Boo! 4 Ways to Take the Fear Out of VoIP Phones and Cloud Communications Technology

Halloween is right around the corner. Between the creepy costumes, haunted houses, and horror movie marathons on TV, you'll have plenty of opportunities to scare or be scared. However, as any IT decision-maker knows, no ghost, ghoul, or chainsaw-wielding serial killer is as terrifying as change.

So, how do you introduce new technology such as VoIP phones and other cloud communication tools without scaring your team? Change doesn't have to be a nightmare, or even a headache. Try the following four strategies to take the fear out of digital transformation and ensure your team gets the best phone service in the process:

1. Fight Fear with Facts

Sure, change can instill fear. So, start by making the business case for the transition to your employees. If you really don't think this requires an explanation, think back to when you were a kid and your parents said: "Because I said so." Didn't that make every defiant bone in your body ache to do the opposite? That desire was tempered only by your fear of getting in trouble if you disobeyed — which you sometimes did anyway.

Fear is an effective motivator in the short term, but information is far more empowering — and more likely to yield sustainable change.

Instead of implementing new technology and telling everyone to get on board, convince them why it's in their best interest to do so. Explain how the new solution will help the business be more successful and improve the customer experience. More importantly, explain what's in it for them. How will it make them more productive, contribute to their professional development, and allow for greater work-life flexibility by enabling greater mobility?

Or, you can go ahead and scare the pants off them, but you'll also suffer the mayhem that follows — and worse yet, your customers will, too.

2. Fight Fear with Familiarity

Despite the current trends toward gore in modern horror films, great scary-movie makers have always understood that what you can't see is more frightening than what you can. This is also true in life and at work. The human brain is hardwired to fear the unknown and to react to that fear by either fighting or fleeing.

The good news is that cloud communications technology is generally very intuitive — not unlike the cloud-based tools employees already use in their personal lives. For all intents and purposes, VoIP phone service works like any other business phone service, except you can also take your office line with you and never miss a call. Even advanced cloud communications platforms that incorporate voice, video, messaging, and conferencing are designed to make the user experience as seamless as possible.

You probably know all this, but your employees might not — at least not until they try it. That's why most technology and communications providers offer training programs and built-in tutorials your team can leverage to familiarize themselves with the technology and learn how to use it well. Otherwise, they'll feel like they're being tossed into the deep end when you roll out a new solution. That sort of panic isn't good for morale or productivity.

In many ways, VoIP phone service works like any other business phone service, except you can also take your office line with you and never miss a call.

3. Fight Fear with Friends

In frightful situations, it's always safer to travel in packs, since it's the lone wolf that gets picked off first.

When introducing new technology, engage a few internal champions. Once you get them on board, they can help you get everyone else on board. Consider who on your team has the most influence with others and who gets most excited about new technology. Put in movie terms, the popular kid and the school nerd could be your best allies in the fight against fear. Oh, and don't forget the principal and vice principals. If the C-suite doesn't seem excited about the change, it will be harder to get your team feeling enthusiastic about it.

4. Fight Fear with Foresight

Most people dislike, and even fear, change. This isn't news. There's a good reason people prefer to stay in their comfort zones. When you spend time and effort learning something — whether a job, relationship, or business technology solution — you get good at doing it and become comfortable with it. Throwing it away and starting from scratch feels unnecessary at best and terrifying at worst.

Change doesn't have to be scary for you, your IT staff, or your other employees. Nor does it have to disrupt day-to-day business. Get your team on board by getting everyone excited about what the best phone service can do for them. Then, get them up to speed by getting them the training they need.

Do you want to learn more about cloud communications solutions that won't scare your team? Speak to a Vonage Business representative.