Posts Tagged ‘Phone Number’

Audio Conference Calling is the Simplest Way to Meet

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

I have been in the teleconferencing industry for over 15 years and audio conference calling just keeps getting easier and easier.  You can’t argue with the fact that audio conference calling is the simplest way to have a meeting whether you are across the hall or around the wall.  And no one makes it simpler than Zip Conferencing.

When I first started in this industry it was mostly dial out conference calls.  That means that to do audio conference calling an operator would contact you at a pre-designated phone number and connect you to the conference call.  Needless to say this was not a very convenient method of getting on a conference call.  Especially since most people did not have cell phones back then.  The biggest development in audio conference calling came with the invention of the dial in reservationless conference call.  This is the type of conference call most people are familiar with at this point.  You are given an access number and a pass code.  At the time you choose to do audio conference calling you dial the access number and input the pass code.  Everyone that does that will end up on the same conference call together.  After this audio conference calling boomed.  That is because the industry made it super simple to get on a conference call.

 As time has gone on there have been many developments in audio conference calling.  None of which have had the kind of impact that development has had but things have continued to get easier.  And the proliferation of cell phones has helped as well.  Now to get on a conference call you can dial in from anywhere there is a signal to your mobile phone.  I am sure people have attended a conference call from some pretty bizarre places.  And you can too!  Because audio conference calling can be done from virtually anywhere. 

When you compare audio conference calling to other ways to meet it is easy to understand why conference calling continues to grow faster than any other way to meet.  At this point everyone pretty much has been on a conference call.  So there is no need to train your participants on how to get on a conference call.  And no one needs any special equipment.  All you need is a phone and everyone has or has access to a telephone.  Dial a number and input a code and you are on your conference call.  No need to drive to a meeting.  No need to fly to a meeting.  Just pick up your telephone.

Zip Conferencing makes audio conference calling as easy as it can be.  From the process before the conference call to looking at reports after the call you can not find a simpler way to meet.

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An Audio Conference is Easy and Affordable

Monday, July 11th, 2011

I still get people who ask me about the basics of an audio conference so I thought I would spend today describing just how easy and affordable a conference call can be. 

  • Ease of Use- An audio conference was not always as easy to use as they are today.  It used to be that you had to get the names and numbers of the people you wanted on an audio conference to an operator who would schedule the conference call and when the time came call out to all the parties.  There was work up front for the moderator to assemble this information and then call a conference call service and relay that information to them so the audio conference could begin.  And then for the participants on the conference call you had to be at the phone number you supplied at the time of the call or you were not going to get on the audio conference.  Of course this was before cell phones were real prevalent and most people had to stay at their desks a little more than today anyway but still I can tell you that many calls were missing participants because people just were not always where they were supposed to be when the audio conference began.  As a conference call service provider we spent a lot of time chasing people down or putting them into the correct conference calls when they called back into our service center.  Now it is much easier for everyone.  Zip Conferencing provides you with a toll free dial in number that never changes and pass codes for you and your participants that never change.  There is no need to schedule your audio conference now.  You simply tell your participants when you want to meet and supply them with the toll free dial in number and pass code.  At the time of the conference call you and your participants simply dial the access number and put in the pass code and you are joined in the conference call.
  • Affordable- Over time just as the audio conference has gotten a lot easier to use it has also become more affordable.  The average rate per minute of a toll free conference call in 1995 was $.50 per minute.  Today Zip Conferencing has toll free conference call rates as low as $.024 per minute.  The combination of ease of use and price has resulted in explosive growth for conference calls.  You can meet with a large group of people for a small amount of money and it cost nothing for your participants to join. 

An audio conference is the easiest and most affordable way to meet with a group of people.

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Go International with an International Conference Call

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

The worldwide marketplace has really opened up with the Internet and many small businesses are finding themselves with the prospect of being able to sell their goods and services internationally.  But many of these businesses hesitate because of the expense of trying to sell to companies overseas.  With an International Conference Call you begin to forge relationships with companies overseas without ever leaving your office.  An international conference call can bring you together with customers and prospects around the world at a minimal cost.  Zip Conferencing offers several ways to have your international participants connect to your international conference call.  You can choose the method based on where your participants are located and the cost of the connection.

