Insights from Randy Marcotte
In the midst of so many disruptions, it can be confusing to determine what video conferencing tool is best for your company. Video conferencing used to just be implemented for CEOs who could afford to spend half a million dollars on resources, but now it is so accessible without great costs or pains. Even grandparents are using these tools!
In the cloudy cloud, where do you go first?
Let's start with the common pain points...
1. Importance of quality and audio
Make sure the room you choose has good acoustics. A smaller room with cement walls may not give you the same sound as a larger room with better acoustics. Sometimes, the same technology deployed imperfectly can lead to a completely opposite scale of results. Users can put up with poor video but not poor audio.
2. Low cost and high efficiency expectations
Often, customers have expectations for good quality but don't consider the budget. They think of freemium services as ready-for-use in an enterprise. Using Facetime may be efficient for keeping in touch with family members, but that sort of technology is not plausible for businesses, especially where meetings require more than 2 participants.
3. Corporate culture resistance
Frequently, you are fighting a corporate culture that is used to having things "their way", or the "old way." Although the change to video conferencing may be better and more beneficial for business, it can be very difficult to fight the culture.
Now, how can we transform pain points into opportunities?
1. Reduced travel costs
Why do we travel and when we do, what do we get out of it? Are there certain implications of not making connections? Will this lead to a disconnected workforce? What does travel reduction do to the culture you are trying to create or the knowledge you are trying to exchange?
2. More productive meetings
Using video conferencing, calls can now be shorter. Research shows video calls lead to higher retention, better knowledge transfer and better collaboration. According to Human Productivity Lab, we remember only 20 per cent of what we hear from an audio call. When combined with video conferencing, knowledge transfer rates jump up to 70 per cent.
However, there are some instances where meetings don't need to use video. For what is called "multi-tasking meetings," where people are simultaneously checking emails or eating lunch, audio is fine. The important factor is knowing when to use video conferencing to hone in on productivity.
3. Universal training for users
It is essential to train your users and show them the benefits that come along with video conferencing, especially if there is a "resistant-to-change" corporate culture in your organization. With this being said, you must also understand the desire for quality and flexibility at your organization and based on this, you can determine the best practices in your own culture.
