Less Traffic, more time, more money and it's greener
Work is something I do and not somewhere I go, and computers and the internet have made this possible.
Many of my meetings are online and not face-to-face. I get to meet people around the country and even around the world without the time and expense of travel. Avoiding traffic jams, saving time and money and helping the environment are all good reasons for learning how to meet online. And that is what I do, I teach people how to run meetings online.
So, how does an online meeting work?
All you need is a computer connected to the internet for the visuals and a phone for the audio (increasingly, however, online meeting providers are including VoIP allowing you to talk over the internet at no extra cost!). You dial a number followed by a code to join the teleconference. Similarly to join the online meeting (also called a web conference) you go to the relevant web page, enter your name, meeting number and maybe a password. There could be a short delay while an application is automatically downloaded but then a new window will open displaying the visuals of your meeting.
What will you see?
It all depends on the type of meeting you’re having. If it’s a training session, you may see some presentation slides. If you’re working with a customer to finalise the layout of a design, you can share your computer desktop and your customer will see exactly what you are doing on screen. You may be sharing a document or spreadsheet and finalising a press release, report or contract with a supplier, customer or colleague.
Anything you can display on a computer can be displayed in real time and securely during an online meeting, even an image from a webcam. In addition online meetings often include functions to make the meetings interactive. For example, you can display a question on screen and get participants to select an answer
(this is “polling” and is a great option for market research). The “Chat” function and the more formal “Q&A” function allow participants to make comments or ask questions online. There is also the option to record the whole meeting.
What about costs? The good news is that many suppliers offer a free trial period. They then offer a variety of options from “pay per use” – i.e. you pay for every minute you use the system (typically about 22p per minute per user) to monthly subscriptions starting at just under £25.
If you are already using online meetings, let me know how you’re getting on. I’m currently looking for the most innovative use of online meetings. Selling, training, design, market research and networking are all proven areas for their use. But how about interactive coaching and mentoring meetings, online community action group meetings or even online WiRE meetings?
To contact Carolyn email her at
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Please note that this article is not written by WiRE but by a third party company. Whilst WiRE have made every effort to ensure that the information and details are accurate, we are unable to guarantee that they completely and WiRE are therefore unable to accept liability for any loss you may suffer as a result of omission or inaccuracy,
© 2012