4 ways video conferencing can help your business
I believe that video can have a powerful effect on how we digest information and relate to one another. I got my start in media on radio, eventually hosting my own daily tech talk show on SiriusXM. But it’s undeniable that in our culture especially, video platforms like TV, film, and even YouTube can be much more engaging and exciting for audiences.
Being able to actually show people tech products and apps on shows like NBC’s TODAY show means I’m able to bring my message to audiences in a much more accessible way.
On top of being a media figure, I also run my own company. Over the years I’ve put together an amazing team, but geographically they’re spread out all over the country, In order to get it all done, we take advantage of tools to work together, including cloud apps, project management software, email, and conference calls.
But when we need to take it to the next level, to really connect with each other face-to-face, we turn to video conferencing. Just like TV has huge benefits compared to radio, I think video conferencing with my team has huge benefits! Here’s why:
1. Fostering personal connection & collaboration
A conference call is usually sufficient if you’re just trying to get a group to work together on something, or you need to hash out some details. But a disembodied voice on a conference call lacks the personal connection of being able to see a real, live human face.
The power of teleconferencing is that it can simulate face-to-face interaction even when that’s impossible due to how your business is set up. If you have customers in another state whom you’ve never met, it might be nice to actually see them so you can put some faces to some names, not to mention the power of observing non-verbal communication.
Teleconferencing is that it can simulate face-to-face interaction even when that’s impossible due to how your business is set up.Share this quote
2. Keeping employees on track
A big danger with a remote workforce is the unknown element. When you see someone every day in an office, it’s easy to check in on them, see how they’re doing, how their work is coming along. It’s also easy to spontaneously collaborate with co-workers on projects or to quickly ask someone for advice.
In a business with a remote workforce, it’s easy to lose track of employees because you don’t have the same kind of personal connections with them anymore.
Employees, too, feel less connected to their coworkers when they’re just lone faces behind computers instead of smiling faces hanging out at the water cooler. Video brings back some of that real interaction to your office.
3. Saving on travel costs
One nice benefit to using teleconferences is that it helps me bring my team together without having to spend the money or time to meet regularly in one (physical) location. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still effectively collaborate, work together, and have fun.
It’s just that, as someone who runs a business on a budget, I need to be cautious about how we’re making the most of our resources. Instead, we’re able to save our travel budget for when it really counts—high profile conferences and can’t-miss meetings with colleagues or clients. For everything else, there’s teleconferencing.
4. Saving on time
There’s only a limited number of hours in the day, and the last thing you want to have to do is schedule a bunch of meetings. With all the time involved in setting them up, traveling to locations, and the time actually spent in meetings, Time is precious, and meetings can cost you one of your most precious resources.
That doesn’t mean meetings can’t be powerful and productive, but you have to be able to get the most out of them. While you can still collaborate on conference calls, teleconferencing means you can get even more out of every meeting. If even some of the time your team would otherwise spend traveling or commuting can be saved and put back towards getting to work, teleconferencing can be worth its weight in gold.
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