What Are Some of the Businesses Benefits of A Web Conferencing Solution?

Business communication was forever changed for the better when web conferencing hit the market. For conveniency and efficiency's sake, business professionals have become much more productive over the last decade especially.


As aptly outlined on WebinarFAQ, here are seven major benefits to incorporating web conferencing into your day-to-day operations:

• check in with business partners and remote employees
• conduct focus group research
• discuss business issues with clients and customers
• have face-to-face training seminars and sessions
• hold media briefings
• hold regular staff meetings
• launch new products

It's no surprise that bottom lines can be impacted positively. What used to take months to get deals done can now be done in one "face-to-face" interaction. As the article went on to say, "The only way that video conferencing can be limited is by your own imagination." Always dream big in everything you do -- you never know what you can accomplish.

What Does The Web Conferencing Spectrum Presently Look Like?

Identifying the best and most affordable web conferencing tool for your business can be an undertaking. Yet, I want this blog to become one of the resources you can depend on for helping you make the best decision in a timely manner so you can get back to the real work!
The market leaders, WebEx and GoToMeeting, have a lot of great features, but they primarily cater their businesses towards the Fortune 500 crowd. Although many may not know, the space is pretty crowded beyond those two and each smaller web conferencing solutions brings different pros and cons to the table.
I wanted to list out a bunch of the different options so you could easily find others to explore for yourself: Adobe Connect, Netviewer Meet, FUZE Meeting, WebConCentral, Yugma, GoPresent, Infinite Conferencing, Intercall, MS Office Live Meeting ... the list goes on, but hopefully that is plenty to get you started.
In the coming weeks, I'll break down my rationale for the existing rankings atop this blog by category. Thanks for reading thus far!

Screen Sharing: Why It Can Be So Important For Sales

It was not too long ago when business meeting required cross-country trips to make the sale face-to-face. These days, there's enough web conferencing options that would make any business professional from the 1960's drool.
Screen sharing is just one of the many new features that can make your life so much easier. Whether you're trying to make your way through a powerpoint presentation or looking to analyze a video, you never should have to worry about the other end looking at a different screen ever again.
Gabriela Warren outlined some of the most important considerations for a screen sharing session:

• Know your net meeting tool - This is especially true for those who are new to web conferencing. Know how screen sharing works with the tool you have chosen, and be well aware of what portions of your screen will be visible to meeting attendees.Webex for example, will not show private chat messages between the meeting host and a participant, but other tools do expose the entire screen. This means that if you start a private chat with a meeting participant, for example, everyone in the meeting will be able to see the conversation, which could potentially expose confidential or even embarrassing information.

• Close all non-relevant programs before the meeting - Instant messaging tools, e-mail programs and any other software that will not be needed during the meeting should be closed. You never know when a new e-mail or instant message could come in and disrupt the meeting. Also think that incoming communication could have confidential information that should not be exposed to all the web meeting participants. Remember to close any web browser tabs that are not relevant to the meeting - you probably don’t want your colleagues or clients knowing that you access gossip websites on your lunch break, for example.

• Ensure all presenters are ready to share their screens - If you are starting the Internet meeting for someone else, or if your web conference has multiple presenters, it is a good idea to inform them privately that you will be sharing their screen before you do so. This way, you do not start sharing their screens (and potential confidential information) suddenly and without them realizing it. It is also good to practise screen sharing with all presenters prior to the meeting, so that the transition from one screen to the next goes quickly and smoothly.

Other important considerations include testing your presentation beforehand and keeping your screen appropriate at all times. By being mindful of these suggestions, you'll be able to maximize your efficiency and save all kinds of time and money relative to the old days.