The Transcription Blog

Who needs transcription services? It would be easy to say “any business”, but the truth is - any business could use a form of transcription in one way or another.  How or why do you ask?

You have heard of different genres of transcription services: medical transcription, legal transcription,  seminar and business transcription. But what makes a transcription service truly beneficial in these genres and in your circumstance? One word – Detail.

Staff Meetings

In today’s hectic office environment, meeting time is always a commodity. Not only do they cost heavily in lost production time – meetings quite often touch on many more points than what the agenda has room for.  There are so many fine details that it may be difficult to consider or acknowledge all of them. An answer to is to record the meeting, and have a transcription service performed. Having a meeting transcribed to paper does many things: it provides a hard copy for future reference, it provides the organizer of the meeting a census of what was accomplished, and captures great ideas by individuals that may otherwise be missed or forgotten. Meetings are a valuable resource, and for the small cost of a quick dictation – they can be documented at a very low cost, for huge company benefit. Companies often also bring in special presenters, such as coaches and motivators. However, many of them do not allow the use of recordings of their presentations – if this is the case, ask if the question and answer section at the end can be recorded.

Marketing Research

When doing marketing research, it is not only important to get as much information from the target market as possible – it is also important to do so in a manner that is efficient and non-interruptive for the interviewee.  Recording the conversation allows you to ask and receive questions efficiently, allowing more time for the person being interviewed to elaborate. Transcribing the conversation recording will then allow you to pick up on details otherwise missed when handwriting a marketing questionnaire or a checklist. These details often present new business leads, ideas, and direction for your business – a very worth while investment.

Customer Feedback

It is definitely a good idea to log any type of customer feedback when possible. When doing customer follow up by phone or in person, it may be a good idea to record some of the conversations. This issues brought forth (good or bad) will shed light on other areas of the business. Having the conversations recorded and transcribed will allow you to pick and choose the information you see as relevant.

Presentations

A mix of marketing research, customer feedback, and staff meeting - Presenting a new product or service to a potential customer takes a skilled combination of charisma and convincing. Recording and documenting the presentation will identify presentation inconsistencies, compare reactions of audience, and document details that would other wise be missed.

I am sure that you have heard that in business, deals are lost when details ‘slip through the cracks’. Having a good transcription service transfer your spoken words into hard copy will aid you with direction, focus, and an essence for success.

Let’s face it – no one likes to have someone else do their work for them, especially when you know you can do it yourself. For me, knowing when to outsource should be looked at not only in a monetary way, but in a way that really benefits the entire landscape of your business.

Firstly, when you do something yourself, you have a definitive view of how that something gets accomplished. YOU are the one that controls the quality, the time, and the effort. I’m the kind of person that generally insists on being entirely hands on: finances, home renovations, car repairs, laundry (don’t laugh – my Dad has been known to send his “laundry out”).  But at what point in your life do these items outweigh your quality of life – things that you should be doing but put off in order to look after the latter. As a self proclaimed “always-doing-something” (even right now, with my four year old climbing all over me I am here writing this..) there are times when my brain is so overwhelmed with things I feel that I should be getting done, I end up taking a big deep breath and say – what will happen if it doesn’t get done?

Secondly: I’m cheap. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I’d make my kids go to school wearing cardboard boxes for pants, but I am definitely always looking to save a buck. Who isn’t? Therefore, my point of doing everything yourself is a direct result of either not wanting to spend the money, or not having the money to spend. For me, it comes down to what can’t I do myself due to factors like the equipment expense, the time expense, and the “just don’t feel like it” expense.

Thirdly: Do I know anyone in the industry I can use as a resource? If the project is currently out of my scope I will generally ask someone I know or someone in the field for their advice on the subject. If I don’t know anyone immediately, I generally try to make contact with three different sources, and this will give me a good feel for what I should be looking for. From this I decide if it is something I can take on myself. However – at what point do these three situations present an obvious time to delegate? I guess it comes down to time value.  I generally value my time doing a chore around the house in the same way that I value my time working at my day job:  if the time I have taken is worth less than the amount of money I could make at my desk job - it should have been outsourced. You may say: this sounds completely obvious. But when was the last time any of us have sat down and figured this out?

