Make Work Come to You

Recently, the need to meet face-to-face with clients has been diminishing. With businesses outsourcing left and right, it's hard to keep up with everyone, which is what brought on the need for web conferencing. No more having to fly cross country, no more lengthy business trips away from your family, and no more spending money on overpriced airport food. The majority of the time, all you need is a computer, web cam, and yourself. In a recent article on American Express OPEN Forum titled, "Meet Online to Help Save Time and Money", it is apparent that businesses are taking advantage of the Digital Age. Below are some ways to utilize web conferencing:

• Skype- This video conferencing software has come a long way since the days of just chatting with your friends. Now, it is being used for business meetings, long distance interaction, and even interviews. Personally, I have seen some of my friends interview via Skype, wearing a blazer on top and their pajama pants. Gone are the days of trekking to a corporate building wearing a stuffy suit. The workdays are getting shorter as work increases, and there isn't time to waste traveling, when all you need to do is log on.


• Share files- Web conferencing gives members of the meeting the ability to share files or materials, just as if they were handing out sheets during an in-office meeting. Also, the ability to instantly revise comes into play, and minimizes the need to keep old versions of papers.
  


• Improve Participation- Because of the way that online conferences are set up, interruptions are greatly reduced, which in turn improves active participation. Attendees are given the tools on whichever software they use that: allows them to signal when they would like to contribute, send private messages, and even invite people on the spot to join in on the conversation. Can't make it for some reason? No problem, holding meetings online means that you will be able to record the session for later review, making there be no excuse for not being up-to-date.

Will you be utilizing Web Conferencing in your workplace? Have you ever met with clients via video conferencing? Which was more effective? Let us know!