Use Video Conferencing to Improve Your Bottom Line
How technologically up-to-date is your business? The reason you should care is because businesses that do not adapt with technology tend to get left behind. This happens to technology companies all the time. Blackberry is a shell of its former RIM self because it could not let go of the idea that a smartphone was little more than a pager with a keyboard. They resisted change. And the world passed them by. Microsoft clings to the idea that everything is a PC, and must run some version of Windows to be useful. Their Windows Phone experiment is providing a harsh reality check.
For many companies, the only way they can imagine a productive workplace is to have everyone come to a central location. The only good meeting is a face-to-face meeting. These are ideas taken from an outdated playbook. Video conferencing is a reality that is here to stay. Here is why your business should adopt this trend posthaste:
It’s Easy
One of the big reasons companies do not adopt new technologies in a timely manner is because they are convinced that it will be difficult to implement. Businesses are like water, seeking the path of least resistance. Any new technology is a deviation from that path.
But screen sharing already exists. You don’t have to hire an engineer to build it. It requires no special equipment. With existing software, you can reduce the hassle of sending documents and links. Everyone can be on the same page, literally, no matter where they are in the world. You can share your screen with all meeting participants so that they can have a more immersive experience. With software for screen sharing, this type of digital conferencing is easy to implement. There are practically no barriers to entry.
It’s Cost Effective
The big expense for an airline is fuel. But the price of jet fuel is down by 18%. While the price of fares is steadily going up. Even if it once made sense to fly to meetings with clients and partners, the cost to benefit ratio is getting worse with each passing day.
The cost of a video conference compared to meeting in person is pennies on the dollar. Unless you have to deliver hard goods at that meeting, the only thing you don’t get with an online meeting is frequent flyer miles. Of course, it is not just the cost of the airplane ticket. It is also the cost of hotel accommodations and a rental car. Even those expenses do not account for the amount of time and productivity you lose.
It’s More Productive
Even if money is not an object for your business, productivity is. The time you spend on a cramped plane with no Internet access is lost productivity. A good example of this was the Microsoft special event last year when they first announced Windows 10. Paul Thurrott and others traveled all the way to San Francisco to listen to a presentation that lasted less than an hour.
They were not given copies of the new OS, and didn’t have an opportunity to install it on a test machine until they arrived back home. In the meantime, everyone else could follow the event online, learn all the same things, and get the download from Microsoft before most of the people who attended. Those who went to the event were the last to test the software because they were losing productivity in an unnecessary press conference that could have been done via video conferencing.
These are not the only benefits to adopting video conferencing. But they are reasons enough. Video conferencing is easy to implement right now. It will save you money, and enhance productivity. There are no benefits to remaining technologically behind.