Managing long-distance client relationships with video calling

Managing long-distance relationships can be hard whether personal or professional. Luckily tech has swooped in and saved the day (woo tech!). With modern day meeting solutions such as video conferencing, you can have a chat with your clients wherever they may be. We’ve said it before, and you bet we’ll say it again! Video meetings are the closest you can get to being face-to-face without being face-to-face. Nevertheless, there is still a certain decorum that comes with video meetings just like a real-world meeting. You’re in for a treat with our top tips on how to best manage long-distance client relationships with video calling.

There’s beauty in video

No, we’re not just referring to having your lovely face on camera. We’re talking about how video meetings foster greater client relations than a simple email or phone call. Everyone likes to put a face to a name, something that’s simply not possible when you’re all gathered around a spider phone (those funny looking ones in meeting rooms – yup, they have a name). This is particularly important if you’re in the early stages of a relationship with a client, you want to put a face to a name ASAP, helping you form a trusting and beneficial relationship.

Sure, this can be achieved over the phone, but it’s more instantaneous with video calls. You’re humanising the conversation, all your quirky charms and quips that may fall flat over the phone are suddenly an instant hit (we hope!). Forbes found that over half of all message interpretation comes from body language and facial expressions[1] proving how much value video can bring to your client meetings. So, use video to get off on the right foot, and spend less time worrying about ‘did that come across as rude?’ or ‘did they get that joke?’ over email or phone (you get the point).

Insightful interactions

A sure-fire way to damage client relations is by wasting their time. Recent (slightly worrying) statistics showed that 37% of meetings are considered by employees to be unproductive, 91% of employees have daydreamed during a meeting (easily done, tbf) and 47% complained that meetings are the number one timewaster at the workplace[2]. Where are we going with this you may be thinking? Well, we are stating this as proof that you want to make your meetings as engaging and productive as possible by adding video.

Just because we say video improves productivity doesn’t make it so, so here’s some proof. Our 2019 survey looking at UK and US attitudes surrounding video meetings found that 50% of UK and 55% of US respondents said that using webcams increases engagement. Our 2019 flexible working survey found further proof bigging up video. 64% of respondents believed video allowed them to stay more focused in online meetings. Remember, it’s harder to hide on video, people can literally see that you’re multitasking because they are watching you hammer at your keyboard. When you’re on video you are much more likely to give your full attention and spend less time playing catch up.

Freedom in flexibility

Video calls makes distance less of a factor – very important with the rise of remote and flexible working. Back to our 2019 flexible working survey. 81% of people believe flexible working would make a job more attractive to them and 79% of people believe flexible working would make them more productive. Adopting video conferencing is an easy way to show that you believe in the benefits of flexible working. Your clients don’t have to trek into your office for that all-important meeting and you can check in more frequently, so everyone is up to date with the latest shenanigans (win, win).

Every client is unique, and some might insist on face-to-face meetings. Or you may have clients on the other side of the world, where face-to-face simply isn’t viable. Either way, by adopting a video conferencing solution, you are one step closer to being prepared to meet all your client’s needs, giving them the freedom to interact with you how they best see fit.

They lived happily ever after

You and your clients that is. If you take full advantage of video and use it in an effective and efficient manner your client relations will go from strength to strength. Interacting with your clients using video displays the value you place on the relationship. We hope you find these tips useful and that we have illustrated how video can be utilised to both manage and bolster client relationships. Yours faithfully, PowWowNow.

[1] https://www.techshout.com/internet/2019/18/improving-client-relationships-with-video-conferencing-solutions/

[2] https://www.cleverism.com/time-spent-in-meetings/