Posts Tagged ‘Failure’

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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Conference Call Etiquette

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

We have all been on a conference call where someone does something to either disrupt the call, embarass themselves or both.  I am going to point out things that will help make the difference on your conference call between a success and a failure whether you are hosting the call or jsut a participant.

As the Host or Moderator of conference calls

  • Give participants plenty of notice about the scheduled time of the conference call.  Even if you are the boss and can make them attend at a moment’s notice, if the participants are harried or have to reschedule to make the call they will be distracted during the conference call.
  • Send out an agenda with the conference call meeting invitation.  I know that this is not done in many cases but having your audience prepared for the call allows particpants to be ready for the discussion.  Even if it is not a formal agenda a simple listing of topics to be discussed on the conference call really helps.
  • Start your conference calls on time.  Even if a participant is late if you become known as someone who starts on time your participants will learn to be oon time as well.
  • Take a roll call at the beginning of the conference call so that everyone knows who is in attendance.  This will get everyone participating right away and make people  more comfortable.
  • Even though everyone takes the technology for granted, try to not use a cell phone if you are hosting the conference call.  It is one thing for a participant to be on a cell phone, they can mute their line if they have to, but the Host needs to control the meeting and have a clear, consistent connection.
  • Put yourself in a quiet environment.  Background noise can be a real nuisance on a conference call.
  • Treat it like a meeting.  Take notes, assign tasks, etc.  Where most people struggle on a conference call is being aimless in the way the meeting is conducted.   

Good practices for Moderators and Participants

  • Introduce yourself when you speak every time.  Many times the participants have a hard time determining who is speaking.
  • Learn to use the mute button.  Especially if you have to join the confernece call via cell phone you should use the mute button whenever possible.  Any noise you produce or background noise will be on the entire conference call.
  • If you are using a speakerphone and own a PDA like a BlackBerry, make sure the PDA/BlackBerry is nowhere near the Speakerphone.  The transmission and reception of messagtes into the device will make noise across the conference call.
  • Don’t ever put your phone on hold while on a conference call.  Any hold music or messages will play across the entire conference call the entire time you have your phone on hold.
  • Just like an in person meeting take care of any bathroom needs prior and after the conference call.  No matter how familiar you are with your mute button, inevitably everyone will hear the flush.

Finally you are ready to close the conference call.  Thank your participants for their time.  Whether an in person meeting or a conference call, people’s time is valuable and should be recognized.  Participants will be more willing to give you their time again.

www.zipconferencing.com

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