It’s July 2020 and most of us have acclimated to video calls and other virtual meeting platforms. It’s not quite as awkward to make an appearance from our home offices, kitchens or living room couches anymore. We’ve grown used to the occasional interruptions of dogs barking, the pings of new email and the video debut of our coworkers’ children (or our own.) The ongoing joke is that we are all “business on top and casual on bottom.” While this has become the new norm, what happens when we have vital sales calls, quarterly meetings we need to lead, major presentations and pitches? What happens when we NEED to put our best foot forward? When it is vital to stand out from the Zoom call crowd, professional services (or at LEAST professional setups) are a must.
In a time when so much of the “call culture” is low-res and DIY, we firmly believe organizations can gain a unique competitive advantage by commiting to the professionalism of their content and interactions. How does a company make that happen?
Examine types of EXTERNAL interactions and ask the following questions…
Which employees have the most client-facing roles?
Which interactions are the most fiscally beneficial?
Which interactions maintain vital relationships?
Examine types of INTERNAL interactions and ask the following questions…
Which employees are the most visible in internal communication?
Which meetings are most vital; requiring attendees full attention, engagement and driving company operation?
Which meetings maintain vital relationships.
This will provide you with a list of people and incidences where professional services are needed and how and to whom additional resources should be allocated. But who needs what and when?
“Example I:
Jake is a Senior Account Manager and has made all of your EXTERNAL Interaction lists:
He has an almost exclusively client-facing role.
His interactions are some of the most fiscally beneficial.
His interactions maintain vital relationships.
For an employee like Jake, we would recommend sending him a professional recording kit for his home office with instructions and access to professionals for set-up, testing and troubleshooting.”
“Example II:
Margaret, Joy and Mason are all C-Suite Level Executives. They all provide leadership during the biannual sales meetings as well as interacting directly with investors and board members quarterly.
They are most visible in internal communication.
They lead vital meetings that require attendees full attention and engagement to drive company operation.
They are integral to meetings that maintain vital relationships.
For a group like Margaret, Joy and Mason, we would recommend recording in or livestreaming from a professional studio with the high-fidelity sound, high-definition video, lightning fast connectivity and the technical capabilities to add engagement options.”
By determining the "who’s who” and the heirarchy of interactions both internally and externally, we can begin to get a picture of the scale of services for a given group.
The most common objections we hear are:
We already have a “premium subscription” to a video call service.
We don’t have the money for other professional services.
We would argue, you don’t have the money NOT to invest in professional services. Imagine a scenario where “Jake” is on his first call with a potential client and is dimly lit, his sound cuts in and out due to poor WiFi, his video freezes intermittently and his pitch is lost in translation. Or another, all-to-familiar incident, our C-Suite Team is live-streaming their annual sales meeting, employees are logged in but no one is REALLY focused on the message. After all, there are dogs barking, new emails and kids being kids - and your attendees are just muted, black boxes with a name on a screen. This is the opportunity cost of doing nothing. Lost revenue, damanged reputation and operational issues due to missed messages.
What can professional services do to change your outcome?
High-Definition Film + Production
High-Fidelity Audio
Speedy Broadband Connectivity
Power Backup + Recording Redundancies
Rehearsals + Professional Editing
Graphic Design + Motion Graphics
Stage, Set + Visual Design
Digital Platform Sourcing + Management
Social Distancing + Safety Solutions
Branding + Decor
Green Room Management
Speaker Coaching
Guest Speaker Sourcing
Virtual Entertainment + Teambuilding
Professional Makeup Application
Remote Gifting
Not every interaction can be professionally polished and video calls are not going away, but if you consider your company image important, professional video and meeting services need to become an integral part of your brand’s marketing efforts and budget. Allow your quality of communication to speak volumes.
#GatherGreater
- Mendie