Most Effective Virtual Communication Tools For Business

Here are the 6 hard and fast rules for virtual communication for business;

• Maximized management of results and activities
• Establishment of rules and high responsivity
• Save time
• Build and grow trust with defined expectation
• Creation of cohesive culture-building standards
• Solid establishment of scheduled regular communication

So how do you put all of these in place?

Easy!

In this article, I will show you the best virtual communication tools for the most effective virtual communication for business.

I will also show you what it takes to get up and running with remote collaboration.

Let’s get started.

First thing first…

Consider These Factors Before Getting Started

Depending on your business model, almost all business activities can be processed remotely. To set up your remote team efficiently for every business activity, consider these.

• Synchronicity Matters; prior to working remotely, efficiency and high level of engagement were easily ascertained. The virtual communication tools that proceeded came with a lot of snags. But with the video conferencing and calling software shared below, establishing synchronicity in the flow of information between team members in real time is possible.
• Clear text messages; communicating asynchronously between two members or within the entire team via text messages should be secured. While there are dozens of formal and informal conversation texting apps on the market, choosing the one that aligns the needed extra features with your work nature is a must.
• Accurate and Up-to-date Task Tracking; for better co-ordination of both long-term tasks and short-term tasks, a good e-communication tool should offer ground-solid tracking features. This is not only within the team but also for your customer service sector as well.
• A Secured Sharing Space; at the bottom line, this is the cause for the preference for cloud-based e-com tools over their hardware counterparts. There should be unlimited storage space for PDFs, videos, images, and other documents. And all members on the team should be given equal access to it. This not only builds trust but also establishes a steady workflow.

Now, to the most important part. Below, I have shared 9 virtual communication tools for business in 3 different categories; Video Conferencing, Messaging and Project Management.

For Video Conferencing

• Zoom; being one of the earliest video conferencing cloud-based software, Zoom is prioritized for speed, stability, and low-storage space demand. In fact, while downloading an App is a requirement to use most of the software services out there, Zoom is usable via all web browsers. All you need to do is to set up a meeting schedule on the software to generate a unique link which you dispense to your team as an invitation. But here’s the great thing. Zoom supports up to 1000 participants per meeting in which you can share a maximum of 49 videos with screen sharing support. Other features include video calling, WebRTC technology adoption, a dedicated search engine to quickly locate a member, and the option to change the background picture.
• Whereby; another great solution for video call, Whereby lags in some areas where Zoom excels and vice versa. For one, while Zoom support 1000 participants, Whereby does a fragment of that at 50 participants. But on the flip side, Whereby enables full configuration of the system so you can add a custom logo, showcase your brand, and personalize the meeting space for your brand. Whereby also features fly reaction emojis, usable by all participants whether during a chat (private or group) or a live call. Finally, just like on Zoom, you can create multiple records of the meetings you missed and share screens whenever you’re present at a meeting.
• Lifesize; Lifesize is a revolutionary audio and video conferencing software that is available both on hardware and in the clouds. This allows for more usability options compared to the previously reviewed two above. But here’s what’s greater. For the most part, Lifesize is the first ever to be able to integrate with every last one of your working software. These working software include; your CRM apps, date driving apps, content creation software, and just name it. Another great thing is that Lifesize takes a more realistic approach towards space establishment. This is in the sense that you get to specify the room size you want for your meeting which later determines the complexity of the technology provided to you.
• Google Chats (Formerly Google Hangouts); this is probably the only special feature on your Gmail account that you’re unaware of. Google Chats is Google’s in-house made collaboration platform for text, video, and audio communication. It is also available as a separate app that is downloadable on your app store for free. Though sharing most of its features with Skype, Google Chats is more functional, ubiquitous, has full integration with other productivity-enhancement apps, and connects more than one person per meeting in lieu of Skype.

For Messaging Only

• Slack; my personal experience with Slack happened early-2020 when I joined a digital consulting company for training which was meant to lead to employment. All you have to do is create your own Slack workspace that is almost like a house with multiple rooms. You can have as many participants in a room and create as many rooms. Slack fully integrates with other online content creation apps whilst offering audio recording and unlimited file storage space.
• GoToMeeting; though rather a video conferencing app, I am particularly recommending GoToMeeting for its intuitive, dynamic, and highly-functional texting option. This option is feature-packed with everything needed or a collaborative work process.
• Jostle; Jostle is a cloud-based intranet software for internal connection and employee engagement. You can create webinars or be a part of a working culture just at the push of a button.

For Project Management

• Basecamp; as the name suggests, Basecamp is a universal project management software for keeping track of your work process. All members of the team can create a to-do list, track time, send and share files, hold chats, and even manage milestones.
• Asana; this is rather a work management and team collaboration improvement tool for all projects and tasks. Asana offers the solution for work assignation, project reporting, file attachment, deadline specification, and more.

Conclusion

Communication is the lifeblood of productivity. Getting it right, especially during a period when your staff work from home, may not be a walk in the park. So far, in this article, I have recommended some of the most effective virtual communication tools for business. I hope this helps.