  • US Local Number - The least costly way for you to have participants connect to your international conference call is to have them dial the local number here in the United States that comes with your conference call reservation.  The local number is reachable from anywhere in the world.  The only drawback to this method is that your participants will have to pay for the long distance call to reach the number here in the United States.
  • International Local Number- The next best option from a price perspective for your international conference call is to give your participants a phone number located in their country.  Zip Conferencing has local access numbers in over 40 countries around the world.  Participants in Paris, France, fro instance, would dial a number in Paris and be connected to your international conference call here in the United States.  Your participant will only pay whatever it costs them to dial a local number in their country.
  • International Toll Free Number – The most convenient way for international participants to connect to your international conference call is to dial a toll free number in their country.  That way they do not incur any charges associated with your conference call.  This is also the most expensive way to connect to your international conference call.  Zip Conferencing has toll free access numbers in over 40 countries around the world.

With Zip Conferencing’s International Conference Call service you can take your company global without much expense to you or your customers.  So what are you waiting for?  Go global with an international conference call.

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Online Web Conferencing just got Easier

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

Online web conferencing has been around now for a while.  And online web conferencing of any kind is a whole lot easier than what you had to do before the proliferation of the Internet.  But one of the reasons online web conferencing has not been more widely adopted is because people are reluctant to learn a new application.  Conference calls are very easy because all you need is a telephone and everyone knows how to operate a telephone and dialing into a conference call could no be any easier.  So why does online web conferencing have to be so difficult.  Well, Zip Conferencing does not believe that a web conference should be any more difficult to run than an audio conference call.  And our new web conferencing service has taken the learning curve out of online web conferencing.  It is so easy to use you will not need any instruction whatsoever to be successful with the service right from the start.  In addition to being easy to use our online web conferencing service is packed with features that will allow you to perform amazing things.  Here is a list of some of the features that separate our online web conferencing service from all the others out there.

  • No Software Download Needed – Our online web conferencing does not require you to download any software in order to participant in the web conference.  This makes it much easier for your participants to join a web conference.  You won’t be wasting time waiting for people to connect to the your conference call and you participants won’t be frustrated trying to join either.
  • Dial Me Connections – Instead of having to figure out how to dial into online web conferencing we have made it so the system can dial out to you.  That way you don’t have to figure out a conference call and a web conference they are the same.  Just put your phone number into the system and it will connect you to the web conference.
  • Application Sharing – Like other online web conferencing solutions our web conferencing service allows you to share an application or your entire desktop with your participants.  The difference is we have an easy to find button that starts the process.  You don’t have to try to figure out how to share an application it is very evident from within the tool.
  • Polling – Many online web conferencing sites have polling but it is hard to operate.  Our web conferencing service has an easy to use polling feature that lets you share the results easily with your audience.  A polling feature helps keep your participants engaged in your web conference.
  • Video Sharing- Our online web conferencing solution even allows you to share your web cam feed with your participants.  And your participants can play too.  In fact you can have an unlimited number of web cams in your web conference.
  • Outlook Integration – To make the invitation process with your participants simple our online web conferencing service is integrated with Outlook so that you can invite participants through your email and then save the meeting as a scheduled appointment in your calendar.

The trick to successful online web conferencing is making it easy to use.  Zip Conferencing makes web conferencing as easy as can be.

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What is Teleconferencing?

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Like anyone else who has been in a technology business for a while you tend to develop your own language.  I am no different.  I have been in the telecommunications industry since 1981 and if any industry has its own language telecommunications certainly does.  The glossary for all the telecommunications acronyms being used would probably be 4 inches thick.  It really is its own language.  Teleconferencing as an off shoot of telecommunications is certainly guilty of this too but certainly not so bad.  But for those novices to teleconferencing, otherwise known as conference calls, I thought it might be helpful to explain a few of the main terms used in the industry to help you better understand what you are dealing with.

