Archive for December, 2009

I Resolve to do more Web Conferencing

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Its that time of year again.  Everyone sets expectations for themselves in the new year.  Many of the resolutions we commit to we do not stick with and some we don’t even attempt.  Maybe this is the year to set some realistic goals for ourselves that will benefit us personally and also help in our own little way the world around us.  Why not resolve to do more web conferencing?  I am going to add it to my list.  Because I am as guilty as the next person.  It is easier to stick with the familiar than to try something new and if you have never conducted a web conference before it can be a little intimidating.  But the benefits to you and the world are real!

  • Save Time – A web conference can save you time on the front end by simply eliminating the need to travel to a meeting.  Even if the meeting is in the same building with people you work with you still have to get up off your seat and go to a meeting room.  You have to remember to bring all the materials you will need or you may need to return to your desk to get additional materials or reschedule another meeting so you can bring other things, etc.  You can instantly attend your meeting right from your desk and have all of your materials at your fingertips to share with everyone at the meeting if you do a web conference.
  • Save Money – The cost to travel to your meeting locally or at a great distance is saved if you do it from your desk using a web conference.  If you have to travel across the country all of the travel costs will be saved which can add up to thousands of dollars.
  • Increase Productivity – You will find that by doing a web conference you are better prepared for your meeting and can extend the discussion since you have access to everything you need.  You also will be able to work during the time you would otherwise have to travel.
  • Save the Environment – By using a web conference instead of travelling to a meeting you are being very eco-friendly.  Think of all the carbon emissions you are avoiding during the travel you have avoided.  And all of the participants in the web conference also have avoided all of the travel and associated emissions.

So, for your benefits and in a small part, all of mankind, it is time to resolve to do more web conferencing.  And unlike the resolutions you are unlikely to stick to you will find this one is easy to keep once you feel the benefits.

www.zipconferencing.com

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The Conference Call versus Travel Argument gets Stronger

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

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A Conference Call Service is a basic business need

Monday, December 21st, 2009

If you were to start a new business today you would put some thought into all the things you will need to outfit your business.  No matter what business you are in there are some basic things you will probably want like a copier, some envelopes, paper, business cards and so forth.  One thing you should definitely consider for outfitting your company is a conference call service.  Zip Conferencing, like many providers of conference call services does not charge you anything to sign up for their service and you are not charged anything unless you use the service.  It is just like putting a stapler in your drawer so you can pull it out when you need it.

A conference call service provides you a high quality, low cost way to communicate effectively with your prospects and employees.  Let’s face it, as a new business you have to be careful of cash flow.  You can’t really afford to fly around the country to meet with prospects and clients.  But you do need to meet with prospects if you want to sell anything, so what do you do?  A conference call service will allow you to meet with parties around the country without leaving your desk.  It is easy to see that you will save a lot of money if some of your meetings are done using a conference call service.  And from the prospective customer’s perspective, people are very used to being on a conference call or a web conference and it is more than acceptable to hold a meeting using a conference call service.  It is now standard business practice to hold a preliminary sale s call using a web conference.  And you can share everything you would share in an in person meeting using a very affordable platform that eliminates the need to travel.  In addition to the cost you will save by reducing the travel expeses you will also get a whole lot extra time to do things other than travel.  And with a new business time is a commodity you simply can’t get enough of.

So, if you are just starting out in business, a conference call service is an essential business tool you should hire for your company.  It is a basic tool that will definitely come in handy and you don’t want to have to find one when you do need it.  Hire one now and then it will be there when you need it.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Design your own Conference Call

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

Why settle with the way things are with your conference call?  Maybe you really don’t like the fact that there is a tone that plays every time someone joins or leaves your conference call.  Or maybe you don’t want the participants to be able to join the call unless the Moderator is present.  With most conference call service companies  you don’t really have a choice.  You get your conference call the way they are giving it to you and you either like it or you don’t.  Most conference call service companies set the features on the conference call one way and that is the way that all of their customer’s call are configured.  Well, that is not the way it has to be or should be.  With Zip Conferencing you can log into your own account and design the conference call the way you want it.

There are a number of features that can be set on a conference call.  Here is a run down of all of the conference call options that you can control with Zip Conferencing.

  • Entry/Exit tones – You have three options for tones when a participant joins the conference call.  You can have silence, a tone or their name announced.  Each of these options can be enabled for entry, exit or both.  So you can have a tone when they enter but silence when they leave and so forth.
  • Music on Hold – You can have participants listen to music until the Moderator joins the conference call.
  • Prompt Moderator for ID/code – The Moderator is prompted for their Client ID and pass code.  This is an additional layer of security on the conference call.
  • Prompt Moderator for Billing Code – This will enable you to track by billing code the activity of each Moderator.
  • Prompt participants for PIN – This is an additional code for entry into the conference call for additional security.
  • Abort Conference if no Moderaotr Joins – The conference call will be disconnected if the Moderaotr does not join the conference call.
  • End Conference when Moderator Exits – The conference call will be disconnected when the Moderator leaves the conference call.
  • Record Participants Name for Roll-Call – When a participant joins the conference call they will be prompted to record their name and then the names will be played for the Moderator as a Roll-Call.
  • Post Conference Report – At the end of each conference call an email with the usage detail from the conference call will be delivered.
  • Client Matter number – The system will record a Client Matter number to help with charge back billing clients at the end of the month.

