Google Hangouts have been around for several years now but it’s just starting to get real momentum on people really using it and even figuring out what it even is.

If you’re one of those people asking “Google what?” That’s ok. There’s still a huge part of the population that doesn’t know what it is yet. The great part is right now you’re in luck. I’m going to explain it to you and how I’ve been using them in my business.

Essentially, Hangouts is a tool owned by Google which allows you to have video conferencing with people all over the world.

Simple enough, right.

But here’s how it’s different:

1. It’s cross platform VERY easily with PC, Mac, Android, IOS. I’ve even switched devices in the middle of a call before.

2. It’s on the fly, so instead of picking up the phone and talking to someone you can start a hangout. Sometimes that’s much better than just a call.

3. You can share your screen if you want. This part is huge for me as I can visually share how to do something.

4. You can do “Hangouts On Air” where your hangout is recorded for you and saved to YouTube.

5. You can have up to 10 people live and virtually unlimited people watching the Hangout.

So… I’m pretty happy so far.

But I’ve only “Really” been using them in the last two months and I can say it’s changing the way I do business very quickly and I’d challenge you to try a few of these things out as well.

First, it’s a great way to support clients. Especially if you’re like me where I share a lot of technology stuff. I can get on a call with someone and show them exactly what they need to do to fix their problem.

I’m starting to use it with coaching calls for my clients as well.

I already record the sessions I do with clients so I can give it to them after the call but Hangouts On Air does it automatically and I can then give them a private link to the final video on YouTube. No need for fancy video hosting or transferring of huge files.

I don’t even have to wait for the video to render on my computer. I just let YouTube take care of it while I’m off doing something else.

For someone who does support or coaching for clients, this is a huge game changer. It not only makes it easier to work with your clients while adding more value for them, but it saves time in the process.

Now, here’s where Hangouts have been the most valuable for me…

I like to do what I call “Virtual Coffee Dates” where I get on a call with someone and chat but we both grab our coffee first. The difference is instead of a phone call, I’ve used Skype or now Hangouts instead.

I’m finding that Hangouts are just awesome for this.

Nothing is better than being face to face with someone and this is the next best thing.

We can see each other. I like to see the person I’m talking to. I love to be able to see them laugh or give me a weird look when I tell a bad joke.

The best part is that unlike Skype, most of us already have Google products so it’s super easy to set up. They don’t have to install a different piece of software. Just a basic plugin for their browser (which most of us are already used to).

This alone has changed how I do business. It’s giving me the ability to have better conversations with the people I meet at events without the need to drive all over and for those around the globe, I’m only one click away.

I challenge you to check it out and see how you can use Hangouts in you business. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I didn’t even talk about using them for webinars, podcasts, streaming live events, mastermind groups, etc.

My “virtual Coffee Dates” alone makes them my new favorite tool!

Are you using Hangouts yet? If not, I’d suggest you give them a hard look. It might just change how you do business as well.

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