telecommuter

Expand Your Client/Prospect Base Worldwide Without Commutes and Travel Expenses

Videoconferencing has worked its way into the everyday American business vernacular, making possible everything from run-of-the-mill weekly project reviews to virtual summits between heads-of-state. Does this sound cool? Don’t despair if you lack the White House’s budget.   

It turns out that few small companies need high quality videoconferencing, which takes expensive gear to give participants “a good look into the eyes” of one another. But most of them find that they can benefit greatly from videoconferencing’s low cost sibling, web conferencing.

Web Conferencing vs. Videoconferencing
Web conferencing services seldom bother with the complexity (and distraction) of jerky, poorly lit Brady-bunch-style web cam face shots. They focus instead on helping people see what you’re discussing, by letting you show them a live view of your computer screen. Bring up whatever you need to help them “see what you’re talking about.” 

Companies use web conferencing to show customers a demo, run through a deck of slides, get their thoughts on a creative piece, or go over a spreadsheet. Participants quickly forget about the distance between them. They feel as though they’re sitting by your side as they talk with you over the phone and watch your screen. You control what they hear and see. No one can skip ahead to slide ten while you’re explaining slide three.

Give Your Sales a Boost
Many small businesses have found that web conferencing lets them exponentially expand their sales territory. By adding web conferencing to their inside sales process, they can qualify and close new customers worldwide without the expense of traditional bag-carrying sales calls. Employees enjoy the side benefit of a better work-life balance. No more goodnight kisses courtesy of your Blackberry!

Enjoy the Numerous Benefits
Nearly anyone can host a web conference. All you need is a modest broadband-connected computer and a phone. Web conferencing can bring small businesses huge benefits almost immediately, by helping you to:

1)     Look bigger than you are. The famous New Yorker cartoon, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog,” is true. With today’s prices, even the smallest business can now host web conferences, just like the big boys.
2)     Multiply your number of sales demonstrations and pitches per day. A bag-carrying direct sales person on the road might visit a few customers a day. But an inside sales person doing live web demos over the phone often can pitch that many in just an hour.
3)     Train your new customers. Host a live weekly mini-webinar for them, so they get a warm hug from your staff while learning how to make the best use of your product or service. Post archived versions as a complete “on line training” course they can review anytime.
4)     Take your local business global. With a phone, computer, and broadband, you can pitch anyone anywhere in the world – on the fly! Just pick up the phone.
5)     Improve your lifestyle. Travel less and spend more time on the most important things in life, like tucking your kids into bed.

Stay Within Your Budget
Dozens of low cost web conferencing services are available and all offer free trials. Pick one or two that seem to fit your needs and give them a spin. A typical plan gives you unlimited sessions with up to 10 to 15 participants for about $50/month. Because the vendors deliver their service through your web browser, it’s easy to shop around for the best match.

Aside from the phone and e-mail, there isn’t another technology that can deliver so much business value for so few dollars. HBM   

Previously published in the April 2007 issue of HOME BUSINESS® Magazine, an international publication for the growing and dynamic home-based market. Available on newsstands, in bookstores and chain stores, and via subscriptions ($15.00 for 1 year, six issues). Visit www.homebusinessmag.com

Rich Baker is the founder and CEO of Glance Networks (www.glance.net), which provides a simple, dependable screen sharing service for non-technical people. Baker was formerly vice president and CTO for PictureTel Corporation and an assistant professor of electrical engineering at UCLA. He has published more than 25 technical papers and co-authored the book, Digital Compression for Multimedia.