As you can see, there are a variety of features that you can control with Zip Conferencing conference calls to enable you to design and customize your conference call the way that you like it.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Conference Calls in Sports

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

The ability to communicate with a widely dispersed audience quickly and easily using a conference call is helpful to many industries and the same principles of saving time and money benefit sports organizations both amateur and professionals alike.  I have had the privilege of providing conference call services to many of the major sports teams and organizations and many amateur organizations as well.  And although the content of their conference calls may be a little different the aim is the same, save time and money using conference calls.

Professional sports organizations have many applications for conference calls within their organizations.  Internally they have staff scattered over the entire country and sometimes the world.  The staff is focused on doing scouting missions for the organizations looking at the competition or looking for new talent.  A conference call allows the entire staff to get together on a regular basis to share successes and insight and make sure they are on the same page.  The teams are regularly on the road during the season so they also use conference calls to stay in touch with the staff travelling with the team.  Staff meetings can continue using a conference call even while the team is on the road.  Professional sports teams also have an obligation to communicate regularly with the press in their sport.  Many times a face to face meeting is not possible with all of the interested press people so they will do a conference call to make sure they are getting their news out to all of the news outlets interested.  And beyond the team itself, a conference call is used in many other capacities to aid in press communications.  One example is when players were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame we would provide the conference call for the player to talk to the press which was done many times from their residence immediately following their notification of their election.

Amateur sports have many of the same challenges as the professional organizations.  And many times the organizations are international in scope as they support their support in many countries.  Given the geography and certainly the budget of these organizations the only realistic solution for them to communicate is a conference call.  The leadership of the organization in the different countries will regular get together to discuss rule changes, tournaments and event planning for their sport.  These meetings can take place from anywhere at anytime using a conference call and saves the organization a lot of money compared to trying to hold an in-person meeting.

www.zipconferencing.com

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A Conference Call Service Provider should be Your Partner

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

I think that everyone is aware that conference calls can save you time and money.  It is easy to figure that holding a conference call is going to save you money if the alternative is flying to someone’s location to hold a meeting.  But what I think a lot of people miss are all of the options available with a good conference call service provider.  I know when I started in the teleconferencing industry in 1995 I had been on conference calls and just assumed that it was just a simple matter of getting a dial in access number and a pass code and holding your conference call.  Boy, was I wrong.  Most people have no idea of all of the options available for audio conferences and web conferences.  And that is why a good conference call service company should act as your partner and help you discover all of the options available so that you can customize the conference calls you hold to fit the needs of your company.

Even just a plain automated conference call can be customized with a number options.  For instance you can vary how and whether you are notified when a participant enters or exits your conference call.   With Zip Conferencing you can have a tone play, play the participants name or have no sound at all when they enter or exit the conference call.  And all three options can be enabled when entering, exiting or both.  Some people want to make sure that the conference call can not be used when the Moderator of the conference call is not present.  You can set the option to have the participants listen to music while they wait for the moderator to join the conference call.  This prevents participants from being able to use the conference call information to hold their own conference call.  Another measure to ensure that participants are only able to use the conference call when the participants are present is the ability to close the conference call when the Moderator exits the call.

There are also tracking features that some people like to keep tabs on what the call was about.  For instance, an attorney want to track the calls so that they can charge back their clients for the cost of the conference call.  You can enable a feature on the conference call that requires a Moderator to enter an accounting code at the start of the conference call.  An attorney would enter a Client Matter # and then they could track this back to the client at the end of the month.

All of these options and more are available, but most people don’t use them.  It is most likely because their conference call service provider has not taken the time to describe these option, listen to their business needs and suggest ways to best use the conference call service to fit their business needs.  That is where the conference call service provider can be an invaluable partner for your business.

www.zipconferencing.com

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Conference Calls for Non-Profits

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Working in the conference call service business as long as I have has exposed me to many businesses and industries.  And all of the businesses I have encountered and used my conference call services have benefited by saving time and money.  One of the areas which really benefits using conference calls to save both is a non-profit company.

Sure, there are non-profit organizations out there that have a lot of money and their CEOs make more money than most of us, but that is not the norm.  Most non-profit orgranizations have a very limited budget and need to squeeze every last penny from their budget in order to make ends meet.  But they also need to have meetings, solicit donations and so forth.  That is where the conference calls come in handy.  In fact, in some cases the non-profit organization doesn’t even have an office to hold an in person meeting if they wanted to.  A conference call is the only way to get their employees or volunteers together.  And it does so less expensively than any other method.

The non-profit organizations need to solicit money from donors and sometime they will hold a seminar for a number of potential donors at the same time.  They find that holding a conference call with multiple donors actually helps their overall success.  Getting their entire team of employees and volunteers on the same page is done more efficiently with a conference call.  And if they are a national organization, the ability to hold regular meetings with a widely dispersed team is easy to do and very cost effective using a conference call. 

The cost of the conference calls is very important to a non-profit organization as they can use the money for other means if they save money.  And being more productive by not travelling to a meeting and doing a conference call instead is also very helpful.  Just like any for profit company, a non-profit can take the money they save by doing conference calls and put it right on their bottom line.

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