As the technology has improved, global companies have been turning more to video chat as a means of conducting job interviews, long-distance business meetings and customer service calls. Video communication offers many advantages that traditional email or other written correspondence does not. This technology is especially useful for international companies, because it makes it possible to have quick and efficient business communications among employees on different continents at the same time.
Video conferencing faced many technological limitations during its initial development. The equipment was prohibitively expensive, the quality of the live stream was sporadic at best, and video chats could freeze or drop unexpectedly, causing companies to lose time and money as they tried to fix these problems.
However, the cost of web cameras has greatly decreased, numerous video chat applications are now available with a multitude of options, and the audio quality can be comparable to that of speaking with somebody from across the room. Instead of flying a job applicant out to a corporate headquarters for a job interview, you can interview that person from your home or office without paying hundreds of dollars in travel expenses, food and lodging.
If you are a job applicant, video chat technology also opens up your options for potential employment. You can now interview for a company that is based in Japan, for example. It is still important to wear professional attire, to speak clearly, and not to make any sudden moves to help ensure a higher quality streaming experience that makes a good impression.Video chat also allows you to communicate with co-workers from nearly anywhere using a smart device. Many games and social media apps implement video conferencing as an important feature. This integration helps make customers more loyal to those apps, because it allows them to communicate with both friends and family in a convenient format. The same advantages apply to businesses as well.
As a result, global companies are also using video chat as a means of conducting customer service. Video correspondence allows a company to communicate with a customer more fully, because facial expressions and body language are an important part of how people communicate with one another. Better communication ideally inspires good memories and brand loyalty from a customer.
A study from Gartner showed that more than 100 of the 500 largest global corporations will implement video chat by 2018 for interacting with customers, and that the number will continue to increase. Increased bandwidth capability and more vendors offering live stream options have driven this trend upward, and there is no reason for it to slow.
Video chat is not just the future. It is the "right now." Embracing that technology and implementing it into your normal business operations helps you improve your overall efficiency and gives you additional tools to get business done across the globe.
Photo courtesy of Franky242 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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