When it comes to team communication, Slack has set itself apart from the rest. With enough impressive statistics to make your head spin, this internal messaging app has changed the way people do business. However, you have to admit it takes some getting used to if you want to really improve productivity. And whether you’re giving tutorials or downloading the mobile version, getting your team familiar with Slack is the key to success.
We asked nine entrepreneurs what their number one tip for getting the most out of Slack was. Take a look at their answers below and turn your team into a productivity machine:
Download the Mobile App
Having access to Slack on your phone gives you the ability to quickly respond and drive your business forward. It is faster than email and an easy way to stay in touch.
– Thomas Cullen of LaunchPad Lab
Add Integrations so It Becomes Your Notification Hub
We use Slack for all sorts of notifications in our business, from sales leads to down servers. By integrating Slack with apps like Github, SalesForce, MailChimp and Zapier, it has become our main notification hub for pretty much everything.
– Chris Brisson of Call Loop
Give Your Team a Tutorial
Although Slack is very user-friendly, a tutorial of this platform would be much appreciated by your employees, especially if they are switching from an existing messaging app. Show them the features of the app, what your team will be using it for specifically, how they can quickly and easily utilize it, and explain why it will benefit them. Your team will all be on the same page.
Miles Jennings of Recruiter.com
Use Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are the key to getting more done in less time with Slack. I use ‘Ctrl + K’ to quickly flip between channels and conversations, but there are a host of other shortcuts — just hit ‘Ctrl + ?’ to see a list of them all. The time you save from using keyboard shortcuts helps you to focus more on the actual substance of the conversations, and ultimately, on your work more too.
– Dave Nevogt of HubStaff
Foster Community
In Slack we are able to create a private sphere without threatening our sense of community. For us, it’s personal relationships that form the web of a team-wide sense of connection. Nobody ever has to feel excluded because everyone is equally accessible. We encourage contribution to the general chat with ideas, articles (work-related or not) and funny things that have happened to us during the day.
– Aron Susman of SquareFoot
Limit Channels, and Use ‘@’ Tags
Limit the channels your team creates. Although it’s helpful to delineate by project or topic, having too many channels to check can get confusing. Try for no more than six or eight channels company-wide. Also, use ‘@’ tags for action items. That way, in addition to scanning channels to keep up to date, team members will get notifications as needed.
– Brittany Hodak of ZinePak
Type ‘/collapse’ to hide GIF’s
When I use Slack, my team uses GIFs to express themselves all the time. And when we start talking business again, we sometimes get lost in unread messages full of images or GIFs. Using the ‘/collapse’ command hides them whenever you want, so you can actually get some work done by making distracting messages go away. To see them again, you can hit the small arrows next to GIF links.
– Reuben Yonatan of GetVoIP
Make Sure Your Team Uses It
My No. 1 tip for getting more out of Slack is to encourage the entire team to use it as a first option for communication and collaboration. It’s amazing how many more decisions and inputs you can get through Slack’s instant communications, as opposed to waiting on emails or setting up conference calls. I personally am a fan of ‘command/ctrl T’ as a means of quick switching between conversations.
– Ross Cohen of Been Verified
Read the Slack Blog
Most people don’t realize that the Slack Blog is an amazing source of information for cool features and integration options that you never knew about. There’s a steep learning curve with Slack and it’s a bit overwhelming at times. To make it more manageable, I make time to go through each blog post in detail and look for ways to apply the ideas to my business and improve overall efficiency.
– Andrew Saladino of Kitchen Cabinet Kings
Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC members generate billions of dollars in revenue and have created tens of thousands of jobs.