Unless your business magically went missing in action for the past year or so, then you’ve most likely made the switch to the online platform and adapting your business operations to the new normal in response to health and safety concerns brought about by this global pandemic. And one such aspect that has dramatically risen in usefulness and popularity is video conferencing applications, with Zoom, Google Hangouts, and even Augmented Reality alternatives utilized by your local schools and even industry leaders.
However, one can help but wonder how long these video conferencing applications will remain effective and practical, or are they just the necessary solution to combat the limits exposed by the pandemic fallout? Consequently, what will this mean for the future of business in general, and will physical meetings and face-to-face engagement become a relic of the past?
Video Conferencing Is The Closest We Can Get
While most of the modern business is now happening online, it’s still hard to say that your regular physical business meetings will be going out of fashion anytime soon. However, given the current global context that the world is in, video conferencing is the closest we can get to interaction and communication without putting anybody’s health and safety at risk. On the other hand, the use of video conferencing applications over the past year has highlighted some strengths and practical solutions to distance.
- Business Meetings Anywhere: Despite being separated by a screen, holding video conference calls for business meetings has seen successful utilization. It has allowed companies to meet and have meetings no matter where they are in the world, as long as they have a reliable internet connection. Furthermore, there have been minimal issues with creativity and team productivity apart from minor distractions, so we can expect to see video conferencing remain popular for the foreseeable future.
- Works For Product Reveals: Secondly, the rise of video conferencing has also been accompanied by virtual product launches and reveals, and one of the most recent successes was the all virtual CES 2021. As these applications continue to innovate and reign supreme, we will see continued development from these online solutions to offer a wide variety of services for the foreseeable future.
However, It Takes Skill And Equipment To Master
Of course, adopting the use of video conferencing applications is still a skill and requires experience, and we’ve seen many companies come across blunders and technical issues with their utilization. So, to help improve the effectiveness of video conferencing in your business, let’s go about what you can do to make it better.
#1 Controlling The Environment
In a typical business meeting, you want the room to be clean and appropriate, and the same concept of controlling the environment and space also applies to video conferencing applications. The goal is to ensure that everything in view of the camera is proper and conducive to the purpose of the online conference call.
- Good Natural Light: We’ve seen far too many people open up their cameras and enter online business meetings with zero natural light, making their screen look dim and acting as a barrier to effective communication. So, whether you’re teaching an online course or a creative presentation for a brainstorming session, stay somewhere that has good natural light so that people can see you better.
- A Neutral Background: Although the camera is focused on your face, it still captures the background and everything else that’s happening behind you. And, the last thing you want is for some distraction at the back, taking up everybody’s attention and away from your main point. Therefore, you want to achieve a neutral background, preferably a clean blank wall or utilize the change background feature provided by most video conferencing applications.
#2 Think Of Everyone Else In The Meeting
Holding online business meetings, virtual product launches, or teaching courses through video conference calls aren’t about the individual agency but the collaborative effort and cooperation of everyone else in the meeting. So, don’t limit your optimizing and fixes to yourself, but reach out and discover other methods the platform you’re using can cater to other participants.
- Guarantee Safety: Especially for online courses and services that hold classes on mechanical and hands-on skills through video conferencing applications, you’ll want to guarantee every participant’s safety in the call to its extent. Much like how a martial arts school uses medical and liability insurance to ensure its students’ safety, always consider the limitations on your participants’ end and be inclusive with everything you do in an online video conference.
- Always Have A Backup Plan: Video conferencing applications aren’t by any means perfect, and there’s also subject to internet connectivity failure and other shortcomings. So, you’ll want to have a backup plan such as recording every online meeting for other employees to view and sharing any of the material used to every intended participant.
Optimizing Business Operations
We are still at the cusp of this global pandemic, and until the world has full access to vaccines, we’ll need to optimize business operations and adapt for sustainable success in our respective industries. Video conferencing applications are but one of the aspects we can improve right now, so implement the guidelines mentioned above and feel free to share this to help put everyone on the path to success. ;
