Conference calls, both those that include video and those that do not, have been gaining traction in a professional setting since they were first introduced. Their popularity, however, has never skyrocketed quite as much as it has in the past few months, thanks in no small part to the recent coronavirus pandemic that has shocked the world, turning it upside down and forcing professionals around the world to remain in their homes. While the pandemic will eventually pass and life can return to normal, many workers have, understandably, expressed interest in continuing to work from home. Because of this possibility, below we have written down a few points that express the benefits and the importance of conference calls for business.
Your home becomes a new hub for communication
In the pre-COVID world, conference rooms were an essential part of a successful business, they were a hub for communication both internal and external. They were used to get people connected, whether it be employees visiting from other offices, or clients coming in to discuss a new business proposal. Once the coronavirus spread, these rooms ceased to be viable for fear of further infecting the population. However, thanks to virtual conference calls, the new hub for communication can be anywhere providing you have a computer and an internet connection. These calls allow you to manage day to day business all from the comfort of your own home instead of having to physically meet up with other meeting participants.
They are quick and easy to set up
As a means of both group and one to one communication, the virtual conference call is at the top of its game. Providing the ability to have a clear voice call while also having the choice of sharing video, they are the premier way to discuss business matters securely and efficiently while having the added benefit of being incredibly easy to set up.
They reduce cost
While it may have been an unpleasant shock at first, the global pandemic and the near-global lockdown has provided a hidden benefit for companies and corporations around the world. This benefit being that they can now consider cutting down costs such as rent and utility bills if they choose to embrace this new way of working remotely and decide to cut down on their office space. Since companies no longer need a sprawling open-plan office, they can instead cut down to a much smaller area that is available when needed.
Additionally, using remote forms of communication like virtual conference calls also vastly cuts down on travel expenses as employees will now rarely need to travel across the country or the world for business dealings.
They allow you to mix it up
As well as being a fantastic way to communicate in general, virtual conferencing programs are packed with additional features designed to make your life easier. These features vary from things like virtual backgrounds for zoom that allow you to either maintain a professional appearance by hiding an untidy room or add some humor to the meeting by picking one of the hundreds of available options. Other features include the ability to share your screen in order to easily and efficiently share information, and virtual whiteboards that function just like their regular counterparts, allowing select members in the call to interact with it in order to brainstorm ideas or discuss topics.
They allow you to stay connected
While the ability to stay connected for business purposes is clear and one of the primary reasons for using virtual conference calls, they also allow people to simply stay connected in general. This helps to fight loneliness and isolation that could otherwise have a detrimental effect on an employee’s mental health.
The sky is the limit
In the past, a company’s potential employee talent pool and clients were typically limited to the immediate area, usually the surrounding city or at best, the country. Thanks to virtual conference call technology, this limit has now been lifted and companies can hire across the world, truly find the best person for the job while also expanding their potential client base exponentially.
The benefits of using virtual conference calls for business far outweigh any potential drawbacks and even if a company chooses to bring their workers back to an office space once the pandemic is over, it would be smart to continue to use the technology available in this day and age.