Outsourcing benefits are fully obtained by understanding and trust between you and the outsourcing company.  Gaining trust (like everything else) takes patience and communication. PATIENCE AND COMMUNICATION! Outsourcing is a two way communication street that relies on both parties to be effective. A good outsourcing company will ask you lots of questions about details that you would have not considered relevant. A good outsourcing company will give full, confident answers to your questions. They will also help you with your (company) vision and help to provide methods to help your business landscape. Plus if the relationship is a success, you have just made an ally, which in this world – it’s all about who you know.For me – this is more beneficial than mere monetary value. Written by Josh Ament: a self proclaimed workaholic

So its the beginning of 2010 and already things have started to happen.  Some doors have closed a little, but I can see more doors opening in the distance and although I can’t reach those doors yet, I am excited about the journey to get there. 

A year ago, when I was just in the process of starting this business I was scared.  Scared to network, scared to call those potential clients, scared at the very thought of being out there on my own.  Fear of the unknown.  Now, a year later, I say “Bring it on”.  Bring on all the scarey stuff, because its only making me stronger. 

I attended my second networking event last evening and I have to say those events are now my favorite part of being in business.  The people I have met are absolutely amazing and now I consider many of them friends, all struggling with the same issues and problems all small business owners struggle with.  Time, money, marketing, time……….  I find their stories inspiring and their excitement for their businesses contagious.  I leave with new found excitement and the strength to push forward.  Then after returning home, I jumped on twitter, which has now become my number one favorite networking tool.    Where else can you connect, learn, promote and laugh with people from all over the world.  I am still learning all the ins and outs of twitter and social media for that matter, but I have a few good teachers and I’m eager to learn. 

I am still working on my fear of the dreaded cold call.  Not that I’m afraid of rejection, because I know that rejection is inevitable.  I think even if every call equaled a new client I would still be nervous.  I can’t even explain why.  I am on the phone, hidden saftely in my office and the worst that I can hear is “No”.  Not scarey at all.  If any of you reading this have any suggestions to solve my cold call fear I am all ears. 

As for being out there on my own.  LOVE IT!  I was never one who enjoyed being on someone else’s schedule.  Told when to eat, when to take a break, when to come in and when to go home.  It is very empowering to know that I am in total control of my life.  I am an entrepreneur, but I am a mom and a wife first.  When everyone is at work, school, daycare or finally asleep, that is when I work.  I don’t want to miss a moment.  Not a school play, trip, swimming lesson or birthday party.  That being said, I am also in complete control of how my clients are treated.  I look after my clients.  I work with them, finding solutions for their businesses to make their lives easier and again I LOVE IT! 

So, my new moto for 2010 is “Bring it on”.  There is an excitement for this year that I am hearing from people all over.  An optimism that this will be a year like no other.  Goals will be acheived, ideas will be generated, lives will be changed….. I may be getting carried away, but you get the idea.  So bring on 2010 I can’t wait.

Since beginning my transcription business I’ve had a lot of people wonder why someone would hire a transcriptionist if they can just buy computer software that can do the same for less.  Speech recognition technology has been used for quite some time.  The user is able to speak the text and almost bypass using the keyboard entirely, like the Dragon Naturally Speaking software.

This software definitely has its place in both the personal and business environment.  For those that are physically unable to type or even for those who are still typing with one finger searching for those keys; this software would save you a ton of time, money and aggravation.  Repetitive strain injuries are common in the work place and these programs will help those who do repetitive typing day in and day out. These documents do still require to be proof read and edited for any mistakes or corrections.

However, I believe there are some dictations that can only be transcribed by an actual transcriptionist.  Someone with training and experience that has the time to dedicate themselves to your documents.  A trained transcriptionist, especially in the medical field, will take the time look up difficult terminology, abbreviations, addresses, names……They will take the time to understand heavy accents, correct mistakes, format documents…… The only equipment needed is a digital dictaphone.  Files can be easily emailed to a transcriptionist, typed and returned completed to you in any format you require.

