, keep your elephant on a leash, and buy a flashlight so that you can hunt down those rogue moths!

Feel free to leave any laws we missed in the comments section.

How to Call Jamaica from the United States

Making an international call can be hectic at times. Let Datavo make your calls to Jamaica from the United States effortless.

We know that making international calls can be tough. So we developed a simple way to help you make the process easier.

Just follow these simple steps:

   

Landline/Mobile Phone:

·         Start by dialing 011, the US international prefix.

·         Second dial 1, the Jamaica's Country Code.

·         Lastly dial the area code 876 and 7-digit phone number.

   Example: 011 + 1 + 876 + XXXXXXX

Click HERE to go to Jamaica's Telephone Directory. 

Do you call the Jamaica regularly?? Well Datavo has a deal for you. Click here for more information on our Jamaica calling rates.