Newport Beach, CA, July 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The pressing need for business to continue through pandemic times is nowhere more evident than in the sales and marketing arena. Kovach Marketing, an industry expert in branding and online communications for the home building and related industries, saw early on that video conferencing was to become a mainstay of conducting business, connecting builders to homebuyers and vendors to customers both immediately and for the future. Successful companies did their homework, practiced within their organization and quickly shorten the learning curve to opening up the lines of communication.
“This shift has required creativity, problem-solving, reality-based operational effectiveness, emerging technology and the formation of new habits,” said Dana Kovach, President and CEO of Kovach Marketing. “Over the past five months, video conferences have gone from clumsy to cool, streamlined and preferred by many, but continually in need of refinement and improvement. We've just begun to experience the new advantages it offers, enabling a broader range of attendees to participate, reducing travel time and expense, and discovering that more can be accomplished when participants are properly prepared and equipped to conduct a great conference. We believe video conferencing is a new staple in business, and it's essential to know how to make it work for you."
Kovach Marketing points to the availability of access to a business conference and emerging technology as one of the first benefits of platform use. Younger workers have already embraced these platforms and rely on them on a daily basis. For those who are now becoming involved, they welcome the opportunity to participate with desktop, laptop or smartphone, thus promoting wider participation leading to successful collaboration and consensus. Larger and higher quality screens and new software to create room apps will transform the platform and reduce the need for a designated meeting room.
Another first step is determining which platform fits your business. The all-in-one hosting platforms, such as WebEx, Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Hangouts are fashioned for flexibility and global reach. These and others offer screen sharing capabilities accessible to remote teams, wherever they may be. Screen sharing is a must-have in any video conference, and according to Techradar.com, some platforms perform better than others. In addition, Artificial Intelligence is being advanced as a way to reduce background noise, improve focus on a speaker or displays, transcribe meeting notes and more.
Techradar points out "Normal consumer offerings such as Apple's Facetime, WhatsApp Video and Zoom have made video communications a normalized part of the conversation process, especially as alternatives to Skype. The expectation is that businesses will increasingly embrace conferencing and webinar software simply because it offers so many all-round benefits, especially when using the best conference phones to ensure good quality communications."
As video conferencing becomes commonplace as its capabilities are being increased and refined. Staying in step with these hardware and software milestones may feel overwhelming, yet there are experts who can help guide you in making intelligent, effective advancements. It's essential to check out their different offerings to determine the right fit for your goals. Whether searching for a free platform or comparing capabilities and graduated price structures, it's important to do the homework, starting with identifying experienced experts who can help shape the way you make decisions and do business in the future.
Being meeting-ready is as fundamental to a good meeting today as ever, but now even more so. Block out time on your calendar, gather materials, and check your setting before dial-in. Also, check the mirror because appearances matter. Your waist-up wardrobe must be neat, clean and professional – no exceptions. Dressing for business conveys a lot about you. Being onscreen reinforces your professionalism, so think twice before choosing not to be on camera. Video conferencing carries with it the ability to convey non-verbal cues that texts and emails lose.
Refining how your video conference is conducted is the key to success. Use screen-sharing to show specifics about workflows, projects, timelines, etc. Training and collaboration work well in this setting when everyone is on the same page.
Reduce background noise and visual distractions. Bad audio is one of the biggest complaints that plague video conferencing. Apps like Krisp quiet the ambient noise, while headsets with built-in microphones go a long way to improving your conference for yourself and others. Avoid situating yourself in a distracting environment. Keep the background neutral, avoid bright light or direct sun and minimize passers-by. Silence your phone as you would with an in-person meeting.
Make the meeting your focus and stay on topic. Stay present and put yourself front and center without slouching or sliding out of frame. Maintaining eye contact with attendees throughout the call keeps you presenting yourself as attentive, focused, professional and connected. A great deal of nuance and tone are conveyed in video conferencing, so be aware of your personal actions. Giving in to distractions distracts others and reflects poorly on you. If you're distracted by your own face, you can try turning off self-view momentarily, especially if you're in a one-on-one. Remember, the video part of the platform is what differentiates it from a voice call.
Good lighting makes a good impression. Aim to light the face by keeping the light or window directly in front of you. Natural light is just that, natural, but when needed, artificial lighting should be LED. Try placing one in front of you and another behind without putting either in the direct line of the camera. It pays to play around with your lighting to get the best effects.
There's a special kind of etiquette for video conferencing that has a big impact on how well business is conducted and your performance is perceived. Muting your microphone is the first rule to observe faithfully. Mute when you're not speaking, mute especially if you're using your keyboard for notetaking. If you need to step away from your conference or meeting, use the chat function to tell everyone that you'll be right back, then mute yourself and shut off video while you're away from your device.
There are promising big picture changes that will take place for business during the pandemic, and at their core will be use of video conferencing, whether in a group or team meetings or one on one. The benefits are just beginning to show up, and will grow exponentially as the platform technology improves. Now is the right time to become aware, informed and engaged in making the platform a central part of your business. It's definitely here to stay, and that's a very good thing.
Kovach Marketing specializes in branding and marketing, focused on master-planned communities, new homes and related industries. The firm, comprised of a group of multidimensional, multi-talented professionals, was founded over 30 years ago by Dana Kovach, a communications veteran who has spearheaded the branding for Fortune 500 companies, best-in-class firms, start-ups and more. Driven by infectious enthusiasm and curiosity, their “creative intelligence” processes of listening to clients, analyzing market trends and developing comprehensive programs to fully achieve the clients’ marketing objectives has consistently garnered noteworthy success. For more information, call 949.757.2870 or visit KovachMarketing.com.
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