We’re still feeling the effects of the global pandemic, and whilst most things are getting back to normal, conditions in the workplace are still easing in. For many, they haven’t even gone back to work, or are still working from home. Around 68% of our followers and clients are still working from home, with 25% back at work, and 7% occasionally doing both. However, if the lockdown has taught us anything, it is that working from home for so many companies is totally doable, and many people won’t be going back to work properly until next year. There are many trends that have come out of this, ones many businesses would not have even considered before. As many start to head back to the office, here are some things that we think will still be around and relevant even after the easing of the lockdown restrictions.
It’s obvious to see one of the main trends seen during lockdown is a huge increase in the numbers of people working from home. So how has this changed communication? Well it’s brutally obvious isn’t it? It’s an increase in use of video conferencing. Now that tool was always there before, it was always available to us, but actually it’s been an absolutely brilliant tool for companies to connect with their clients and wider networks. So instead of picking up the phone which many would ordinarily do or go and see them, the going to see them option has obviously be removed so the next best thing is video conferencing. Working from home has given people a brilliant work/life balance so it’s here to stay definitely. This increases productivity and increased staff morale. You can pull everyone together in one call and it’s a quick and simple method of connecting with people.
The second big trend is the digitisation of systems and processes. So companies may have a CRM system that they’ve never plugged in. Invoicing has all gone digital. Things like health and safety communication material are being looked at to be put into video formats and animation. It’s just a way of bringing everything into the modern age and making it a lot easier to access and used by all staff and contractors.
Selling is a huge part for us all. Every single organisation has to sell. For those companies that have a big sales team or Telesales people, the way in which they have to sell is going to change. There’s going to be a lot less business and trouble in getting in front of the customer so organisations are going to have to think of new, engaging and catchy ways to get their material, their products and services in front of their customers to grab their attention, for example media and an interactive format like 360 degree video. This is ideal for things like virtual tours or incorporating virtual reality into your sales. Companies are also going to be looking at virtual exhibitions. This is a new big trend for this year. The exhibitions and trade shows that were cancelled due to the lockdown mean digitisation of these events will become a common trend. The benefit of this is again that there’s no need to travel. It’s safe and people can spend an hour or two actually going around the exhibition virtually, and getting as much information as they want and also making those connections on a different platform. As a result companies are going to have to try and stand out from the competition, so they need to grab the audience’s attention. The best way to do that is to have interactive brochures, PDFs on their stand and the use of video media. It might be the use of VR technology or 360-degree video technology to get that immersive experience to try and make it feel like they’re actually there.
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