When I first learned of Evernote, I didn’t think it was any big deal. It seemed like an app I would use to take notes. I could store things…like notes. Of course, this was in the early days of the iPhone and nothing really seemed like that big of a deal. After all, the REALLY rich people had a Blackberry, right?
Evernote has developed into a must have productivity app. You can still take notes, but now there are ways to integrate handwriting, pictures, voice recordings, websites (not just the link) and business cards. Lawyers, doctors, accountants and other professionals use it as a way to save information and share it with colleagues and clients. Here are the top five ways Evernote can help your team:
- Business Cards: When you come back from a conference or networking event, you probably have 20 – 30 business cards to put in your CRM. Lay the card on a table and tap on the Photos icon in Evernote. A picture is take automatically, and the information is copied to your contacts. It also integrates with LinkedIn to grab the profile picture and content. Use Zapier to move information directly to your CRM.
- Note Taking: Some people like to type notes in a meeting while others like to write by hand; Evernote allows you do both. During a meeting, type your notes, switch to handwriting, take a picture and record the a voice. Create multiple notebooks for storing notes from staff meetings, church functions and your grocery list. You can also take notes in your Moleskin and have them scanned in to your Evernote account for access from anywhere.
- Document Management: Store up to 10 GB of information (notes, photos, PDFs, etc.) every month. Annotate PDFs and send them back to clients and colleagues. All of your devices sync while also allowing web access to data. Use the Web Clipper feature to capture the entire website (not just a link) and store it for future reference. Send emails to Evernote and keep them with related notes and attachments.
- Sharing: Give team members access to certain notes and notebooks and make them secure with a password. This makes sharing across large (or small) groups a breeze. To increase your workflow and conversation, share and discuss your ideas without ever leaving Evernote. Even when there is no internet connection, your group can have access to the team notes.
Technology can help with productivity, but only if professionals know the tips and tricks of their mobile devices and apps. Scientifically Speaking consults with multiple industries on how their work groups can be more productive with their iPhones and Android devices (since there is no instruction manual). Once your efficient process is built, you’ll look like a technology champ to your coworkers (and family), and you’ll be the time saving machine you want to be.
Scientifically Speaking, of course…
