How Can You Attend a Meeting a Million Miles Away in Your PJ‘S?

Tip: By conducting the meeting right in your computer

Fred and Lyna,

I have a consulting firm and find that I have been traveling too much. I live in New Jersey and am constantly attending meetings in California, Arizona, Chicago, Boston etc. These meetings will generally only last a few hours but it take two to three days of travel.  These meetings are necessary but they are also hurting my family life. My kids hardly know me. Is there any way to organize these meetings and reduce the amount of time I spend traveling?

Fred:  Boy do I know how you feel! I spend two to three weeks a month doing the same thing and I’m  beginning to think I live at the Marriott.

Lyna: And this is a common problem with business people who travel a lot for their work.

Fred: The good news is I have found a way to reduce the amount of travel.  It allows me to attend meetings without ever having to leave my home or office.

Lyna: I know where you are going with this Fred because we just used this technology to tape one of our shows while I was in North Carolina and you were in Florida. And at the same time, we interviewed a guest who was in Texas.

Fred: Thank goodness for advancements in technology. This is exactly how we conduct business and its all done on the phone and over the internet.

Lyna: I have seen a lot of business people beginning to use this technology.

Fred: Here is how it works. Someone logs on to an internet site and you conduct a meeting right on your computer. The attendees are able to see you via a web camera, hear you talk with a microphone, etc.

Lyna: You can even share documents, share pictures and charts, etc. Just like if you were right there in the room with them.

Fred: You basically can share anything on your computer and here’s more good news — these services are not expensive.

Lyna: I am really impressed with how this works but I will have to caution everyone considering using these technologies. You need to have a fast computer and a fast internet connection.

Fred: This is true. I would recommend a cable or DSL connection and a computer that is capable of streaming video etc.

Lyna: These services are available to you right now.

Fred: I have been using a service called Webex (www.webex.com) but there are others.

Lyna: Here is a list of some of the other video/meeting sites available:

www.gotomeeting.com
www.webex.com
www.adobe.com
www.voxwire.com
www.webconference.com

and the list goes on and on.

Fred: Yes, even Microsoft and others have software available.

Lyna. You just need to make sure the service fits your needs.

Fred: The best way to do this is to request a demo. Some of these services offer a free trial period.

Lyna: With this technology you can reduce the amount of time you spend flying around the country or the world.

Fred: You can conduct meetings as if you were right there. Its going to take a little getting used to if your company and customers aren’t familiar with it.

Lyna. But, once they do, they will love it.

Fred: And you’ll love being able to attend a meeting in your PJ’s.