Those companies that are just now pondering the idea of using web conferencing or other forms of teleconferencing in their business are likely seeing the upside already. Email has made communication much more effective in recent years but it certainly is not the end all be all of communication, especially when there are multiple people involved in one project. We can all pick up the phone to make a call but how does this benefit us when we have questions to ask of several people? Sure, meeting in person is still the preferred option but it’s not always feasible or possible. In these cases, modern technology has got our back and has given us the tools to take our business to the next level.

The benefits of:

Web Conference: Web conferencing is everything that email is not - it’s personal, it’s immediate and it’s interactive. We can jump on a web conference and be immediately connected to a multitude of people - all of whom are involved in the project. The host controls what attendees see on their screen and in this way all of those who are participating can see the same document and have the opportunity to ask questions, answer questions, make changes and more. This is quite literally a virtual meeting room where we can gather - regardless of where we are physically located.

Conference Calls: Rather than jumping on the phone with one person, why not include the whole team? Conference calls allow us to meet as a group all at once. Like web conference, we have the opportunity to ask and answer questions, give updates and immediately get everyone on the same page.

Video Conference: When meeting in person is not a viable option, video conference is the perfect solution. Those who meet in a video conference are seen as well as heard so that our computers become our boardrooms.

Popularity: 55% [?]

If you work with clients then you have undoubtedly worked with challenging clients. That’s part of business, after all. It’s how you handle those challenges that will ultimately determine how successful you are and how you will able to grow in the future. Those clients will always exist in some form or the other. Your success rests with your ability to effectively manage them. Of course part of working with clients - and providing them a service - is communicating with them effectively. And, many issues that often arise between companies and the clients that they service often come down to a lack of communication in some regard. Whether it’s something that was done or something that wasn’t done - in the end, it’s all about communication and making sure that everyone that you have contact with is fully educated and completely in the loop about what is going on, what is going to happen next and what is needed is needed from everyone on the team - the expectations that exist between you.

So how do you improve communication in a business world that can be chaotic to say the least? There are so many demands placed on us everyday and we are often inundated with emails and phone calls and have neither the time nor the resources to meet in person with clients on a weekly basis in a manner that ensures that everyone is on the same pages; but web conference can change all that.

Web conferencing is nothing new but it certainly is being used far more than it ever has been in a variety of industries. Why? Because absorbing web conference into the business mix allows companies great flexibility and an unbelievably effective tool in maintaining open lines of communication easily and affordably.

Through web conferencing and other tools such as conference calls and video conference, companies can maintain frequent and even scheduled meetings with clients that don’t take much time or require travel but can have enormous impact on the success of the relationship.

Popularity: 51% [?]

In the last post, I talked about my situation operating my business from my home. This was the best choice for me at the time that I started my business because it offered me the flexibility and cost-effectiveness that I needed to get my company off the ground and make my business work. I did have some challenges, however - as everyone does. My challenge was making sure that I remained in contact with my clients but without the office space that would allow me to conduct actual physical meetings. Sometimes it was necessary to meet in person and when it was necessary we often did just that in at my clients’ offices; my office, of course was not an option in terms of presenting a particular image. Oftentimes, however, meeting in person was not necessarily needed and, in fact, would only serve to slow the work process. That’s how web conferencing, conference calls and video conference came to play such an important role in my business.

As I talked about previously, conference calls quickly became my weekly standard because I could get everyone that I needed on the phone at the same time, update on project statuses and quickly ask and answer questions. This, of course, completely eliminated any worry about being in a home office because what difference did it make where I was if I was on the phone dealing with the business at hand? Other technology that has become irreplaceable for me include:

Web Conferencing - Oftentimes projects include physical information that exists on the computer. Now it’s easier than ever to share that information one desktop to another - beyond email. Through web conferencing I can set up a meeting time during which all invited participants login and immediately gain access to my desktop where I am able to present information to my clients and other team members over the phone or through the computer. We are all accessing the same information and it’s easy to make even huge presentations to a large group of people at the same time.

Video Conference - This technology has really come through for me in a big way when it comes to client pitches and important meetings that should really be done in person but just can’t be for a multitude of reasons. Video conference offers the additional benefit of being able to see the people in the meeting as well as hear them so it really gives me the personal contact that I need to establish a great relationship with my clients.

Popularity: 42% [?]

Working from home can be enormously convenient in terms of flexibility and cost-effective in terms of saving money on overhead. However, it also presents its own challenges that every person who works in this type of situation will attest to and report their own personal brand of challenge. For me, working from home was the only option when I started my own business because any money that I had at the time needed to be put into the business itself instead of being spent on a physical office and all that went along with that. The challenge, however, was providing clients with a physical space in which to meet; something that I was decidedly lacking. Many times I went to them; meeting in my office was out of the question because it didn’t present the right type of image as far as I was concerned.

What I began to understand, however, was that technology was my friend in this regard. I could “meet” from my home office over my computer or on the phone and no one would have to know if I was sitting in a fancy office behind a fancy desk or sitting on my couch or in my home office chair. It leveled the playing field; and it was with this mindset that I immediately began using such technology as conference calls, web conferencing and even video conference. They each offer their own benefits and I quickly used each of them the way that they would work best for me.

Conference Calls - This, of course, was the easiest technology to employ for my purposes. Meetings had to happen but they didn’t necessarily have to happen in a physical space. In fact, more often than not, meeting in person was simply not necessary and was a waste of everyone’s time. Conference calls became my standard week to week form of communication - the best way that I could keep in touch with clients easily and affordably.

More in the next post…

Popularity: 47% [?]