Is it okay to turn your webcam off in the middle of a team call? That seems like a reasonable question, but it always seems to get people worked up. It should be a binary answer: yes or no. But the real answers are "sometimes," and "it depends." We all know the pros and cons of using webcams: The human brain is wired for visual communication. We crave seeing the other … [Read more...]
Five Reasons for Zoom Fatigue
Imagine being the people at Zoom. Eighteen months ago, few people had heard of you. Then the COVID lockdown begins and suddenly you’re the most popular new software in the world. Then, just as suddenly, you’re the cause of something called “Zoom fatigue” and people hate you. Hardly seems fair. But to remote workers around the world, it is very real. A report from Stanford … [Read more...]
How Web Meetings Are Like Renting a Car
You’ve been using Zoom (or Skype for Business, or WebEx—whatever) to host your web meetings for a while and you’ve managed to be reasonably proficient. Now your client wants you to use a different platform. How big a deal is that? It’s not as big a difference as you might think, and the analogy I always use is like renting a car at an airport. Stick with me. Most of us have … [Read more...]
How Remote Work Can Help Your Outside Sales Business
by Austin Stevenson The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every one of us, transforming both personal interactions and business transactions. Not only is it heart-wrenching to worry about the safety of friends and family, but it can be incredibly difficult to watch your business suffer for months on end. For sales teams, a shelter in place order presents its own set of unique … [Read more...]
Is Zoom Fatigue Real?
Forced to work from home? It’s not perfect, but hey, there’s always Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and any number of webcam apps to help you stay in touch with your teammates. Then, just when people start using these tools and getting used to them, we learn about “Zoom Fatigue.” This is a perfect example of why, as my mother said, we can’t have nice things. It feels like every time a … [Read more...]