Almost half of SMEs are planning to use video conferencing more frequently, with even more (59%) expecting to reduce business travel as a result, according to a survey.
More than half (54%) say they or their employees have travelled to unnecessary face-to-face meetings abroad.
Without regular face-to-face meetings, tools that enable people to build and maintain trusted relationships, save time and money, are key
Stefan Oberg, vice president of Skype for Business
If dramatic improvements in communication technologies have made holding business meetings with clients or partners in different countries more feasible, then there are also compelling reasons why businesses would want to cut down on overseas travel.
Weak pound
With many businesses still slashing costs to survive, cutting down on trips abroad is seen as an easy way to save a huge amount of money. The savings, made chiefly on flights and accommodation, are made all the greater by the weak pound.
Employing alternative technologies also saves a significant amount of time.
Conducting meetings through conference calls or video conferencing also helps businesses reduce their carbon footprint, assuaging not only their consciences but also giving them valuable PR ammunition.
Instant messaging is the most common substitute for physical meetings, according to the Skype-commissioned research, with two fifths (41%) citing it as their preferred tool, followed by internet phone (invariably Skype) (40%), teleconferencing (34%) and video conferencing (28%).
Nevertheless, despite the growing popularity of the latest technologies, older mediums are still seen as the most useful. More than two-thirds (65%) of small businesses believe that email remains the most effective way of communicating, followed by traditional phone calls (39%), with video calls and Skype (29%) only in fourth place.
Respondents were also quizzed on the downsides of remote communication, with 38% communicating outside of their local time zones as their biggest difficulty. Thirty six percent, meanwhile, feel the impersonal nature of long-distance communication makes it more difficult to build a relationship.
“With the obvious cuts in business travel, companies need to find new ways to communicate, collaborate and compete,” says Stefan Oberg, vice president of Skype for Business. “Without regular face-to-face meetings, tools that enable people to build and maintain trusted relationships, save time and money, and keeping companies ahead of the game, are key.
Almost one in 10 SMEs admit to making an amusing business etiquette or audio/video conference call faux pas with an international client, supplier or colleague – for example, getting caught singing when they thought they were on mute or inadvertently insulting international clients by using British slang.
Adds Oberg: “It’s no surprise that video-based communication is experiencing a meteoric rise. The only thing to watch out for are the simple faux pas most of us have heard of.
“Forgetting to mute your microphone or switch off your webcam when working from home in your pyjamas are common blunders we would all rather avoid.”
Nearly one in four (24%) UK small businesses communicate with international colleagues on a daily basis.
