Archive for the ‘Conference Call’ Category
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
It would be very easy to offer a conference call price comparison if conference calling prices were like long distance calling. Long distance calling is all pretty much the same and priced the same. A long distance call simply connects you to another location and every company prices that connection on a per minute basis, or used to anyway. But the point is there is not a lot of difference in the service or price of the service. For a conference call price comparison you need to understand the differences in the services so you can understand the pricing. Only then can you do an apples to apples price comparison. Here are the main areas where you need to investigate a conference call service companies offer.
- Toll or Toll Free - One of the ways many conference call service companies offer a low rate is by providing a low rate for Toll Access to the conference call. The problem with this type of access is that you and your participants are incurring hidden charges in the form of long distance charges for connecting to this local or toll number which is not local to you. Especially if you are inviting customers to the call you do not want them to incur any toll charges to connect to your conference call.
- Flat Rate - Some conference call service companies offer a flat monthly rate for unlimited conference calls. There are two issues with this type of conference call access. The first is you are usually limited in the number of participants who can join the call. The second is you are going to access the conference call via a toll or local number and incur those long distance charges. Toll free access is like a long distance call and costs the conference call service company so you will not see it offered for a flat rate.
- Monthly Subscription Plans - Some conference call service companies offer a discount if you subscribe to a monthly plan. You should take advantage of these plans if you can but make sure to select a plan that fits your usage pattern and calculate the rate based on the minutes you will do for comparison purposes.
- Volume Discounts - Some conference call service companies offer a volume discount based on reaching a certain amount of volume. This is good, but make sure your price comparison is based on your usage pattern as many people do not generate as much conference call volume as they think.
The best way to do a conference call price comparison is to first determine what your usage is or is going to be and then boil down offers to a per minute rate. I would recommend you only use the toll free rate for comparison purposes as this is the way that most people will use the service. Conference call service companies offer a wide variety of features so you should also make sure they have the features you are looking for as well.
Tags: Conference Call, conference call price comparison, Conference Call Service, Conference Calling, Conference Calls
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Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
I have spent a lot of time talking about how to host an effective conference call. But what should you do if you are a participant? In order to have a godd conference call it takes a well prepared host and it also takes participants who know how to behave on a conference call. Here are a few tips if you are a participant on a conference call that will help you get the most out of the conference call.
- Be On Time - The first thing you can do as a participant is show up for the conference call on time. When you don’t show up on time you are showing a lack of consideration for the Host and the other participants alike. Because even if the Host starts the conference call on time wihtout you or not you are causing a delay and/or an interruption to the meeting. And you have to assume you were invited to the conference call because you are recognized as a valuable contributor to the conference call. Given that assumption you need to be on time to the meeting and ready to participate.
- Be Prepared - Hopefully the Host sent out an agenda for the conference call ahead of time. At the very least you should have an idea of what the conference call is meant to address and you have a responsibility to be prepared for the meeting. That could mean reviewing related documents or actually being prepared to present during the conference call.
- Mute Your Phone - This is not always necessary, but all participants should be aware that even if you are being quiet the other people on the conference call can hear you. Our conference call service equipment produces a very clear audio connection so even just the typing on your computer is easily picked up by the microphone on your phone and is transmitted across the conference call to all participants. It is always the best idea to simply mute your phone unless you are speaking. Most phones these days have a mute button and if not the conference call service should have a way to enter a command through the phone to mute your line.
- Identify Yourself - On a conference call there is no way for the Host or other participants to identify you unless you do it. The best practice is to state your name when you are going to speak so people know who is spoeaking.
- Participate - It is easy to get distracted on a conference cll because you are usually at your desk and still have access to computers, papers, etc. But you were invited to the meeting because your participation was deemed important and if you were in a face to face meeting you would not even consider answering emails while in the meeting. So on a conference call participate just like you would in a face to face meeting.
If you treat your participation on a conference call just like you would an in person meeting then your conference call participation will be a success.
www.zipconferencing.com
Tags: Address, Agenda, Ahead, Assumption, Conference Call Service, Contributor, Interruption, Lot, Microphone, Mute Button, Participant, Participants, People, Typing
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Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
If you are the organizer of a meeting, you are responsible for the meeting’s success. When the meeting is a conference call there are a few things you can do to make sure you have an effective meeting. Just like in a face to face meeting you need to establish control of the meeting right up front so that everyone knows you are in charge and what the ground rules are going to be. Here are some ways to take control of the conference call if you are the host.
- Be on Time - Especially as the Host of the conference call it is important that you are on time and that the participants know that the meeting will start on time. This is respectful of the time of your participants and you will find that over time you will get better participation if they know the conference call will start and end on time.
- Have an Agenda - Even if it is a skeletal outline of what is to be discussed, an agenda distributed ahead of the conference call will give the participants an opportunity to prepare for the meeting. Participants are much more likely to participate if they are comfortable with the material being discussed and are ready for the topics.
- Establish and Hold to a time frame - Make sure that you end the conference call on time. Many times participants have back to back meetings and ending on time or ahead of schedule will encourage ongoing participation on the conference call.
