Business.com
Business revolves around finding ways to spend less and make more without sacrificing quality. One of the most valuable things you have is your time. It’s the one thing that cannot be replaced. So as much as possible, you need tools that will make your business tasks easier or at the very last simpler. Here are some of the ways that video conferencing can accomplish that.
Handle Observation of Employee Performance and Focus Groups Online
Groups Plus reports that for the most part, video conferencing is effective for observing focus groups. Rather than having to sit in the small room and watch the entire proceeding, you can observe the process in your office or on the go. While you’re watching, you can also take care of other small tasks and make the most of your time.
Use a Total Solution
Total solution video conferencing options allow integration with calendars and emails to provide reminders. You don’t have to worry about reminding everyone about the meeting. And in some cases, you can send yourself reminders so that your agendas and notes go out to the participants on time. As much as possible, it’s best to put these tasks on autopilot so that you don’t have to juggle all the extra tasks at the same time. Additionally, total solution packages should allow some document sharing as well as screen sharing to further facilitate collaboration. Secure video conferencing by Blue Jeans makes this quite simple.
Call Instead of Email
Rescue Time reports that email will consume about a day and a half of a five day work week. Or put more mathematically, it will take up 28 percent of the work day. Most of the time, this is because employees have to read the message and then respond to it and then check back to see if their questions have been answered.
Instead, you can use video conferencing to connect directly to the person you need to talk to, share the screen and go over any potential problems. This was part of the mindset behind Google Hangouts and can be seen in services like Blue Jeans as well. It’s intuitive and simple. The benefit over the phone is that it also allows you to see body language to provide additional interpretation.
Just Find a Time That Is Convenient
Business meetings and collaboration sessions are a necessary evil in most industries. You have to have them to make sure everything and everyone is working as they should and to create the necessary future plans. However, video conferencing can make this far simpler. In addition to cutting down on travel costs, it cuts down on the time involved. You just have to find a time when everyone can connect for maybe 20 minutes to an hour.
Life Size reports that video conferences tend to be briefer than in person meetings or phone calls. This is because people know that as soon as the meeting concludes, they can return to whatever tasks they were working on before the meeting started. So not only do you not have to travel to the meeting, but the meeting itself won’t take as long.
Improves Employee Connections and Relationships
The virtual workplace has become increasingly more popular. It saves money, and it also allows greater access to previously untapped niches. You are no longer limited by your geography. But the one downside of this is the fact that employees in virtual workplaces often feel disconnected. Video conferencing can help to turn that trend around by helping employees interact with one another. It’s different from talking on the phone or emailing because they can then see one another’s faces and expressions. Business meetings can even include some level of chitchat and mutual enjoyment without taking up too much time. This little bit of added interaction can go a long way in making employees feel like they are a part of the greater whole and integral to your business community. Video conferencing can make matters far simpler for you and your business.
You can use programs like Blue Jeans to allow for observation of your employees and focus groups instead of having to be physically present. Additionally, you can use total solutions to schedule meetings and notes. Video conferencing can even save you time and make communication easier by replacing email, a major time drain for most businesses and their employees. Additionally, you can use video conferencing to save time on travel and business meetings as a whole. You just have to find one time that works for the individuals involved for the actual span of the meeting, not an entire two hours plus travel time. And last but not least, video conferencing can make connecting your employees and improving their perception of the business and their fellow workers far easier.
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