Spinning the Web for Efficiency

Online meetings gain popularity

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Brad Treat (SightSpeed)

Ray Britt (Intercall)

Lights, Camera, Action

Videoconferencing tips for a stellar performance n order to take your video conference from ordinary to extraordinary, Brad Treat, CEO of SightSpeed, a visual communications company based in Berkeley, Calif., offers some advice.

1. Lighting – Lighting is a crucial component for a successful desktop video call. The most common problem is strong backlighting. Make sure you are not positioned with

a bright window or other strong light source behind you, as this will overpower the Webcam and make you look dark. Also, make sure you have good front lighting on your face, not just an overhead light shining down on top of your head. You may be able to place a desk lamp behind and to the side of your screen and turn it to illuminate your face. If it is too bright, try shining it on the wall right behind your screen so that the reflected light illuminates your face. Direct sunlight can also be a problem since it can lead to a washed-out look; try closing the blinds or curtains and using lamps or indirect lighting to illuminate your face.

2. Camera – Using a good Webcam will complement video call software. In the past, video call software could only transmit a few fuzzy frames per second and therefore did not put a demand on the performance of the Webcam. New video software like SightSpeed can transmit 30 frames per second (which is what TVs transmit) and, therefore, work best with high quality Webcams. In general, Webcams based on CCD image chips are better than Webcams based on CMOS image chips. Look for Webcams meant for "pro" users.

3. Positioning – Place the Webcam on top of your screen or monitor. Video calls look best when you appear to be looking at the person you are conversing with. If you put the camera on your desk to the side of your monitor, the other party will see a side view of you. Instead, place the Webcam directly on the top-center of your monitor or laptop screen. If your Webcam doesn't fit, try using Velcro or some other method to keep it in place.

Position the video window directly below the Webcam. Once the Webcam is on top of your monitor, position the video receive window at the top of your screen, directly below your Webcam. This will minimize the distance between where your eyes are looking and the camera lens and will make it appear to the other party that you are looking at them.

Position yourself correctly within the camera view. A common problem is having the camera pointing too high so that your head is positioned at the bottom of the picture. When correctly positioned, the top of your head should be near (but not touching) the top of the picture. Also, you should not be too close or too far away from the camera. When properly composed, you should appear with your head and shoulders nicely framed in the picture.

4. Final Details – Wear solid-color clothing. When you wear clothing with large checks, stripes or plaids, even slight movements will cause the videoconferencing software to spend a lot of time compressing and decompressing the images of your clothing and this could reduce the bandwidth available to transmit face and head movements that are more important. Therefore, it is best to wear clothing with solid colors or small patterns.

Sit up straight and look at the screen or camera. Unlike a telephone call, during a videoconference, the person you are speaking with can see you. Therefore, you should not read your mail or play Solitaire during the call. Pay attention and look at the video window. If you want to make an important point, try looking directly at the lens of the Webcam it will appear to the other person that you are looking directly into their eyes. And don't forget to smile!

— SightSpeed

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Going Global Without Leaving the Office

New set of etiquette rules for overseas Web conferences doing business globally used to require a handshake followed by a long flight home. Today, much of this business is done via conferencing. According to Wainhouse Research, Brookline, Mass., an independent market research firm that focuses on critical issues in the rich media conferencing and communications fields. Worldwide conferencing

services are expected to grow by more than 40 percent to $700 million in 2004. This shift creates a new set of etiquette rules to ensure courteous communication while conferencing with global counterparts.

"Executives tend to overlook how they plan to communicate with counterparts in other countries during conference calls," says Ray Britt, vice president of marketing for conferencing solutions company InterCall, Chicago. "Since most books on best business practices provide guidance on face-to-face interactions only, many executives tend to rely on familiar conference call protocol that works in their own backyard. A different set of rules must be applied to the global marketplace."

To ensure a good first and lasting impression, Britt lists key global etiquette tips executives should keep in mind while conferencing.

Choose your conferencing method. Let your content or purpose guide your decision to hold an audio, video or Web conference. Web conferencing is a great tool when presenting graphs or figures while video conferencing allows you to read body language.

1. Don't go it alone. Use an interpreter when necessary and try to request an expert in your field (i.e. healthcare) since he/she will be familiar with the industry's jargon. Interpreters are available through most major conferencing service providers.

2. Greet your callers in their native language. Learn simple phrases such as "good morning" or "thank you" in other languages.

3. Know your time zones. When scheduling conference calls, be considerate of participant location. For example, scheduling a noon conference call in Chicago means a 2:00 a.m. call in Beijing, which is very likely to be very inconvenient for the folks located in China. As a courtesy, offer to schedule a call during a convenient time for participants and alternate times during future conference calls.

4. Check country-specific holiday schedules. Do your homework. There's nothing worse than scheduling a call on one of the most important holidays in another country.

