Taking on a new client is challenging enough but when that new client happens to be across the world, the challenges increase exponentially. We were trying our best to service someone who was literally a day ahead of us in terms of time; it made it difficult to say the least. Then there were the issues. The first thing that we did for them was a project of massive proportions and we were just working out how communications were going to go. We were struggling to stay in communication with everyone and that meant that some things were falling through the cracks. Language was also an issue and we weren’t sure how many things were simply being lost in translation. Web conferencing quickly became the answer for us in getting back on track and gaining momentum with this new and important client.
Web conference allows us to log on with several parties at once and get down to business in a detailed and personal way even across all those miles. Invitations are sent to the parties involved in this particular project after which everyone logs on at the appropriated time. From there, we can discuss the details of what we see on the screen as the moderator (someone from our team) goes through the project page by page. What this has given us is accountability on both ends - in terms of following up on project details, answering concerns and questions literally on the spot and determining what needs to happen next and in what time frame. Web conferencing has given us a leg up in our dealings with this client and will likely be used by our team for communications with all of our clients as it’s an easy, effective and certainly professional way to operate our business well into the future.
Popularity: 5% [?]
In the last post we talked about our position as a small to medium sized company that was actively servicing our client base in order to maintain long term relationships and reaching out to potential new business. We had our hands full juggling it all especially with a relatively modest team - certainly nothing like the staff that larger companies of our kind have available to them. We needed to be equal parts service and sales and the fact was that we couldn’t do either effectively without the use of modern day communication such as web conferencing and conference calls.
Sure, web conferencing and frequent conference calls allow us to better service our worldwide client base. We certainly can’t have in-person meetings with them on a regular basis - the world of our business moves too fast and it’s not cost-effective for that much travel. Through web conference, however, we are able to share project documents in real time, get instant feedback and remain on the same page with the client’s needs. Conference calls also allow us to stay in touch on a frequent basis; just having voice contact between our team and our clients gives those we work for peace of mind and an understanding that we answer to them even from this far away.
For all these reasons and more, our methods of communication also allow us to bring new clients on board. We are in one part of the world and many of the people that we are pitching are in other parts of the world. They need to be able to trust us; trust our ability to offer exceptional service regardless of our physical distance. Web conferencing allows us to stay in touch and share physical documents and conference calls are our standard weekly operating procedure - giving new clients a scheduled check-in with us. We even use video conference on a frequent basis so that we can physically see each other without having to be in the same room. This is the new face of business and we are using all the technology that we can to make a great impression.
Popularity: 18% [?]
Today, there are many more opportunities in the world of business than ever before. All doors are open to us online; we have been granted access to international partnerships because of our ability to communicate so effectively and that has broken down logistic barriers that were once firmly in place. In this day and age, it’s just as likely that we will do business with someone in another country as it is that we will do business with someone down the road. While we can chalk this up to advanced technology (our ability to email someone in a matter of seconds or scan and send any documents that we want in record time) there are specifics offered by that technology that have really allowed us to grow successfully. It’s certainly convenient to drop an email to a client but does this really allow us to communicate most effectively? Web conferencing, however, and video conference allow us to similarly harness the power of the Internet but use it much more effectively in our specific pursuits.
Web conference, for instance, gives us the ability to take audio conferencing to the next level. Now, not only are we able to talk to a multitude of parties at the same time, we are also able to share documents so that we are all looking at the same thing simultaneously on our computer screens. Imagine the time and miscommunication this has saved countless companies that are working on projects and need ongoing input.
Video conference is the new way that so many of us are communicating in business. It literally tears down the wall of a physical separation and gives us the ability to bridge the divide through face-to-face communication, albeit on a computer screen. Without technology of this kind, the world of business as we know it today would cease to exist.
Popularity: 12% [?]
As a small company on the rise, we are continually open to whatever will help us to continue to be successful. In fact, there’s not much that we don’t do to stay in the game and grow our company and this openness has allowed us to discover many new things that other companies in our position may quickly pass over simply because it is unfamiliar and perhaps a bit uncomfortable. For instance, video conference and other teleconferencing services have been huge components of our success over the years. We have able to introduce these avenues of communication during a time when we are reaching out to new business prospects around the country - and around the world; and it has allowed us to better communicate with them and flex our technical savvy.
