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As of March 2024 we have renamed Apexchat to Blazeo. We are excited to share the next part of our journey with our customers and partners.
The name ApexChat implies that we are primarily a chat company, which is no longer true. Now we have many offerings, such as call center services, AI, Appointment setting, SMS Enablement, Market Automation, and Sales acceleration (Q2 2024), that go beyond chat. The new name will not only allow us to convey the breadth of our offering but will also better convey our company’s mission and values.
Blazeo, which is derived from the word Blaze, evokes a sense of passion, speed, and energy. A “Blaze” is captivating, illuminates, and represents explosive growth. Blazeo encapsulates our mission to ignite such growth for our customers and partners by delivering innovation with passion, speed, and energy.
5 min read
Virtual consultations are quickly becoming the go-to channel for businesses shifting to remote offices.
These days, you’re just as likely to be communicating with someone in a different part of the country, (or a different part of the world) as you are with someone in a different department of your office.
Maximizing the efficiency of your online consultations can be a tricky task. What’s the best virtual tool to use? How do you plan your meetings to make sure everyone’s time isn’t wasted? All of these questions are valid.
The technology you introduce into the workplace should be able to streamline processes and make information more accessible for customers, teams, and team members.
At the time of writing this article, we are operating in a pandemic where many companies are having trouble meeting new customers in-person to close new business.
The truth of the matter is this: you need to adapt and adjust.
Virtual consultations play a pivotal role for many who rely on face-to-face interaction with prospects and customers to do business.
Yes, you read that right. Businesses who are proactive in setting up virtual consultations are thriving (relatively) during this time.
Credit: MarketSharp
While the overall number of leads has decreased since last year, these findings are still a strong indicator that virtual consultation demos are an effective way of converting potential leads for your business.
Let’s take a closer look at how COVID-19 has impacted leads and appointments in the last few months.
These two graphs showcase the key differences in lead volume and weekly appointments this year compared to last year at the same time frame. Specifically, we look at the first hit, when the crisis peaked, and when the consumer demand began improving (relatively) again.
While the severity of the virus on the global market in March was brutal, April is already beginning to see steady growth in a positive direction in both categories. There may be fewer overall leads during this time compared to last year, but the leads that are interested are as qualified as ever.
The businesses that are able to stay open, connect with clients, and provide their services, will be able to get a bigger market share of the leads since many businesses aren’t operational at this time.
There’s a few reasons why virtual meetings are an effective way of closing leads.
A majority of consults only require a computer or mobile device with an internet connection. This saves your business valuable time and resources in the long run.
You can also connect with potential clients on a personal level. Taking the initiative and offering a free demo/appointment shows you care about their business and want to help them be successful.
Finally, virtual consults offer a unique opportunity to showcase your personality in a safe and professional manner. With people being less eager to meet in person these days, virtual meetings can be their own form of face-to-face interaction with new and existing clients.
Are your competitors offering virtual meetings of their own? Incorporating virtual meetings can either set you apart from your competitors or put you back on the same playing field. Don’t get left behind!
Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of virtual meetings, let’s discuss which virtual meeting tools to consider for your business.
There are many different types of virtual consultation technology out there that makes running meetings a breeze. In fact, there are so many platforms that it can be hard to distinguish which is best for your business.
When choosing what remote meeting tools you want to use, ask yourself: What functionality do I need for this virtual meeting to be successful?
Ideally, you’ll find a platform that’s fast, easy, and collaborative for your team to interact with customers.
Whether it be sending messages to individuals, manage contacts, and start team video/audio calls, video conferencing has it all.
Softwares like GoToMeeting, Zoom Meetings & Chat, GoToWebinar, Samepage, and Google Hangouts Meet all provide sufficient conferencing capabilities.
The best video conferencing software typically provides a fast, easy, and reliable online meeting solution. Your team should be able to meet face to face, share presentations, and chat with others, in real-time from any device.
Screen sharing is a must for showcasing new projects, designs, and allowing team members to collaborate using their own devices. The added benefit of screen sharing is being able to see what others are viewing, which results in less confusion and more efficient processing.
We’ve found that platforms like Zoom Meetings & Chat, Cisco Webex Meetings, join.me, and Highfive are some of the easiest to use screen sharing platforms.
Presentations are an integral part of many businesses’ daily operations. Presenting in a virtual consultation requires you to be able to share your screen with other viewers in a secure fashion.
Platforms like Google Slides and PowerPoint are still the industry standard for presentations, but you can also use platforms like Canva, Visme, and FreePik to create visually appealing graphics to share during your consultations.
Incorporating consultations into your business is a surefire way to encourage prospective leads to get in contact with your business at this time. Virtual consultations allow you to connect with eager leads in convenient ways, all you need to do is provide the opportunity to connect.
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