While we deal with this unprecedented global health crisis, businesses and individuals are having to adapt quickly to our changing circumstances. With social distancing being a new concept we’ve all had to embrace, how are you staying connected to your loved ones? How are you maintaining communication and collaboration with your coworkers if you are able to operate remotely? Fortunately, there has been a lot of technology and innovation over the past several years to make all of this easier, and people are being creative with how they use that technology! Here are a few of the many tools that might work for you, and some of the creative ways people are using those tools.
Video Conferencing
There are a lot of different video conference call apps available, including Skype, Google Hangouts, and Facetime. Our go-to video conferencing app here at Revenue River is Zoom. It has a ton of different customizable features for you to optimize your calls, and has the ability to share your screen. The sound and video quality is unmatched by the other available apps. The free version of Zoom has some limitations (calls can only be 40 minutes) but the basic paid version is only $14.99 a month. Only one person (the host) needs to have a paid account to extend the meeting limit (to 24 hours) and access the other paid features, and anyone else joining the call only has to download the free app on their phone or computer. People all over are using Zoom for work meetings, classroom lectures, remote podcasting, and even virtual game nights with friends.
Instant Messaging
Now that a majority of office workers are working remote, staying in communication with your coworkers is more important than ever. Rather than clogging up your inbox with bits and pieces of information, or bouncing between phone calls, texts, and emails… try using Slack! You can private message anyone on your team or create group chat channels for different projects/topics. There are even all sorts of integrations with apps like Google Drive and Outlook! You can get the Slack app for both your computer and your phone so you can always stay connected (unless you need to utilize the Do Not Disturb function). The free version is pretty robust, but you’ll want to upgrade if you need to access older messages.
See how HubSpot used Slack to scale their award-winning culture.
Live Streaming
News sources, musicians, gamers, and more are utilizing live streaming platforms to inform, entertain, and communicate with their audiences while everyone stays at home. Facebook Live and Instagram Live are two of the most popular because of the social element of the apps, but you can also use YouTube or Twitch to live stream. With Twitch, you can even set up a tipping system that will give your viewers the option to pay you for whatever content you are streaming.
Video Selling
Having to take a break from in person meetings can make our client interactions feel cold and disconnected. With Vidyard’s Video Selling tool, you can make your emails feel a little more human. Video selling, to put it bluntly, helps you close more deals with better clarity and the ability to build a face-to-face relationship while being remote. Video is the perfect medium across all aspects of your sales cycle, from prospecting to closing. Not to mention, it saves you countless hours writing long text based emails, and helps clear up cryptic email chains where trust is critical.
See how Revenue River is using video selling to communicate with our clients every day.
If you’re overwhelmed by the need to implement all of this new technology quickly for your business, reach out to the team at Revenue River for consulting!