For doctors, lawyers, writers or even small businesses that require a lot of documentation and just don’t have the time or money to sit and type all day long, financially it makes sense to have either speech recognition software or a transcriptionist do that typing for you.

Overwhelmed by email? Who isn’t? Basex Research recently estimated that businesses lose $650 billion annually in productivity due to unnecessary e-mail interruptions. According to Ross Mayfield of Forbes.com, the average number of corporate e-mails sent and received per person per day is expected to reach over 228 by 2010.  Defining your email style with systems and routines make all the difference in going 

·  A good spam filter is a must. Anti spam technology is available at a reasonable cost so be sure you are all set. Remember to review the “spam” email just in case the filter has removed mail that you need. You can redirect this into the inbox with minor adjustment. Do not open emails, reply back or “unsubscribe” to junk email as this could place you on more spam email lists. It is best to delete all of these at the beginning of y our email session.  Be sure your virus protection is up to date as well. 

 ·  Eliminate as many email lists as you can. This is just like stopping subscriptions to magazines you don’t have time to read!  Be sure you are subscribing ONLY to necessary information, not the “just in case” information.   If you are receiving jokes or chain messages from friends, kindly remind them you are not interested.   If you must email newsletters, move these into a “read” folder.    ·  Decide the function of your email inbox.  An inbox is not for filing, it is for active use.  If your inbox is cluttered, it is often because of indecision.  Because email floods in like a tsunami, be decisive on your email processing.  Being committed to using your inbox as a temporary home for action items, it is easier to work with the clutter there. 

·  Create a subfolder named “Processed” or “Done” to eliminate delaying email filing.  Often “filing” your email is put off because it is more complicated than your needs. When you need information in this subfolder, it can be sorted by arranging the subject line or sender to find it. 

 ·  Limit the times you check your email.  Schedule two or three consistent time periods each day to go through your email inbox. Turn off your audio alarm so that incoming email is not a distraction. Plan to spend an hour at that time answering your email and truly focusing on this task.  The first hour of work can be most productive by focusing on a major project and by checking your email the second hour. You will find increased productivity and a sense of accomplishment by conquering a task first thing in the day!

·  Email is best used for short messages with direct subject lines.  Need to explain a lengthy topic? Using the phone can make a difference!

For more information on productivity and time management, check out Ellen’s Blog at www.professional-organizer.com.  Happy organizing!

A transcriptionist’s main goal is to provide their employer or their client with the most accurate and professional document possible.  This can be achieved by listening and re-listening to a dictation, proofreading, quality checking…….  The list can go on and on. But what can be done while recording the dictation to help increase accuracy.  Here are some tips for recording a good dictation:

1.  Organize your data before you start recording.

2.  Dictate in a quiet area, with no distractions.

3.  Speak clearly.

4.  Don’t rush.  Dictate at an even pace and speak clearly.

5.  Don’t use abbreviations unless stating what it stands for at least once in the report.

These are just a few tips, there are many more depending on the industry you are working in.  The most important tip would be to work with your transcriptionist so that there is a clear understanding of what is expected so that your documents will be completed to the highest of standards.

I am new to business ownership and even more so to blogging. I have read a ton of blogs and am always in wonder and awe at the number of blogs and the wealth of new and interesting information. A person could make a living just reading new blog postings. Or maybe some people are…….

My business is Simply Transcription, an online transcription service for professionals, found at www.simplytranscriptiononline.com. We are the transcription specialist, recognized for our reliability, confidentiality and accuracy. We make it easy. Our mission is to provide you with a transcription service at the highest level of customer service, accuracy and confidentiality.

I hope that through my blog posts, tweets on twitter and my website, my customers, future customers and friends in business will get a chance to know both my business, the transcription industry and myself better. I never thought I would be a “blogger” but I look forward to this new adventure my new career has taken me to.