If you have scheduled a strategy session with me, you have experienced the system Tungle.  It’s a wonderful little online tool that helps eliminate the back and forth emails of trying to coordinate a meeting.  I’ve enjoyed using it so much that several of my Superstar clients have started using it as well, but yesterday Tungle announced they are no longer going to be providing this service after December.

Has this ever happened to you?  It can be discouraging when a product or service you enjoy is discontinued, but have no fear there are several other options available.

While I have not yet decided which service I’ll use as a replacement, I thought I’d share with you how to search for a great online tool.

1. Replacement Recommendations:  If the service you are using has made a recommendation, that is the best place to start.  Tungle has recommended Doodle as a replacement, so I started there.  While I initially liked it, I’m not sure if it’s the right fit for me.  The good thing about making a change is that you may end up finding something even better in the process.
2. Test Drive:  Many services offer a free trial, and if I like what I see initially I’ll sign up for a free trial.  I like to get into the system and “kick the tires” see what the dashboard looks like, and really poke around and see how it feels to me.  If I run into too many obstacles in trying to set it up it may not be the right fit.   You cannot judge the system just based on the marketing they provide when you first land on their site, take some time and really get in there and see if it feels comfortable or complicated.
3. Too Much or Too Little:  Finding the right balance of options can be a tricky thing.  While checking out Doodle, I realized that it was a little too lean on what it offered, but another one I looked at had way too much.  Determine what features are the most important to you, and what features you can do without.  If they offer a feature you don’t like, but everything else looks good, see if there is a reasonable work around.
4. Ask for Help:  When I first learned that Tungle was going away I posted it on facebook and got some recommendations from a friend.  If you are looking for a tool to solve a specific problem, ask those you know what they use.   (Bonus tip: often when I’m Googling a tool I’ll find articles comparing different options, this can be a helpful place to filter through your options or make alternative suggestions as well)
5. Be Flexible:  Fortunate for my clients who were using Tungle they have me to do the research and find what’s a good fit for them.  It may end up being that different systems work for each of them.  It also may work out that taking a system offline or using something simple may work best.  Sometimes in a search for an online system we determine that a simple spreadsheet or document gets the job done just fine.  Be open to all the solutions available to you.

While the system I find that works for me may be different than what works for you, I’ll share with you what I discover in a future blog post.  In the meantime you are welcome to “test drive” a few options I’m considering and schedule a strategy session with me and we can discuss ways I can help you find the systems that will help you in your business.

http://doodle.com/TheGoldenRuleVA

http://meetwith.me/thegoldenruleva