How Video Conferencing Can Benefit B2B model

Gone are the days when arranging a B2B meeting was as easy as corralling the appropriate people in your building and taking over a meeting room. With companies occupying multiple sites, and business deals taking place over multiple time zones, it’s not easy to get everybody together and talk. Since the introduction of online technology, there’s never been so many options for hosting your conferences.

However, with such a plethora of choices, which is best for your B2B plan? Blue Jeans feel that the modern conference room’s most effective choice is video centric conferencing. With so many benefits, why would you choose anything else?

Concentration increases

Research has shown that 76 percent of video conference users feel that attendees don’t pay as much attention to a meeting when they’re attending a web conference. After all, the temptation is high to check emails, chat to colleagues, or otherwise slack off if no one can actually see you. As video conferencing is face to face, attendees pay much more attention and stay more focused on what’s happening within the meeting.

Conferencing is more personable

Clear One have noted that video conferencing allows attendees to see each other in real time, watching facial expressions and other non verbal cues in order to understand each other fully. When communication is often 93 percent non verbal (as stated by Bomb Bomb), video conferencing can mean that no one is missing out on the vast majority of the conversation.

Better for sensitive issues

Web conferencing can seem like a good idea for handling sensitive HR issues, but in the long run it can be a hindrance. As seen above, most of the conversation is lost without non verbal cues, which can often be a problem when handling tricky topics. Speaking face to face, no matter where you are in relation to the other person, can make these conversations much easier all around.

Know exactly who you’re talking to

Sixty-two percent of video conference users say they feel unsure who’s dropping in and out of web conferences during a B2B client call. If they don’t know who’s listening in, they can feel unsure of what they can and cannot say, ruining the productivity of the meeting. Video conferencing eliminates all doubt, making connecting to others in the meeting much more simple.

Keeps everybody in the loop

Video conferencing can ensure that everybody in your company is kept informed of what’s going on. When a business is spread over several sites, or even several continents, that can be invaluable for keeping employees happy and abreast of what’s happening in the workplace. Since happier employees are 12 percent more productive (as noted by Entrepreneur), video conferencing can be a vital component of a successful business.

More effective communication between multiple sites

Communication between different branches of the same company is vital. Poor communication can lead to taxation problems, poor cash flow or duplication of work, according to NI Business Info. Video conferencing can bring multiple branches together instantly to iron out problems and plan for the future, meaning everybody is on the same page.

Reduces travel time

One of the most pressing problems any executive deals with is time. When there’s so many things to be done and so many people to speak to, how can you fit everything into your day? Attending meetings can be nigh on impossible if you’re constantly having to travel to different sites to attend them. Video conferencing drastically reduces travel time, letting you attend the meeting and then carry on with your day in an instant.

Makes companies more productive

Picture Phone list several ways that video conferencing can increase productivity. It can speed up decision making, keeps meetings brief and to the point, and can be used to cut down interview time for new employees. A surprising amount of time can be saved by simply meeting in a video meeting rather than face to face. When less time is spent putting together meetings, more time can be spent on other activities, improving your business.

Video conferencing is the future

Forty-six percent of people polled feel that web conferencing is an outdated concept. With so many things that can go wrong, or make the process more complicated, many feel that it’s just not worth the time and effort to use. Video conferencing, on the other hand, is the future of meetings. Quick, reliable, and personable, it’s just as good as conferencing with the other people in the room with you.

In conclusion

In a world where business is routinely conducted on a global scale, traditional forms of communication often just cannot cut it anymore. Video conferencing is an option that brings people together quickly and efficiently, and lets them communicate clearly without any fuss or extensive technology know how. Try it out in your own company, and see just what a difference it can make to your day to day working life.

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How to Spice Up Monthly Company Meetings

Employers often look for ways to spice up company meetings. Making these regular business sessions more interesting and engaging for participants can inspire creative new ideas. The level of enthusiasm an office demonstrates also contributes to morale.

Below are seven ways to generate more productive meetings every month.

  1. Begin with a smile

While employees wait for everyone to arrive at the meeting, don’t waste potentially useful time. The person opening the monthly meeting should go around the room and ask each person already in attendance to share a clean humorous story or joke with the group. The person who comes up with the most, i.e. drops out of this game last, receives a surprise employee recognition certificate for a free meal or other small gift at the end of the meeting.

This type of informal exercise holds value because (1) it places everyone in a better mindset at the beginning of the meeting, and (2) the process of laughter relieves tension in the room and produces a physical state of greater relaxation and awareness, mixed with camaraderie. Although these benefits seem rather subtle, they may lend surprising strengths to a subsequent discussion.

  1. Stop for brief physical activity

If the speaker notices energy flagging among those in attendance during the meeting, or eyelids sagging, allow the speaker to call a brief spontaneous two minute halt to the proceedings to lead a simply physical activity session. This can be as simple as standing and stretching upwards or involve something more complex, such as a brief follow-the-leader session or a participatory Tai Chi exercise demonstration. No one should suffer criticism for their wandering attention; keep things upbeat.

People in a company maintain different “biological clocks.” Some employees find themselves operating at peak efficiency later in the day while others maintain naturally higher levels of energy in the morning. The goal of this strategy remains simple: bring everybody’s attention back to what is going on around them in their immediate environment. When all group members focus again on the subject at hand, resume the meeting.

  1. Try to keep meetings under an hour

Although not always possible, it makes sense to try and limit the duration of regular monthly company meetings to as brief a period of time as possible. An ideal time may be 45 minutes, if regular meetings occur between some of those in attendance on other days. A brief, highly productive session trumps a drawn-out proceeding any time.

  1. A standing leader

For the same reason that elementary school teachers usually stand when addressing young children, it makes sense for the person leading the discussion to adopt a standing position. This posture infuses more energy into the group than a sitting leader offers. Additionally, by standing, the speaker usually obtains better eye contact with everyone in the room.

  1. Try to elicit full participation

In order to maximize contributions at the meeting, the person leading the discussion should set a goal of achieving full participation. Some employees may feel shy about addressing the group; the leader of the discussion should gently seek to draw out their opinions and views, also. Remote employees should still be able to participate fully through tools like video conferencing. By encouraging full participation, the meeting’s organizer can enhance a sense of company inclusion and joint commitment.

  1. Provide snacks and beverages

A regular monthly meeting will proceed better when the employer makes certain that participants can munch on snacks and beverages during the session. The presence of these items may offer extra comfort to some employees, for instance by preventing anyone from becoming thirsty. However, the sharing of these items also denotes a welcoming environment; on a subconscious level, it lets employees know the company appreciates them.

  1. Switch seats after breaks

Some experts also suggest that if a meeting proceeds long enough for breaks to be conducted, then everyone should receive encouragement to switch seats upon returning to business. The simple act of physically moving from one position to another in a room can place participants in the mode of viewing events from a fresh perspective. This process may assist the course of the meeting. It can also offer new, unexpected insights.

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