5. Repeat key points, or make them available in writing before the call. Non-native English speakers may not fully understand everything you say during the call, so repeating key points increases comprehension. Consider providing advanced copies of material to reduce misinterpretation or use Web conferencing tools to give participants visuals to use during and after the call.

6. Leave idioms at home. Be mindful that phrases you're accustomed to may not translate in other countries. For example, "break a leg," "We're going to hit this one out of the ballpark," or "circle back" are meaningless phrases in other cultures and may leave participants confused or offended.

7. Know when you're being told "no." Some cultures use indirect means of communicating disagreement. Listen for polite verbal cues such as "that could be difficult" and either drop the subject or propose alternatives.

— Intercall

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"Time is money" – a saying that grows in truth with each passing year. In a high-tech, fast-paced world, employee productivity is the difference between a faltering fiscal plan and a booming bottom-line. And while employers spend countless hours devising ways to get employees to work at peak performance, their efforts could be thwarted by a staple in the American work world: office meetings.

According to a 20-year study conducted by Roger K. Mosvick, professor of communication studies at Macalester College, St. Paul, Minn., the average employee spends 8.5 hours a week in meetings. Middle managers and top executives even exceed that number, averaging 10.5 hours and 12 hours, respectively. And here, time really does equal money. Mosvick says poorly run meetings cost nearly $100 million a year. And for employees who must travel to attend important meetings, whether across town or cross-country, those numbers skyrocket even higher.

So how can important information be delivered to the appropriate people while eliminating the hassles, costs and wasted time associated with meetings? In the digital savvy 21st century, the answer is Web conferencing.

Web conferencing is a forum for interactive presentations that span one-to-one meetings, internal conferences, team meetings and public seminars. Instead of hopping a plane or sitting behind the steering wheel, meeting planners can invite the audience to jump online.

Over the past several years, Web conferencing has experienced explosive growth due to increased travel costs and faster, more effective communication. And the list of applications for these meetings is almost endless: product launches, sales presentations, training, software/product demonstrations, financial updates, marketing events, etc. But before the first e-vite is sent, meeting coordinators must learn the ropes.

Plan for Success

"Conducting a Web conference is getting easier and easier all the time," says Jim Smith of WebTrain Communications, a live voice Web conferencing service company located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. "You can be online and sharing information in less than five minutes.

All that is required is a computer, any Internet connection, a headset and, ideally, a Webcam."

But as audio and Web conferencing grows as an acceptable and preferred way to conduct routine business meetings, Ed Wadbrook, senior vice president, business strategy and product marketing, Sonexis Inc., Tewksbury, Mass., says many "newbies" are learning the ropes the hard way. In order to avoid costly and embarrassing mistakes, take some advice from the experts to avoid a World Wide Web disaster.

Richard Nicholas, president of E Solutions Corp., Tampa, Fla., says there are two avenues that need to be explored before implementing online business meetings: Web conferencing vs. live online streaming video.

"The main difference is that streaming video is a one-way transmission, making it ideal for Internet seminars (Webinars), news conferences, presentations and large one-way meetings that do not require direct interaction from the audience," says Nicholas. "Web conferencing is perfect for meetings and conferences requiring online collaboration and application sharing. For example, Web conferencing allows all participants to view the same PowerPoint presentation or spreadsheet at the same time."

Nicholas says a good example is the Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing (Sametime) service offering from White Plains, N.Y.-based IBM. "Sametime allows application sharing, which lets users work on the same document at the same time," he says. Other features include the ability to conduct instant participant polls and report the results, the ability of participants to use electronic white boards and the ability to send private or public instant messages between the other meeting participants.

To increase the speed of the service, Web conferencing tools are used for application sharing and instant messaging, while a conference call is used for audio.

"When considering either online video or Web conferencing, look for a service provider that offers direct optical co-location connections that reach all Internet users directly, thereby eliminating troublesome local loops that can slow the delivery," says Nicholas. Other factors should be considered, he says, including the availability of conferencing facilities, the choice of dedicated or shared streaming video servers and the ability to stream live events and archived files in varying multi-bit formats, including Microsoft Windows Media Player, Real Networks and QuickTime, which are the most commonly used formats. Also important is the ability to encode video, whether your files are analog (VHS tape) or digital (AVI, MAV), into high-quality, multi-bit streaming video content and optional services like hosting, encoding and archiving.

To further avoid surprises, Krysta Murray, vice president of operations at Netspoke, a Web and audio conferencing systems developer based in Woburn, Mass., says both the Web and audio portions of the conference should be planned well before the meeting. "If you can make sure the audience has the proper hardware and software before the event, they can test their own systems to make sure that they are compatible. Ideally, participants will have a fast Internet connection, newer browser software and a computer that's less than five years old (faster than 300mhz)," she says. The host should communicate all relevant conference information to the audience, including an agenda, date, time audio phone number and Web login information.

