Random Chat
While it seems odd to the older generations, Random Chatting & Video Chat is growing fast, is popular, and is part of the youngest generations Tools.
Random chat or chatting with strangers in truth is not so different.
You just need to know you are not seeing who you talk to.
Its still a great way to grow your social circle.
It is also used as a soft version of the ever popular Dating.
Chat with Strangers Dating
Chatting with Strangers is like pre-filtering people for Dating.
Who wants to go on a date and meet someone they are instantly not liking ?
Chatting first gives the opportunity to ensure you like each other.
At the very least enough to go on a date.
Nobody has time these days to go on 6 first dates to find just one person they feel is compatible enough out of the gate to consider.
Chatting online before meeting someone is also a great way to get to know the person better.
People will tell you more about themselves over the course of 2 months chatting than 2 weeks dating.
Use this time wisely and ask good questions.
You will be surprised at some peoples responses.
Use this time to filter out the people who are not compatible with you.
How long should you Video Chat with someone before you meet ?
No sooner than 3 weeks as a general Rule.
Why 3 weeks ?
The gold in in the details.
Someone looking to take advantage of you will push harder than the 3 week window.
This gives you time to ask many questions.
Many questions many different ways.
Do the answers match ?
No ? That is a problem !
How to setup an in person meet safely
Personal Safety is always a concern when meeting who is essentially a stranger.
Even someone you have talked and chatted with for months is still a big unknown.
Think Safety first.
Meet in a public place.
Absolutely tell at least one person who you are going to meet and when.
Arrange to check in with a friend at specific times.
Make sure you friend knows to sound the alarm if you cannot be reached.
Emergency Backup Plan
Always plan for the worst to happen and you will end up far safer.
Get a friend that you can setup an emergency word or action with.
For example if you send ANY text it tells your friend you are in trouble and to come help get you out of the situation.
This means pre-planning that they know where you will be and can come help.
Phone Tracking
Its always a good idea to have tracking software on your phone and this friend should have access to it.
If things go seriously sideways they can get police involved quickly and can show where you are.
Even with Phone tracking the problem is that you can only track it until something goes sideways.
At least only until then reliably.
For all you know the phone was thrown into a bus or boat.
How to better protect yourself
There are more things you can do to be safe.
- Make sure people know where you went.
- Have a friend nearby that you will meet at a specified time. That way if you don’t arrive they can call for help super fast.
- Meet in daytime when its harder to do anything.
- Meet in a very public place.
Meet with Friends first
Why use Video Chat at all ?
Video chat is very close to having a face to face meeting.
Face to Face interactions give everyone audio and more importantly visual cues.
These visual cues add a lot of depth top the conversation.
We pickup how the other person feels.
How they feel about what we are saying and others are saying.
We also pickup how confident they are in what they are talking about.
Use what you see
Visual ques will tell you a lot about the person you are talking to.
How relaxed are they?
How is the cadence of their speech, are they nervous ?
Confidence and calmness tend to be characteristics of someone who is not lying.
Mobile Devices and Video Chat
We now have generations who grew up with Mobile devices and internet access from day one.
Gone are the days when people get their News from TV.
No longer do people feel they need to ‘Have Lunch’ in order to talk.
Most of the younger generations simply flip to a Video chat APP and talk with friends and Family.
Effective Video Meeting
Steps to holding an Effective Video Chat Meeting.
Responding to visual clues is an important part of a business meeting.
It is helpful to see people’s faces when you are presenting an opinion or an idea.
You can see if they agree with you or whether you might be better off to change directions or stop altogether.
Visual Signals
You can use pre-arranged visual signal can be used to let all participants know that a member is waiting for a chance to speak.
You can ask for a show of hands to help the group make a decision.
It is also easy to tell if everyone is paying attention to the conference call.
With no video, participants could be doing almost anything and the others involved in the call would never know.
Unfortunately, this can create a lack of focus on the meeting, and therefore make it less effective.
Adding video ensures that participants are fully present and engaged in the process.
Including video in your conference calls can help participants understand the conversation better.
Visual Aids
Hand-drawn diagrams can be held up to the camera to illustrate a point & add visual clues to a verbal explanation.
You can show Samples of products, their uses demonstrated, and even be disassembled to show construction methods and materials.
The saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is certainly true.
It is not possible to describe an item to ten others using only a verbal explanation.
Ask all ten people who heard the description to draw the item, chances are no two drawings will be alike.
It’s an entirely different story if they have all seen the item.
Video allows conference callers to all have the same experience.
Video Conferences allows all participants to leave with the same information.
Meeting Planning
The ability to share visual material on the spur of the moment enhances the effectiveness of the meeting overall.
A well planned conference call has all necessary visual material distributed prior to the beginning of the call.
If something new comes up and new material is needed video is an invaluable tool.
You can use Video to distribute materials visually and physically later if necessary.
This allows for a degree of spontaneity that cannot exist in verbal-only conference calls.
Best Parts of a Video Chat Meeting
In short, a conference call that includes video is altogether a richer and more
It is also a far more satisfying experience.
A Video Chat Meeting is a more efficient use of time than verbal calls.
It allows for more effective information sharing as well as team building and clear communication.
Read our Main Article on Conference Calls to understand your options and limitations.
