Ask the Experts

Keep your lines of communication open

ARE YOUR COMPANY DATA AND EQUIPMENT SAFE, SHOULD A HURRICANE HIT?

BY MARK ROSSI

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When hurricane alerts begin, most people’s first thoughts are how to safeguard their homes and where they will evacuate should a storm hit. Unfortunately, businesses often forget to protect their equipment, safeguard their networks and enable communication with customers and employees should there be an evacuation.

KML Computer Services provides clients with a hurricane checklist and remote services to help prepare for and manage through a storm. Below are some basic steps. It is critical to be able to connect and collaborate with your IT consultant during a storm to minimize business disruption. For example, KML Computer Services uses a remote access service that allows technicians to connect with a business’s computers to troubleshoot if needed.

Mark Rossi is president of KML Computer Services. Since 1996 he has been immersed in the technology field, working in various positions, from hardware technician and network manager to network engineer and IT consultant.

KML COMPUTER SERVICES' BUSINESS CLIENT CHECKLIST FOR HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS

1Back up all data and files, even on laptops. Consider saving data directly into the cloud in addition to local drives for added peace of mind and remote access.

2Depending on the type of business you run, you may need to work with a service that provides the necessary backup security protocols (i.e. PCI, HIPAA, etc.).

3Assume your building will lose power for an extended period of time—plan for that.

4Assume internet connectivity to your office will be lost for an extended period of time.

5Plan your return to deal with equipment affected by the storm since local utilities will be inundated with other more important issues first.

6Move your critical equipment off-site to a safe area above potential flooding.

7Unplug critical equipment that may be affected by electrical surge.

8Review the plan with vendors. Secure from them a clear understanding and commitment them a clear understanding and commitment to the plan. to the plan.

9Identify potential co-working or off-site locations to perform essential tasks. Plan locations to perform essential tasks. Plan for closed roads. Have communications, data for closed roads. Have communications, data connectivity, desktops or laptops and workspace at connectivity, desktops or laptops and workspace at those sites. those sites. ■

Time to unplug Do not leave

electronics plugged in during a major storm. Flooding can occur on any floor. Be sure that everything is removed from the floor and stored in a secure space away from windows.

Keeping it clean

LOCAL AIRPORTS RAMPS UP EFFORTS TO ACCOMMODATE BUSINESS TRAVEL TRENDS

BY LESLIE T. SNADOWSKY

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As business travel returns to the friendly skies after a pandemic hiatus, the Hilton Head Island Airport (HHH) and Savannah/ Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) are maintaining COVID-19 cleaning protocols to ensure safe and healthy travel.

“The bar has been raised,” said Jon Rembold, HHH airport director. “There are different and better cleaning solutions that are being used that also may have longerlasting cleansing effects. That’s a big bonus. Plus, our cleaning crew is visible. We want them to be out there cleaning while people are in the terminal because there is a physical component to cleaning things, but there is also a psychological component to letting travelers see our efforts so they feel a little bit safer and healthier as they’re traveling through Hilton Head.”

MILE-HIGH

Business travel is rebounding, and airports are contending with business travelers’ COVID-19 baggage. Accounting giant Deloitte reports, “after two years of reduction to less than a quarter of its 2019 size, and months of continued setbacks due to COVID-19 variants, corporate travel is expected to climb back steadily in 2022.”

“Daily passenger volumes at TSA checkpoints show that people are traveling again,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “And we work continuously with our airport and airline partners to anticipate and prepare for higher traffic patterns.”

CLEANING CUSTOMS

“If a leisure traveler decides that their comfort level isn't quite where they want it to be, they'll just postpone their trip or cancel it,” Rembold said. “While we don’t have a huge volume of business travelers at Hilton Head, we do have a surprising number of business commuters who may travel on a weekly basis to go work somewhere else and then live on Hilton Head. And cleanliness is very important to them.”

Foregoing a county contract to hire a locally owned and operated company with specialized services, HHH approached Lowcountry Commercial Services to combat hygienic headwinds. Rembold said the company employs a two-part cleaning routine with a disinfectant cleaning spray and anti-microbial fog to address surfaces and airspace that bring germ eradication up to nearly 100 percent. “Lowcountry Commercial Services delivers the product that we need, and they do a great job,” he says.

Rembold says they also post signage around the airport alerting passengers to the proactive approach.

