Posts Tagged ‘Desk’
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
Over the years the number of conference calls being held has exploded. It is not hard to imagine why since conference calling saves a company money and time. But can there be such a thing as too many conference calls?
Let’s face it. If you work for a company that has integrated conference calls into their culture then you have had those days. Days where you are jumping from one conference call to another with little break in between. Such is the nature of conference calling. You can simply sit at your desk and attend meeting after meeting without leaving your desk. A conference call saves you the travel time, even if it is down the hall to a conference room, so you can schedule an audio conference back to back with another audio conference and stay on schedule. One of the reasons companies have adopted conference calls is because they are increasing your productivity without you realizing it. You can attend more meetings in a day if they are via a conference call and you are saving any travel expenses as well. But for you the increase in productivity translates into more work. Not only can’t you get anything done while you are in a meeting whether it is a conference call or in person meeting, but inevitably you get more work to do while in the meeting as well.
So maybe conference calls are too convenient and too easy to use and too inexpensive because if you are on too many conference calls you can’t get anything done. So even though you have saved all this travel time you now are so loaded with work to do and no time to do it you are struggling and tomorrow there is another slate of conference calls to attend. Even as a conference call service provider I have to admit that you can have too many conference calls. But let’s face it. A conference call is easier to deal with than an in person meeting and after all you just need to say no. Time management is something everyone can improve on and using your time wisely is all about using all your time as effectively as possible. And without conference calls time spent travelling to meetings would be completely wasted. Conference calls are great, just try to tone it down a bit.
Tags: Company Money, Conference Call, Conference Call Service, Conference Call Service Provider, Conference Calling, Conference Calls, Culture, Desk, Face, Imagine, Little Break, Nature, Productivity, Slate, Time Management, Travel Expenses, Travel Time
Posted in Conference Calls | No Comments »
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
Tags: Audience, Audio Portion, Call Interface, Cell Phone, Conference Call Service, Conference Calling Service, Desk, Distraction, Odds, Operator Assisted Call, Participant, Participants, People, Running, Technology, Visual Presentations, Web Conferencing
Posted in Conference Calls | No Comments »
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
Tags: Additional Materials, Carbon Emissions, Desk, Fingertips, Great Distance, Increase Productivity, Meeting Room, New Year, Realistic Goals, Resolutions, Thousands Of Dollars, Time Of Year, Travel Costs, Travelling, Web Conference, Web Conferencing, Web Money
Posted in Web Conferencing | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
I get asked all the time, “How is the conference call business doing?” and I always answer “Great! Because in the 14+ years I have been in the industry there has always been a good reason why more and more businesses are adopting conference calls. And in a tough economy there is all the more reason for businesses to be doing conference calls.
Let’s look at the recent events and see why the conference call service business continues to grow while other businesses are shrinking. The first thing that has hit many businesses is the reduction in force that they have taken to combat the reduction in business. In many cases the reduction in the numbers of personnel to run their business was not in direct relation to the reduction in business they felt. So, one of the things these businesses are facing is trying to do more business with fewer employees. This artificial need to increase productivity is a reality that the employees that are left to run the business have to face whether they like it or not. Conference calls are an easy way to help improve the productivity of your employees. When someone does a conference call it is usually in lieu of an in person meeting. And whether you would normally be meeting across town or across the country, the conference call eliminates the time you would spend to get to the meeting and return to work. In fact you don’t even have to leave your desk to attend a conference call so you have more time to do work thus increasing your productivity.
The next priority for businesses is reducing expenses so that they can remain profitable during times when sales may be lower than normal. And one of the big areas targeted for reducing expenses is the travel budget. So businesses are looking for ways to continue to meet with other employees, customers and prospects without having to travel to their location. A conference call provides an easy way to eliminate the travel expense without eliminating the meeting itself. Because let’s face it, you still have to have these meetings or the business can not continue to operate and grow. A web conference and a conference call combination gives you everything you need to meet with a prospect or customer and have the same fulfilling, engaging meeting you would have if they were in person. Don’t get me wrong, a conference call does not eliminate the need to get together with remote employees, customers and prospects,but the use of conference calls can eliminate some of the travel you may otherwise have taken. And with the expense of travelling these days, every trip you can eliminate can really add up to your bottom line.
Conference calls and web conferences provide businesses the ability to remain effective while reducing expenses and increasing productivity. So in a tough economy, the conference call service business continues to thrive and grow as more and more businesses realize the benefits that conference calls can offer.
www.zipconferencing.com
Tags: Business Cases, Conference Call Service, Desk, Economy, Good Reason, Increase Productivity, Priority, Prospects, Service Business, Travel Budget, Travel Expense
Posted in Conference Calls | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Clearly, one of the main missions for Human Resources departments is to clearly and concisely communicate with the employees in a company. And with the employees in a company becoming more and more spread out how does the Human Resources department continue to handle effective communications with these remote employees. Why through conference calls of course!
Conference calls enable the Human Resources department to do their job effectively without the need for extensive travel to remote employee locations. All of the necessary regulations can be satisfied by holding conference calls and providing information to the employees separately. Or you can hold a web conference and go through the information live with the employees. The need for signatures on any documents acknowledging receipt of the information can be accomplished through the mail. And all while the Human Resources personnel sit at their desk.
What about a new employee, especially one who is working remote? The Human Resources personnel can use conference calls to introduce multiple new employees to company policies and benefits. By doing several new employees at the same time the Human Resources department saves time and makes sure that all employees are getting the same materials at the same time. Questions that the new employees have can be shared which helps avoid answering the same question multiple times if handled on a separate phone call instead of a conference call.
And there is no more effective way to conduct training than using conference calls or a web conference. Many companies do not have the room necessary to pull employees into a central location and train them even if the cost to do so is not a barrier. Using conference calls for training allows you to share the same information across the employee base in a fast, efficient and affordable manner. Using a web conference combined with conference calls allows you to not just share information with the participants, but you can also insert questions into the presentation to encourage participation and increase retention. You can even upload files into the web conference that participants can download during the presentation if necessary.
Today with smaller numbers of staff in Human Resources shouldering an increasing responsibilty for disseminating information and training to remote employees, conference calls have become an essential tool.
www.zipconferencing.com
Tags: Central Location, Company Policies, Conference Call, Desk, Effective Communications, Human Resources Department, Human Resources Departments, Job, Mail, Missions, Multiple Times, Necessary Regulations, Receipt, Share Information, Signatures, Sit, Time Questions, Travel, Web Conference
Posted in Conference Calls | No Comments »
