Be Heard, Seen or Both
Recently, I have attended both a Zoom meeting and a Phone Conference. Is one better?
Phone conferences have been occurring my whole working life. First, we had three-way calling. I recall the excitement when you could put a person on hold, dial out another number and click back to hearing all of you together. You had to pay extra for it, but it felt empowering to have multiple people speaking to one another. Those were the days!
Now, most firms have some derivative of an 800 number where multiple people can call into. Free conference lines are available on many sites. Or you can use Google Meets or other similar venues. This format features better communication without most people having video and audio issues and has no visible distractions since it only brings you together by voice. This allows you to stay in those comfy clothes without any makeup!
What phone conferencing does not bring is the ability to see your meeting community. The bonding that can occur over video conferencing can only be surpassed in a true in person meeting. It is particularly effective when participating parties are in different cities. Our most recent call included a client in Washington, DC. It was most welcome to see him and interact live, despite our distance.
It is important to note that for a video conference to be most effective, you really have to be on the paying platform. The free platform has limitations on how many people join, how long or short the meeting can be and if you can share documents. All the platforms have some or all of these limitations if you are using their free offering. This fact alone often determines why people use the old fashioned phone conferencing, which is usually free of most limitations and extra cost.
There is a place for both of these communication methods. It can be inspiring to dress up in these work from home days and it can be a relief not to have others see you all the time. Choose your venue wisely and know your audience. But like our canine companions, we all have an aspect of socializing and sometimes just want to be a part of a visual community. Be seen periodically, it is good for you and your community.
Be well.