Posts Tagged ‘Conference Calling Service’

Audio Conference Calling Services are Not all the Same

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

If you have been shopping for an audio conference calling service you may think that the only difference is price.  But there are actually some big differences between audio conference calling service companies.  And if you are not careful you may not get what you thought you were getting.  Here are some of the things you should think about when you are looking for audio conference calling services.

  • Quality – The most important aspect of a audio conference calling service is the quality.  What good is a cheap conference call service if you have static on the line or can’t even get your parties on the call?  The best conference call service companies have direct connections to the telecommunications network and use the latest in conference call equipment.  It is difficult, however, to know what companies do this.  Thankfully, there is one way to tell if the call quality is good.  Do a test call.  Any conference call company out there should be willing to give a trial to see if the quality is good before you hire them.  Zip Conferencing uses direct digital connections and the latest equipment and also offers a free trial of its service to prove the quality of the conference calls.
  • Reliability- Some of the reliability of an audio conference calling service is the telecommunications connection and quality of the equipment used.  But one major area that matters is power availability.  Without back up power the network and equipment will not work.  So a conference call service company should have adequate back up power systems that can run indefinitely to support their systems.  Another thing that can be done is having back up conference call equipment available in case of a failure.  Many companies do not take this step because it is costly to have back up systems sitting around.  Zip Conferencing has taken every step possible including back up systems on standby to insure our audio conference calling services are available.
  • Features – If you look closely you will see that the features offered by conference call companies are not the same.  If you hire a full feature service you will never miss some of the features that enhance your conference call experience.  Zip Conferencing is a full feature provider that also offers some capabilities like customizable conference calls that other companies do not offer.
  • Support- Another area that some conference call companies will shortcut is in the area of support.  Some companies only offer support during certain times of the day or by email only.  Zip Conferencing offers support 24/7/365 and will even provide support on your conference call if you like to assist with features or issues.

So look closely and you will see  that all audio conference calling services are not the same.

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Flexible Audio Conference Calling Services are Better

Friday, October 21st, 2011

There is a reason that everyone doesn’t drive the same car and audio conference calling services are no different.  Different people like different options, colors and equipment no matter what you are talking about.  So why do so many people put up with the same audio conference calling service options?  Even in the same company why would the President of the company want to have the same options for their audio conference calling services as everyone else in the company?  With Zip Conferencing we allow you to customize the options within your audio conference calling so it is just the way you like it.  Here are some of the audio conference calling options that you can control with Zip Conferencing.

  • Entry and Exit Tones – One of the main things people like to alter with our audio conference calling services are the entry and exit tones in the conference call.  With most conference call service providers you either get entry and exit tones, which are the tones that sound when participants enter and exit the conference call, or you do not.  With Zip Conferencing you decide if you want a tone to sound when a participant joins the conference call or when they exit.  You can also have their name announced when they enter the conference call.
  • Music on Hold – With our audio conference calling services you can allow participants to speak to each other before the Moderator or Host of the conference call joins or you can make it so the participants listen to music on hold until the Host joins the call. 
  • PIN number entry – For additional security with our audio conference calling services you can require participants to enter a PIN, Personal Identification Number, when they join the conference call.  This will also identify for you who has joined the call.
  • Record Name/Roll Call – As Host of the conference call you can require participants to record their name when they join the conference call.  As Host of the call you can then listen to a roll call of participants when you join the call or have their names announced when they enter and exit the conference call. 
  • End conference when Moderator exits – As a Host of our audio conference calling services you are also in control of when the conference call ends.  You can let the participants keep talking, enter a command on your phone to end the call or set the call up ahead of time to end when you exit the call.
  • Post Conference Report – As host of the conference call you can also get a post conference report that shows the detail of the call via email.  On the report you will see the participants, the number they dialed in from and the duration they were on the call as well as the total duration of the conference call.

In addition to the options listed here, as a Host, you also have commands you can access while on a conference call.  You can mute lines, control volume and even record the conference call by using touch tone commands on your telephone.  So why settle for whatever the conference call provider wants to give you when flexible conference calling services are so much better.

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What is the difference in Conference Calling Providers?

Friday, June 24th, 2011

If you are shopping for a conference calling provider it can be pretty maddening on trying to tell the difference in the services.  Some of that is created by the conference calling providers themselves.  When I look at some of the ads that are used to attract new customers and then look into the actual offers it is easy to understand how people can get confused.  Here are some of the things you should look for when shopping for a conference calling provider.

