Businesses see increasing importance of video conferencing

The world of sales keeps getting smaller as businesses continue to integrate video applications with CRM platforms.
Although face-to-face meetings and the hustle and bustle of travel still fill the schedules of many salespeople, there's no denying the importance of video conferencing and how it's transformed the way companies interact with customers and prospects. Video chat cuts the need to spend money on travel and can effectively personalize a relationship -- even more so than a phone call.
With video conferencing applications now another tool in CRM systems, salespeople can pause tasks and start intimate conversations with customers requiring extra attention or a bit of friendly cajoling to spend money. Just as the addition of social media tools in CRM and marketing platforms widened the reach of companies, video apps aim to create another direct channel to customers.
"Virtual meetings are very effective and an intimate way to manage and nurture customer relations," said Kate Leggett, a principal analyst at Forrester Research. "I think more and more companies will only continue to offer video and meetings as collaboration tools."
CRM vendors with video integration
Several companies offer a video connection within their CRM and marketing platforms. Microsoft Dynamics 365 users are able to jump on a video call via Microsoft's own Skype or Skype for Business. Salesforce offers several video conference applications in its AppExchange, including Zoom. And, early this year, HubSpot announced that its users could now automatically open the Zoom app within its platform.
The decision to partner exclusively with Zoom was easy because many HubSpot employees use the video app on their own, said Kipp Bodnar, HubSpot CMO.
"Like [what] Gmail did for us with email, Zoom changed how we were communicating with clients and customers and amongst ourselves. It made our dream of remote work and our goal of being a global company a reality," Bodnar said. "I run a team of 20 remote people, with people in Dublin, Berlin and Tokyo. Zoom makes our work seamless and personal."
Importance of video conferencing
Julian Poulter, a Gartner research director, said there's no way a company can do business today without video conferencing -- phone calls no longer suffice. Video enables businesses to share graphics and images while talking up products, he said.
Video applications open many doors for sales and marketing because they enable customers to feel as if they're receiving exclusive personalized attention, Poulter said.
"You've got webinars, one-on-one meetings and visual support cases. Or, as a customer, I can connect with an agent who can look over my (virtual) shoulder to see if what I'm doing is correct or if I need help. You also see companies doing click to connect, where the customer clicks on an image of a person to have a conversation with them," he said.
Like Bodnar and his HubSpot colleagues, Poulter couldn't imagine having a productive, travel-free workday without the help of video. "There's no way you can function," he said. "I'll probably do six today."
If data is the key to obtaining knowledge that provides a competitive edge, then video is a window into how a customer is really reacting to a company's products and services. Video enables salespeople to better gauge idle curiosity or genuine interest.
"A video chat at the exact time a potential buyer [needs] more information … can be the reason a conversion takes place or never happens," said Brent Leary, a CRM and customer experience analyst. "A timely answer to one question could turn into a full-blown conversation. And a video chat can make that happen more effectively than a connection that's made just by talking with someone."
Employee training needed
Leary recommends that employees shouldn't just jump right into video interactions with customers. A strategy is needed, and training is a must because video chatting isn't the same as face-to-face or even telephone conversations

Latest Jobs
-
- Contract (outside) Cyber Incident manager – current SC clearance ESSENTIAL
- United Kingdom
- N/A
-
Contract (outside) Cyber Incident manager – current SC clearance ESSENTIAL Outside IR35 Client facing (Remote UK) with occasional site visit. Must have current Cyber incident response / management experience. Both proactive planning, escalation, coordination and coordinating response. Stakeholder engagement both technical and non technical teams. Prior experience with Technical incident / digital forensics / crisis management. Immediate role.
-
- Tenable Vulnerability Analyst - CONTRACT outside IR35. SC cleared.
- United Kingdom
- N/A
-
6 month rolling contract Outside IR35- immediate start. Threat and Vulnerability Analyst. Tenable.sc experience needed. The ability to deploy agent, configure environments, run active and passive scans, produce reports and prioritise remediation activities based on output Current and ACTIVE SC clearance is required
-
- ForgeRock Consultant
- N/A
- £600 per day
-
ForgeRock Consultant required for 6 Month Contract (with potential to extend) Outside IR35, Must be willing to work Europe hours (GMT+1) This is a remote position, Looking for a lead ForgeRock Technical Consultant with strong experience of ForgeRock to lead the next phase of deployment. Good understanding of ForgeRock Directory Services. · Responsible for the design and implementation of ForgeRock stack · Install and configure ForgeRock stack to meet customer authentication and authorization requirements, · Design and implement OAuth2 protocol using ForgeRock OpenAM, · Design and develop OpenAM custom authentication modules, · Configure ForgeRock stack to protect RESTful API, · Troubleshoot and support ForgeRock IAM stack. · Designed and developed Restful APIs, This is a great project with an expanding ForgeRock Partner, where you will get to work on some high level deployment projects We are looking for someone with the above experience, who is comfortable hitting the ground running and taking on the reins mid project
-
- Network Security Engineer
- Germany
- €550 a day
-
German- based contract opportunity This is an onsite based position, we would need the Network Security engineer to be able to work on the client site 5 days a week Seeking an experienced Network Security Engineer for a leading technology company. Strong expertise in firewall/IPS solutions, proxy solutions, and certificate management is required. Good hands-on experience in networking and web-related technologies necessary. Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work under pressure are essential. we are looking for a Network Security Engineer with the following experience: · Expertise in Administration, Management & Troubleshooting of Firewall / IPS solutions / Proxy solutions/Certificate Management Solutions · Good Hands-on Experience on security devices (PaloAlto/ /McAfee Proxy/CISCO ISE/Certificate Management) · Good Hands-on Experience in Networking with skills of switching, routing & wireless Technologies · Familiarity with web related technologies (Web applications, Web Services, Service Oriented Architectures) and of network/web related protocol · Configuration of NAT / PAT, firewall policies, profiling, objects, AD-Integration, backup – restore · Knowledge of Subnetting TCP/IP Communication, VLSM Configuration of VLAN VTP · Configuration of Routing Protocols e.g. RIPv1 & v2, OSPF, EIGRP, BGP Knowledge of standard and extended ACL 12 month contract