As I expect is the case for those reading this article, meetings are an integral part of my job.

There will be those who are familiar with the strain of travelling around the UK, with a briefcase brimming with laptop, notepad and cables.

The problem I found with the traditional meeting process is note-taking while having a conversation with your client. Typing notes is troublesome and often you’d have to retype what you’ve initially written later on that day. Then, there’s doing a demonstration; trying to type while showing a prospect your product can be a nightmare!

The first step I took to eradicate this issue was to use the Microsoft application OneNote. But even with that, I still found peering over a laptop was like playing battleships with my prospect. So I turned to a tablet to combat that barrier.

In my quest for one device to perform all my meetings requirements, I used my personal iPad. At first, it was great, but as time went on, I found the device started to inhibit me. I continued to use OneNote to record all my meetings and I used the OneNote app with my Microsoft Office subscription.

As I persevered with the iPad, I discovered I was only getting about 80% of the functionality I needed from the OneNote app. For example: When I attached an excel spreadsheet, I couldn’t open it on the iPad. This was extremely unhelpful when I was in front of a prospect. In essence, I was back to square one.

Spectacular

Then, a colleague of mine, showed me the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 . I wondered whether this device could help solve my problem?

The outcome so far has been nothing short of spectacular!

I now do all my daily workings on my Surface Pro 3; whether that’s internal meetings, checking emails or demonstrating in front of clients; it all works seamlessly.

One thing I particularly love is having the Microsoft Exchange Calendar available. This means I’m able to be proactive in my working day and do things in real-time, like arrange meetings and see the availability of colleagues and customers alike.

Before I wax lyrical any further, there are things I’d like added to my Surface Pro 3. An in-built VGA/HDMI output would be great and some extra USB ports would be beneficial. But on the whole, this device is helping me deliver a better service to my customers and to my team.

Needless to say, I recommend you consider it as your next device. Or better still, give me a shout and I’m happy to have a chat how it could help you.

Richard