YNOT – All right, I admit it: I’m a Skype newbie. I resisted using the voice-over-internet-protocol application forever because, honestly, I’m way too plugged-in for my own good most of the time.
However, once the YNOT Desperados insisted I finally “Skype-up,” I discovered a tool that is more useful more often than any three others put together. Now I wonder how I ever did without it.
According to Skype’s internal statistics, the product boasts nearly 600 million registered users worldwide, up to 23 million of whom are online at once during peak hours. Compare that to Facebook’s 500 million active users, about half of whom the company says log in daily.
Imagine having that kind of global reach at your fingertips, and the basic — and most universally useful — features are free. Skype’s free version allows users to make free VoIP voice or video-and-voice calls anywhere in the world at any hour, host and attend conference calls, send files and communicate via instant text message, among other things.
As a business tool, Skype quickly becomes indispensible. In fact, more than one-third of Skype’s registered users employ the tool primarily for business communication.
Here are five tips for getting the most out of Skype for your business.
[LIST=1]
Conference calls: The YNOT Desperados would be lost without this feature, and we’re not alone. With more companies daily relying on so-called “distance workers” and virtual staff, staying in touch by voice is essential for esprit de corps. Skype makes initiating a conference call one-click easy, as long as everyone has the free desktop application installed on a PC or Mac equipped with a microphone. Plus, imagine the flexibility you’ll enjoy when you’re able to connect with clients scattered in different parts of the globe at the same time.
Call forwarding: Once you become accustomed to using Skype, you won’t want to be without it. Although call forwarding is not a free service, it’s worth the nominal cost to have your Skype contacts follow you to your cell phone or landline even if your computer is turned off. Users who employ the Android, iPhone or BlackBerry Skype apps (available to Verizon Wireless customers only, at present) will love the call-forwarding service, too, because it’s much less resource-intensive than the mobile apps. Plus, call-forwarding keeps your mobile number private.
Screen sharing: Skype enables one caller to share his screen with the others on the virtual line. The feature makes document collaboration and virtual presentations über-convenient. Desktop sharing is easy, too. Simply right-click the interface during a video call, then click “Share Your Screen” on a PC or “Share Screen” on a Mac.
Skype Extras: Hundreds and hundreds of plug-ins extend Skype in all sorts of directions. Some are free; others require a small licensing fee. Categories include games, icons, business applications, remote access, collaboration, productivity and community. Check out Pamela, a freeware call recorder that also includes voicemail and Outlook integration.
Skype buttons: Want to use Skype for customer service without spreading personal details all over the web? Install a handy Skype button on your website. Skype hands you the code, you insert it into your website’s HTML, and customers simply click the button on a webpage to connect directly with your business or personal Skype line. They never need to know your Skype username.
[/LIST]