Pack your sanitizer TSA is allowing one liquid hand sanitizer container up to 12 ounces per passenger in carry-on bags until further notice. These containers will need to be screened separately, which will add some time to the checkpoint screening experience.

GETTING ON BOARD

Not only did the airport’s cleaning formula take off, but Rembold said the airlines themselves committed to concessions.

“The airlines wanted to make sure that their customers felt clean and safe and healthy,” he says, “so they increased their deep cleans on the airplanes. Pre-pandemic, deep cleaning didn’t necessarily happen every time an airplane turned over passengers and crews, but that changed with the pandemic. Now, every time a group gets off before another group gets on the airplane, the plane gets a deep clean. We have newer aircraft at Hilton Head Island Airport, and these newer aircraft have outstanding ventilation and filtration systems too.”

PLAYING IT SAFE

"The safety of our passengers, staff and tenants continues to be a top priority at Savannah/Hilton Head International," marketing manager Candace Carpenter said. "We initiated additional protocols following the outbreak in 2020, and we continuously monitor the status of the disease and remain in contact with our partners and stakeholders at the local, state and national levels.” ■

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Want to be a great leader? great leader? Become a great Become a great presenter presenter

BY RICHARD ELLIS

In all my years coaching executives, I’ve never met executives, I’ve never met anyone who didn’t want to anyone who didn’t want to become a better presenter. become a better presenter. Why? Because business leaders know that Why? Because business leaders know that powerful communications directly – and powerful communications directly – and positively – impact their personal brands positively – impact their personal brands and professional reputations. Whether it’s a and professional reputations. Whether it’s a team meeting, a presentation to the board team meeting, a presentation to the board or a speech to five hundred people, great or a speech to five hundred people, great leaders need to be great presenters. leaders need to be great presenters.

Standing in front of a crowd and Standing in front of a crowd and delivering high-impact remarks doesn’t delivering high-impact remarks doesn’t come naturally to everyone. The good news come naturally to everyone. The good news is if you follow a few basic rules of the road, is if you follow a few basic rules of the road, you too can deliver a great presentation. you too can deliver a great presentation.

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10 SIMPLE RULES FOR GREAT PRESENTATIONS

Tell your audience what you are going to tell them:

Don’t make people guess where you are going, tell them what they can expect right from the top.

2Create an attention grabbing opener:

Your audience decides in the first two minutes of your presentation whether or not they are going to give you their attention. Give them something interesting from the start, and they will from the start, and they will be more likely to listen all be more likely to listen all the way through. the way through.

Watch and learn

Think of the best presenters you know and borrow their communication techniques. Try different approaches and find the ones that work best for you. This is how you build your communications comfort and confidence – and strengthen your leadership presence along the way.

Use your

physicality: Much of how you communicate is non-verbal, so stand up straight, use eye contact, walk the stage, or sit on a stool to create intimacy. No matter what you do, try not to rely exclusively on a podium.

4Keep it focused:

Gone are the days of the 60-minute presentation.

We lose interest very fast, so keep your remarks to no more than 20 minutes. Only use slides if you really have to – if your audience is reading, they’re not listening.

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Use analogies and metaphors: Like storytelling, analogies and metaphors draw a deeper, more interesting picture for your audience and help make complex points more easily understandable.

Make it personal: Don’t be afraid to tell a quick story and use some humor. The best presentations are the ones that draw the audience in and offer a little levity.

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6Emphasize what’s important:

Take a quick pause after delivering your key points and don’t be afraid to repeat them for emphasis. Make it easy for your audience to take away what’s really important. Pace, tone and volume are critically important.

9

Read the room: Are your remarks landing with your audience? If you’re not sure, simply take a quick pause and ask. It gives you a break, and your audience will appreciate the check-in.

8

Never read your script: Practice ahead of time – but don’t overdo it or you may lose your in-themoment energy. Use one page of bullet points to help guide your presentation more naturally. If you’re reading your script, you’re not reading the room (see my next point).

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A powerful close: Like the attention-grabbing opener, a powerful close is critical to communications success. The wrap-up is your chance to re-state and re-emphasize your key messages. This is how you make sure people take away what’s most important.

Richard Ellis is the founder of Ellis Strategy Group, a global leadership consultancy. With more than 30 years of international business experience, he is an accomplished executive coach, high-impact business strategist and noted communications expert. Find out more about Richard at ellisstrategygroup.com