Wadbrook suggests providing call information for both audio and Web portions of the call in one e-mail, with the subject line clearly stating the date, time and purpose of the call. He says, "New technology even makes it possible for conferencing systems to send e-mails that link directly to an appointment scheduling software application like Microsoft Outlook, immediately depositing the appointment and call instructions into a participant's schedule upon acceptance of the appointment."

Wadbrook also advises checking to make sure the system is secure because "some bridges are "always on,' meaning once you give out your call-in number and password, participants can typically dial into that number and listen [in on] a conference in progress at any time." He says if additional layers are added for each conference, like participant or event PINs, only those people with specific PINs will be able to access a particular conference.

Making the Connection

In addition to choosing the appropriate format, Webcasters, like any good presenter, must first identify their audience and their needs. Aimee Corso, practice leader, medical devices, FischerHealth, says (Surprise!) language is the key to good communication. "Know your audience and make sure you use language that is appropriate for them," she says. "For example, if you are addressing peers, you may be able to use jargon, but if you are addressing referring physicians, patients or partners, your important points may be lost if you use technical language."

Remember that regardless of the format, a meeting is still a meeting. Minds wander, listening skills peak and drop and the audience can be easily bored. Just as limits should be set for face-to-face meetings, Web conferences should stick to a schedule. "Somewhere between 60 and 90 minutes is the most you should expect to hold attendees' attention," offers Murray. "If there is too much content to present in this time frame, consider subsequent conferences. It is also important to have a clear agenda and stay on schedule."

Audience participation is a known way to engage lethargic employees with new material. "If the audience becomes bored, it will be easy for them to leave the presentation," says Murray. To keep them from losing interest, she suggests allowing the audience to interact with the presentation every five to 10 minutes. "Give them a polling question, encourage them to ask questions, show them interesting content. If possible, gather anecdotal information from the audience in advance that can be used to get them involved," she says.

"Conferencing, by nature, tends to be a monologue, which can quickly cause participants to lose interest," says Wadbrook. Open-ended questions throughout the presentation are necessary to bring the audience into the fold. In addition, Web conferencing brings with it unique features, like anonymous polling. A presenter might ask, "Have you cut technology spending by more than 50 percent this year?" and participants can click "yes" or "no" without revealing their identity. The answers are tallied and reported back to the presenter, allowing those answers to be addressed to meet the unique needs and interests of the audience. "This succeeds in both keeping the audience's attention and providing the presenter with feedback," Wadbrook says.

If the audience is reluctant to participate, Corso suggests going one step further. "Have someone in your office prepared to submit questions for a Q&A session to get the ball rolling and seed questions that you want to answer."

Although the Web world provides some key advantages to in-person lectures and meetings, distractions can still interrupt the message, making for ineffective communication. To minimize distractions, plan ahead. "Turn off the ringer on any other phone line in your vicinity," suggests Wadbrook. For participants preparing to take notes via a keyboard, which could be heard by others, they should be advised to turn on the mute button. The host may also be able to mute individual participant's lines if they become disruptive.

"During the call, always introduce yourself and where you are from before you start to speak," Wadbrook says. "If you must use a speakerphone, stand up and smile while you are talking to sound more energetic. Lastly, if you have call waiting, disable it before calling in. With most phone systems, you can do this by dialing *70." And he suggests one more thing – make sure everyone hangs up the phone at the end of the meeting.

All Wrapped Up

Even after the Web conference is over, the work is still not done. "It is essential to utilize post-conference evaluations and questionnaires at the end of the event," Murray says.

Corso agrees: "[Follow-up] can be anything from a simple e-mail thanking [the audience] for participating to a package reiterating the points you presented in the conference and a call to action."

A good conference provider will create an archive to track progress. "An archive can be accessed at any time following the conference," says Murray. "It is a great tool for those audience members who missed part of the conference or for those who couldn't attend at all. It's also an excellent opportunity to "rerun' the presentation for a new audience at a later date."

Even if the meeting goes smoothly and there is a positive response from the audience, the costs associated with a Web conference must be evaluated. Wadbrook cautions that "some outsourced providers can charge up to 39 cents per minute for each conference line." But generally conference calls are cheaper than travel.

And there's even more good news for the technologically savvy. The Yankee Group, a global communications and networking research and consulting group in Boston, estimates that typical enterprise users of audio and Web conferencing can save up to $7,000 a month and realize a positive ROI within seven months by using an in-house audio and Web conferencing system. Even if there are only a few Web meetings scheduled a month, the money saved can be significant. As a rule, Wadbrook says if the company is spending more than $1,000 a month in conferencing fees, in-house setup may be worth a look.

As computers get better with age, Web conferencing only stands to grow in popularity. The convenience of using online resources to conduct business can save time, money and headaches, but only if presenters become masters of their medium.

— Deven Kichline is the associate editor at RT Image. Questions and comments can be directed to dkichline@rt-image.com.