Over the years we have definitely made use of audio conferencing - pulling participants into meetings from their offices around the world and this has allowed us to better manage a variety of client projects as well as help us to reach out to potential new clients who may need to speak to us often but are not close enough to visit in person.
Additionally, we have used web conference in a variety of ways - especially in project management as it has allowed us to access the same documents as those with whom we are speaking so that we can make changes on the fly and never worry that everyone on our team is on the same page at the same time.
Video conference has been unbelievable - giving us the ability to conduct business literally around the world. More than just a tool that we use from time to time, video conference has become a staple in our business; something that we use everyday in one capacity or another. more in the next post…
Popularity: 17% [?]
Projects come with a variety of details that must be managed; no two ways about it. Yet when you are across the country from the people for whom you are managing a project, asking and answering questions can be tricky. It’s not possible to meet everyday in person and often it’s not convenient to schedule phone meetings at the last minute especially if you have actual documents that you must reference. Short of emailing the information, how can you handle this most effectively? Enter web conference.
Through web conferencing, businesses can address questions as they arise - on the spot - without having to worry about emailing information. This is because web conference allows you to access documents simultaneously in real time so that you can go over the finer points of a project, answer questions, get on the same page and move ahead accordingly. Businesses in a variety of industries have seen firsthand the benefits of web conferencing and other types of teleconferencing services - how they allow for the efficient and convenient handling of communications even if the parties communicating are across the country from each other.
In addition to web conferencing which allows parties to communicate over particular documents and information, there are other methods by which clients and vendors can keep in touch - including audio conferencing and video conference.
Audio conferencing allows participants to conference in the convenience of their own offices or off-site locations and gives leaders the power to orchestrate the call as they would any traditional meeting. Video conferencing offers the added benefit of being able to see as well as hear the participants in your meeting - making it one of the preferred methods of meeting when getting together in person is not an option.
Teleconferencing services - across the board - from web conferencing to video conference allow for the most effective means of communication for business in this day and age.
Popularity: 20% [?]
The company that I have worked for over the last 20 years is known within our industry to employ a lot of “lifers” - people who come on board and spend their entire career with this company until they retire. It’s not difficult to see why from an insider’s perspective. This a great company to work for across the board - from salary and insurance to the attitude of management and ownership. It feels like working for family and that’s a great thing. One of the benefits of working for this company - other than having stability - is the fact that we have several different generations working under the same roof. The younger employees are able to introduce the company to newer technology and business methodology - having come right from college or having worked in a different environment. We don’t fall prey to getting sucked into a time warp around here; the younger members of our team see to that. Just like they introduced us to web conferencing.
I knew the term web conference - which is more than I can say for a lot of people here - but I wasn’t all that sure what it was or what it allowed us to do. Web conferencing first became a topic of conversation when we were preparing to pitch a company that was several states away. Travel was not an option for either side so we initially talked about pitching them via audio conferencing. Instead, several of our younger team members came to us and suggested web conference or even video conference. We were open to suggestions and wanted to learn more about this technology - especially if it could give us an edge in earning this piece of business.
We learned that web conferencing and video conference could both connect us in ways that we had never explored previously. We were excited to see what this could do for our company. More in the next post…
Popularity: 20% [?]
Staying on top of all the details that go into managing a project is no small task. There is much to do and without warning anything can slip through the cracks and bring the whole thing crashing down. That’s why anyone who is managing a project must do so with an eye on the prize and absolute control over all the components. This is a challenge under normal circumstances but if those who are participating in the project are all over the map there are even greater challenges. Web conferencing can make all the difference.
I began to use web conference on a consistent basis when I first expanded my business. Suddenly I was serving customers that were all over the country and some of my team was in one of our satellite offices. I had to be able to effectively communicate with the team as well as manage each client project with key players. Web conferencing made that possible.
Through web conferencing you can access information instantly online and gather around it so to speak; in much the same way that you would if you were in a conference room together. Web conferencing allows you to look at information - documents - simultaneously and in real time so that you can exchange information, ask and answer questions, and essentially drive the project successfully.