- Eliminate or reduce any noise - With so many conference call participants joining the conference call by using a cell phone these days it is almost impossible for someone to not introduce noise into the conference call. As a conference call Host you can mute all of the participants if there is no need for active participation in the beginning of your conference call and then open up all of the lines for discussion later in the conference call. This will eliminate the introduction of any noise into the conference call. Or you should make sure that participants know to mute themselves unless they are speaking in order to eliminate any introduction of noise into the conference call.
- Encourage orderly participation - Ask your participants to introduce themselves when they are speaking so that all of the participants on the conference call know who is speaking. And, as Host it is your job to act as gate keeper for who is speaking as well.
- Review the Action Items and Next Steps - At the end of the call you should review what was discussed, review any actions items and who is responsible for them and then make sure everyone knows when the next conference call is if necessary.
As Host of the conference call you can ensure your success by taking charge of your meetings.
www.zipconferencing.com
Tags: Agenda, Ahead, Cell Phone, Conference Call, Control, Effective Meeting, Hosting, Organizer, Participants, Participation, Skeletal Outline, Time Frame
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Thursday, January 7th, 2010
The big buzz word these days in the news is security, so I thought it might be appropriate to spend a little time to discuss conference call security. In general conference calls are pretty secure. It israther difficult to tap into a conference call from the conference call service provider side of things. The conference call equipment is located in a secure environment, its directly connected to carrier networks and each piece of conference call service equipment has thousands of participants on hundreds of calls. It would be pretty difficult to tap into a piece of conference call service equipment unless you are an operator for the conference call service company and listen in on a particular conference call. That having been said, there are some people who want to make sure that their conference call is secure so here are some options on making a conference call even more secure.
- Change the conference call passcode frequently - Many people use the same conference call pass code for all of their conference calls. Like any password you have it is good practice to regularly change the passcode so that it cannot be compromised.
- Add a PIN number to the conference call passcode - With some conference call service companies you can add an additional PIN number for each participant that requires them to input in order to join the conference call. This adds a layer of security and identifies them on the conference call.
- Lock the conference call - Most conference call service companies allow you to lock the conference call so that additional participants cannot enter the conference call after it is locked. This feature usually locks out any operators from the conference call service company as well.
- Monitor the conference call from your PC - Some conference call service companies provide a feature that allows you to monitor and control your conference call through a web interface on your PC. That way you can see the participants and make sure that only the participants you have invited are on the conference call.
- Roll Call - Whether using a PC interface or through the telephone you can usually automate a roll call with the participants on a conference call so that you know who is on the call.
- Music on Hold - If you are concerned about the participants being able to speak before the Moderator joins or use the conference call information without the Moderator you can make it so that the conference call will not start without the Moderator and keeps the participants on hold with music.
- End Conference when Moderator Exits - You can also configure a conference call so that when the Moderator exits the conference call ends and hangs up on the remaining participants. This will also prevent the participants from being able to hold a conference call without the Moderator.
Even with all of these options there is no guarantee of security as someone could tap into an individual phone line like any phone conversation, but these conference call security measures will prevent the majority of any security concerns on a conference call. All of these features are available with Zip Conferencing.
www.zipconferencing.com
Tags: Buzz Word, Call Security, Carrier Networks, Conference Call Service, Conference Call Service Provider, Control, Little Time, Participant, Participants, Pin Number, Tap, Web Interface
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Monday, December 28th, 2009
Certainly all meetings can’t be virtual. Sometimes you just have to get face to face with your customer, prospect or employee. A conference call does offer, however, a compelling alternative under any circumstances. It is easy to see where you can save money and increase your productivity using a conference call or web conference instead of travelling to the location and having a meeting. But now more than ever the conference call versus travelling argument is getting even stronger.
With the recent attempted terrorist attack on the flight landing in Detroit, the security at the airports has gotten tighter and the experience during the flight more uncomfortable. Now you have to arrive at the airport three or four hours before your flight because the line at security will be that much worse. And once you get on the plane the new regulations require you to remain in your seat in the final hour of the flight and even some of the entertainment options on the flights have been curtailed. You have to REALLY need to get where you are going and be ready to put up with the added inconveniences the new regulations will bring. And again, for some meetings there is no choice. You just have to be there in person no matter what. But I think this latest round of travel inconveniences will make more and more people look into alternatives like the conference call or a web conference because it is not just about the money anymore.
A conference call and a web conference can provide you all the tools you would have in a regular conference room setting without having to travel to the location. You can freely speak together on the conference call and share any documents, presentations and even a video feed with the people at the other end. All for a fraction of the cost of getting there in person and without any of the hassle. So the next time you are requested to attend a meeting in another city or country think of the alternatives and ask yourself if it is REALLY necessary to be there in person or will a conference call do the same thing.
www.zipconferencing.com
Tags: Airports, Alterna, Circumstances, Conference Call, Entertainment Options, Final Hour, Flights, Fraction, Hassle, Inconveniences, Landing In Detroit, Money, People, Productivity, Terrorist Attack, Tools, Travel, Travelling, Video Feed, Web Conference
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