Advancements in technology have changed our lives and the way we work. This means that we can communicate with one another regardless of wherever we are in the world. And it’s no longer expensive to communicate to someone on the other side of the world.
Video conferencing is a great resource that has arisen from technology advances. It allows two or more people to visibly connect with each other without the need to be in the same place at the same time. This means that business meetings can be held anywhere in a cost-effective manner.
I love using video conference as part of my virtual assistant business. Although I prefer saying that I’m having a “virtual coffee”. I like using video conferencing to communicate with:
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other virtual assistants
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clients who aren’t local to me and
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potential clients wanting to know more about my virtual assistant services
Video conferencing is also great for webinars, which means I don’t need to travel to learn new skills.
The value of video conferencing in business
There are various benefits of video conferencing. This is especially if you or your team work virtually or if you outsource work to virtual assistants. I discuss some of the benefits below.
Reach out to several people at once
Do you need meetings with people from differing locations? Video conferencing lets you do that. Such meetings may be with:
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colleagues
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virtual assistant
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clients
This means that your colleagues, virtual assistants and clients do not need to be local to you. How pawsome is that?
Save time and money
Video conferencing saves you time and money. This is because you don’t need to travel to a meeting location. The time and money you saved in not travelling to and from a meeting can be better spent elsewhere.
Improved communication
Body language and tone of voice are both said to be major contributors in communication. Which means comments made over email may be misunderstood or misinterpreted. You can see facial expressions and body language when you use video conferencing. This improves clarity and it humanises your conversation.
Increased productivity
Video conference can help people stay alert to the task at hand. This results in increased productivity. You also feel more in sync with those you video conference with.
Show things
Many video conferencing tools allow you to screen share. This enables you to show participants things on your computer screen, as required. Video conferencing also allows you to demonstrate how products work. This is great if you’re promoting and selling new products.
Other benefits
You can have several video conferences a day – something you couldn’t do if you had to travel for meetings. You can also teach or learn through video conferencing as well.
Video Conferencing tools
There are many video conference options out there with various functionalities. Some video conferencing tools need a subscription, and others are free. The paid subscription options usually come with a free trial.
Some popular functionalities of video conferencing tools include:
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whiteboard tools
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share screen (already mentioned above)
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video recordings that allow you to replay the conference at a later time
Keep in mind that not all video conferencing software has these functionalities available.
Skype and Zoom are popular video conferencing options that don’t need a subscription. They also both have subscription options if extra features are sought.
Conclusion
Video conferencing is a powerful tool in a world where remote working is more popular than ever. Tools such as email and text messaging allows us to communicate immediately. But video conferencing provides a human element that isn’t available in written communication.
Would you like to have a virtual coffee with me to see if my virtual assistant services can help your business? Then feel free to get in touch with me and we can schedule a virtual coffee date. Either contact me by email (rachel@crazycatva.com.au) or complete the contact form available by clicking here.
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