Web conferencing - as well as audio conferencing and most definitely video conference - has completely transformed the way that we are able to do business. It has made communication more effective and project management much more fluid even if those involved are far away from each other. I know that web conference has allowed us to keep pace with the changing landscape of business and will continue to let us lead the way - and find success - well into the future.
Popularity: 23% [?]
In the last post I talked about the challenges of opening a business and the added challenges that we faced because we are opening two offices simultaneously. We had one office in one state and a second office in another state; pulling this off required some patience and definitely an organized strategy. Web conferencing services has allowed us to pull off a lot more than we would otherwise be able to handle. With trying to coordinate communication between employees, vendors, and potential new business prospects, web conferencing, audio conferencing, and video conference has been enormously powerful.
The ways in which teleconferencing services have helped us today and will likely continue to help us as our business grows includes:
Giving us the ability to immediately respond to client needs. This is obviously an important element in any business but when you are a company that is doing business far away from your clients it’s especially important to show them that you can easily respond to them. Web conference, audio conferencing, and video conference allow us to jump online or on the phone and get things handled quickly.
Being able to manage projects professionally and seamlessly. It’s so important to be able to manage projects with some authority. It’s not the easiest thing to do when you are managing people that are far from each other physically. Web conferencing allows us to reach across the miles and get things done; to manage things appropriately even when things are chaotic.
Allowing us to expand our horizons. There’s so much that technology has afforded us and we are able to take full advantage of it through web conferencing services which allows us to jump online and coordinate projects, share information, and move things along effectively. Video conference, web conference, and audio conferencing gives us the tools to do business at the next level.
Popularity: 20% [?]
In the last post I talked about my business being launched and about my wanting to put the appropriate resources into place to ensure that the company had every opportunity for success. For my purposes, as I was going to be serving clients all over the world, teleconferencing services were going to be a big deal indeed. I needed to know that I could rely on these services as they were literally going to be the bread and butter of my company. This was my way of ensuring my clients, and certainly perspective clients, that I was up to the job at hand; that I could attend to their needs no matter where I was in the world. As I said in the last post, web conferencing and audio conferencing were going to be big components of my business. Web conferencing would allow us to share documents with our clients in real time in order to gather feedback and discuss current events. As we were very much a project-based company this was especially important. Audio conferencing was always going to be a cornerstone of teleconferencing services and something that we needed to be able to rely on with continued frequency. But I had one more trick up my sleeve.
* Video Conferencing - I just knew without a doubt that video conferencing would very much determine how successful that I could be in the first year of business. The reality was that I had to reach clients around the world and - just as important - I had to reach prospective clients around the world. Video conference would give me the ability to get “in front” of these people so that I could best represent myself and my business regardless of distance. It was important that they see me as well as hear me; in the business world this is where trust is built.
Popularity: 23% [?]
Opening my business was one of the highlights of my life; a topsy-turvy, exciting time that was filled with many challenges. I was happy to face each and every one of them and happier still that my dream became reality. My business became successful; so successful in fact that I’m currently opening an office in another state. The way in which we serve customers - and the demographic of those customers - made a satellite office almost inevitable and certainly something that would help us to further expand our business. I was on the road and I had a strong team and web conference with me as I worked to establish this new branch and solidify roots in another state.
Web conferencing is something that is very important in our business. Not only does it allow us to conveniently reach out and communicate with clients and even prospective clients and vendors, it allowed us to effectively do our jobs no matter where in the world we were at the moment - and with a national and hopefully one day, global, customer base, this was incredibly important.
We have always used some form or another of teleconferencing services over the years. Audio conferencing was something with which we were most comfortable but over time we expanded into web conference and video conference which were a revelation in our business. We have used video conference several times to pitch new business accounts across the country and web conferencing is something that we use on almost a daily basis to communicate with our clients on ongoing projects.
Now web conferencing was going to take on an even greater role in our company as we used it to not only stay in touch with current clients while were on the road, but to stay in touch with our home office to make sure things were running smoothly there as well. More in the next post.
Popularity: 21% [?]
