Can You See Me Now?

Editor's Notes

1. WelcomeHow I came to this assignmentIntroduction: About MeVP Sales & Marketing at AMR Management ServicesSocial Media and Content Management LeadTechnology manager for Drake & Company pre-acquisitionIn process of rolling out Skype for Business to our 65 employees
2. Today we will be discussing why and how to best use video conferencing for your organization. We’ll do some small group discussion to help define your needs. We will close by talking about pros and cons of some popular solutions as well as group discussion about what you’re currently using or considering and why.
3. Face to face is still the best way to interact, but video conferencing can be an improvement over email and even phone conversations. Research shows video conferencing: Can improve work qualityIncrease productivityImproves communication – more non-verbal cues; body languageReduce costs: Transportation, meetings, staff costs (as in the Dilbert cartoon)- Maybe change from a monthly face-to-face meeting to a quarterly face-to-face meeting by adopting video tech for more regular events.Video also helps Groupsmeet more frequentlyConvene critical meetings in less timeAnd solutions like Skype, Google+ and WebEx permits and facilitatesactive participationin the meetingsMore importantly for associations… And I’ve had this experience first-hand with our clients:Member needs can be met more quickly through just-in-time training- We can create and deliver ad hoc education and training sessions on-demand and respond rapidly to member needsThis helps us…Train and educatemembersand staff faster, without dramaticallyincreasing costsThe other experience I’ve had is that:Guest speakers and expert outside resources can be easily integrated into the training or educational experiencesAlthough we haven’t used a lot of video with Webinars, it’s easy to add video for a guest speaker in a remote location and we’ve found this enhances participation because participants can better connect with the video image than with just a voice over a conference call.AMCI anecdote with Jamie Notter
4. Video can be used in many ways and there are myriad solutions ranging from free to thousands of dollars monthly. Defining your needs will help you save money and get better stakeholder engagement from a video solution.Staff and members are more likely to use a right-sized technology platform that helps them achieve their goals or do their job better. A bloated, confusing, expensive solution will sit on the shelf unused.
5. Now we’re going to break into groups of 4 or 5 and discuss:In what settings or scenarios would video integration be beneficial or add to the experience? And why?What features would the video conferencing solution need to create a positive user experience? And why?UsesStaff meetingsWebinarsHybrid EventsFeaturesGroup chatDocument annotationSlide sharing/desktop sharingBuilt in text chat
6. Skype: free service, great for peer-to-peer; business manager features (account management) and premium service for groups (cost)Spotty service at timesSucks up bandwidth (important for rural users with slow internet connections)Facetime: Easy and free for iPhone/iPadusersMust have wifi access to use; not enabled over 3G networkOnly connects to iPhones and iPadsGoogle+: Free, group communication capability, document sharing No document annotation capability unless you also use Google DocsClumsy interface to invite usersWebEx: Document annotation capability, multi-user, video and desktop sharing, Cost (service + voice)Convenience – schedule meeting, arrange conference call, etc. (it’s not as easy to interact quickly)Adobe Connect: Similar to WebExUstream/LiveStream: Broadcast-type services; great for hybrid eventsNo video interaction with the audienceNo powerpoint/desktop sharing feature combined with videoEquipmentVideo quality is limited; but sound is most importantMust format event with that in mindWhat are you using currently? Why? What do you like/dislike about it?
7. Just don’t take any video calls unless you’re ready…
8. Define your needs and the outcomes desired by integrating a video conferencing solution; Use video where and when the impact on the audience is positive or adds to the experience, educational value. Don’t use it as a toy or novelty. Let your needs drive the technology decision, not the latest, greatest, feature-rich, shiny, new product.Evaluate your options based on needs and constraints. If it’s business critical to collaborate on a document in real time, spend the money for WebEx or GoToMeeting, don’t skimp and use Skype, then wonder why your staff or volunteers didn’t use video conferencing to get the assignment done.One of the great things about technology today is that you can experiment for free or at a low cost. Try Skype for an interview, use Ustream at a conference, host a meeting on Google+. See what works best for you and how your members and stakeholders react to it. Then scale up when you find the right tool.