From paper to computer, from computer to internet, from internet to the cloud. The way we work is changing rapidly and the next potential revolution is just around the corner: virtual reality. And this revolution will come faster than you think, because according to investment bank Goldman Sachs, the virtual and augmented reality market will be worth no less than 2025 billion dollars by 80. Just for comparison, that's about the same value as the current desktop computer market. To give you as a manager some practical examples of how to use this potential new revolution, we briefly explain how virtual reality can literally and figuratively turn your company upside down.
Virtual and meetings
From hearing to seeing. Thanks to videoconferencing via Skype or Google Hangouts, you no longer had to sit in traffic for an off-site meeting.
With the advent of virtual reality, a proverbial new door has opened, because meetings can now also be held in a virtual world.
Imagine it is raining cats and dogs outside—not exactly conducive to the atmosphere of the meeting. So why not hold the meeting in Central Park in New York, with the sun in the background?
With virtual reality, all of this becomes possible. In addition to the location, the method of communication is another advantage compared to videoconferencing.
A VR headset, such as the Oculus Rift, can also use sensors to measure body language and other non-verbal communication that you would normally miss during video conferencing.
Other future benefits of virtual reality include live captioning, which will eliminate language barriers and make conversation with someone from China much easier, or actually "touching" each other in the virtual world, so you can shake hands after closing a deal.
Training courses
The company Manus VR develops gloves for training applications, among other things.
They collaborate with the American aerospace agency NASA. NASA has been using virtual reality in training for years. As a result, astronauts already have the necessary 'experience' before they go into space to perform complex missions.
But it is not just NASA; the medical world is now also following suit with the use of virtual reality. For instance, VR headsets are being used as a treatment method for anxiety disorders, among other things. However, your employee does not need to be an astronaut or a doctor to take a training course via virtual reality.
Take customer service as an example; every company has one or more service representatives. In this department, virtual reality can be used effectively for training, where various customer contact scenarios are practiced to maintain a high service level.
Recruitment
It doesn't happen very often that you hire someone without ever having met them. Virtual reality can offer a solution to this in various ways.
To give an impression of your company, you can, for example, provide a virtual tour. This way, the applicant immediately discovers whether the company culture suits them, and you prevent a potential mismatch.
A good example of this is this video from the staffing agency YoungCapital. If we look a little further into the future, the job application could simply take place in a virtual world from now on.
This way you can meet each other virtually and a tour can take place immediately in your virtual business premises.
Research
With virtual reality, consumer research is also entering a new phase. In June last year, the Dutch company Consumatics launched the OSQAR app, the first research panel where people have to answer questions at home using a VR headset.
These questions concern the layout of various spaces, such as a shop, hotel room, office, waiting room, you name it. In this way, research is conducted into the experience, so that financially powerful decisions are made with greater consideration.
Sales
Suppose your customer is deeply torn between product A and B; wouldn't it be convenient if this customer could actually test the products in the virtual world? This is already happening in various sectors, such as in real estate, where potential buyers can walk around in their future home.
In addition to testing prototypes and showing an 'experience', virtual reality can also stimulate sales in another way. Consider a new way of review marketing, where the potential customer undergoes a virtual review of your current customers.
Currently, VR headsets are still on the pricey side, costing at least €500. But just like the first webcams, VR headsets will become cheaper, lighter, and more user-friendly. Do you think virtual reality is just a hype?
Or have you actually become curious about the possibilities of virtual reality in the meantime? Then watch the video below from Samsung about virtual reality and the business market.