  • Quality and Reliability – It is funny, but when I talk to customers I rarely get asked about the quality of the conference call service.  Maybe conference calling has really become a commodity in customer’s eyes and they simply assume that the service will work no matter which conference calling service provider they choose.  Having been in the teleconferencing industry for over 16 years I have intimate knowledge of what goes into making sure that there is quality and reliability in a conference call service.  And I can tell you that not every service is the same in respect to quality and reliability.  It takes a real commitment on the part of ownership to make sure you do everything to insure the service is available and ready when people need it to be.  At Zip Conferencing we have done everything possible to make sure we are delivering the highest quality and reliability available.  After all, isn’t this the most important aspect of the conference calling service?
  • Toll Free Service- When you look at many of the advertisements of the conference calling service providers out there you will see some pretty low rates and even “free” conference calling services.  The last thing you want is to have your participants paying hidden charges to attend your conference call.  Imagine inviting prospects to your presentation only to have them paying to get there.  It certainly takes something away from your presentation.  Nothing beats the convenience and peace of mind that toll free conference call services can provide.  And at the low rates they are available today why would you want to do anything else?
  • Features- You may not use every conference calling feature that is out there because there are many.  But there is also no reason to try to save money by signing up with a service that has only limited features available.  Zip Conferencing is a conference calling provider that offers low rates with a full featured service.  Many of the features simply make your life easier before and during your conference call and some are essential conference call tools.  Why not have them and a great rate too?
  • Support – Hopefully a conference calling provider service will not require a whole lot of support because it works and is easily understandable.  But if you should need support, especially when you are in the middle of an important conference call, wouldn’t you want it to be there?  Zip Conferencing is a conference calling provider that has support available 24/7 and can even join your conference call for assistance if necessary.  You may never need it but isn’t it nice to know it is there if you do?

Conference calling services are an important communications piece of your business.  Make sure you look closely under the hood before you buy and get a service you will be happy with for years to come.

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A Conference Calling Service Pays for Itself

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

I think what has been lost in the sea of various rates and services you can get from all the conference calling service companies out there is the value that the conference call service brings to your business.  Even at the rates that conference calls were being sold in the early 1990′s a conference calling service easily pays for itself.  But a conference call has become so integrated into the fabric of businesses these days it has simply been expected as part of any businesses communications strategy and the benefits are often overlooked and taken for granted.  A conference calling service provides two main benefits, they save time and money.

  • A Conference Calling Service Saves Time- Think of all the time that is wasted if you have to leave your desk and travel to a meeting.  The meeting could be down the hall, around the corner or around the world.  The longer the travel the more time you waste just getting to and from the meeting.  And even with today’s communication environment there are going to be times during that travel period that you are simply unavailable and can’t work on anything because you are travelling.  And once you get to the meeting there is a lot of wasted time as people do the meet and greet process and everyone waits for the host of the meeting to get things together and so forth.  I know people who have travelled across the country to attend a one hour meeting.  And like everyone I agree with and endorse face to face meetings for certain situations but a conference calling service can save countless hours.  And the saved time naturally translates into increased productivity since you can attend a conference call without leaving your own desk.
  • A Conference Calling Service Saves Money- It really doesn’t matter what you pay per minute cost for a conference calling service because if you analyze it against an in person meeting you will see that a conference call will save you money every time.  The cost of travelling to the meeting is the first place you save.  There are also the costs of the meeting itself.  If you are meeting in person the host many times will feel compelled to provide refreshments for the participants and may even have to rent a room to stage the meeting.  And if you have travelled a great distance you have the cost of local accommodations in addition to the travel cost itself.  There just isn’t a less expensive or more convenient way to hold a meeting.  And if you choose a high quality provider like Zip Conferencing you will be able to conduct your meeting just like you were in the room together without any loss in fidelity and pay a great deal less than many other providers in the market today.

No matter what your circumstance you will quickly realize that a conference calling service pays for itself.

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Managing Large Conference Calls

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

There was a time when you would not even think about running an automated conference call for 20 or more participants.  If you were going to run a conference call of that size you would run the conference call with the assistance of an operator.  And even today, an Operator Assisted call might be the right conference call solution depending on your application, but the conference call technology has gotten to where running a large automated conference call is manageable if you know a few tricks.

The main problem with running a large conference call is the noise the audience can introduce during the call.  It is bad enough when there are just 4 or 5 participants and one of them introduces noise because they are on a cell phone, rustling papers on their desk, talking to people in their room, etc.  Just imagine having 100 people on the call.  The odds that someone is going to make noise during the conference call are pretty good.  In fact, virtually certain.  So, what can you do to hold an orderly conference call with a large audience?  Here are a few tips to make for a successful large conference call.

  • Turn Off any Tones –  Most conference call service companies provide tones on the conference clal so you know when a participant joins the call.  This is fine when you have 5 people on the conference call, but can be more than a distraction when there are 20 or more.
  • Mute All – The conference calling service should provide  a way to mute all participants as the Moderator of the conference call. 
  • Use an online interface if offered – Some conference call service companies offer an online conference call interface that allows you to see the callers and control the audio portion of the conference call.  This can be very helpful, especially if you intend to open up to questions from the audience.  That way you can see the callers and manage the call easier.
  • Use Web Conferencing – In addition to enhancing your conference call with visual presentations, a web conference can allow you to manage a Q&A session better than just using an audio conference.  With a Web Conference you are giving your participants a way to raise their hand for questions and a way for you to open up an individual line to allow them to ask their question.
  • Practice – The best thing you can do to insure your success with a large conference call is to run a practice session to make sure you are familiiar with all of the conference call controls and how to use them.

If you follow these tips you can run a large conference call successfully without the need to use an expensive Operator Assisted Conference Call.

www.zipconferencing.com

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