  • Access Code (Also known as the Pass Code) -  
    The personal access code that allows you to join a conference call. There are both Host and Guest codes used to access a conference call.
  • Access Phone Number – The telephone number used to reach the teleconferencing equipment where you input your Access Code to enter your conference call.
  • Bridge - The piece of equipment that performs the act of connecting multiple callers on a singe conference call.
  • CSP- This is the acronym for Conference Service Provider.  It refer to the companies that provide conference call services.
  • Digital Record and Playback –  A service offered by conference call service companies that allows you to record your conference call and play it back at a later time.
  • Host – The leader or Moderator of the conference call.
  • Mute- The Mute function on a conference call allows the participants to turn off the ability to be heard during the conference call.  The Host also has the abilitiy to Mute all participants.
  • Reservationless - Reservationless means that no scheduling, reservation or advanced notification is required for this type of conference call.  Once you have the Access number and Pass Code you can hold a conference call whenever you want.
  • Teleconferencing - Otherwise known as conference calling or audio conferencing, it refers to a telephone call where 3 or more people are connected and able to talk to each other at the same time.

This is by no means a complete list of terms used in the conference call service, or teleconferencing industry but this sampling should get you well on your way to being fluent in teleconferencing speak.

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Conference Calls with International Participants

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

The world is shrinking and virtually every business has a need to communicate with associates, partners and prospects around the world.  Like other ways to communicate, conference calls have had to adapt to this reality and make it easier to allow international participants on the call. 

There are a few ways to allow international participants onto a conference call.

  • Have an Operator dial out to the participant
  • Provide the participant a local number in the US they can dial into
  • Provide a local number in a foreign city that connects with the US conference call equipment
  • Provide a toll free number that can be accessed in a foreign country

All of these methods can work, but one may be better suited to your conference call needs than the others.

Operator Dial out to the International Participant

Having an operator dial out to your international participants used to be the way all participants connected to a conference call.  This method, however, has its draw backs.  The participant must be at a predetermined location and phone number so that the operator can reach them.  This is the highest cost method to connect a participant to a conference call since an operator is involved in putting the call together.

Provide the participant a local US number they can dial in to connect to the Conference Call

Most people use a toll free number in the US to assemble participants which works great if you are in the US.  People outside the US cannot access a US toll free number.   But you can provide the local US access number and this number can be used to connect to the conference call from anywhere in the world.  The cost to the Moderator or Host of the conference call is low but the participant will pay a toll charge to call into the US just like they were calling any other number in the US.

Provide a local number in a foreign country that is connected to the US conference call equipment

Not all conference call service providers have this option, but it works well for all involved.  Basically, in large foreign cities there is a local number in that city that is networked back to the US conference call equipment.  This means the international participant only has to call a local number in their city and the US Moderator pays a lower cost to transport that participant back to the US conference call equipment.

Provide a toll free number that is accessible in a foreign country

This option provides the greatest flexibility but does add some additional cost to the conference call.  The international participant simply dials a toll free number in their country and they are connected to the conference call in the US.  The cost of toll free access is higher than the local number access bu the international participant incurs no cost and does not need to be in a large city to access the number.

So, as you can see the conference call service providers now have a variety of ways to access their conference calls from around the world.  www.zipconferencing.com

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Hosting a successful Conference Call

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

What This Guide Provides

This guide was designed to walk you through the steps to coordinating and hosting a successful conference call.
 
INVITE YOUR PARTICIPANTS
Send your guests, via email, fax, or word of mouth, the information listed below. All of the conference codes and Dial-In numbers can be found online by accessing your account.
 
Design an Invitation:
Date/Time of conference – you may want to include an agenda.
It is recommended that you inform your Guests to log into the conference no less than 5 minutes prior to start time. Guests joining the meeting prior to the Host will be placed on hold listening to music until the Host activates the conference.
 
Audio Conference Dial-In Info:
·          Instruct guests to dial into the Audio Conference approximately 5 minutes prior to the conference
·          Provide Dial-In phone number
·          Provide Guest Code
·          Require attendees to refrain form putting the call on hold, as some companies have hold music that would disrupt the conference. 

PRE-CONFERENCE PREPARATIONS

·          Set an agenda for the meeting.
·          If possible, send the agenda to all meeting participants.
·          Send out a reminder to participants for calls scheduled far in advance.
·          Make sure you are in a quiet location where you will not be disturbed
ACTIVATE THE CONFERENCE CALL
 
·          Be on time! It helps if the host or chairperson dials into the conference a few minutes early. This avoids confusion if guests dial-in early.
·          Turn off call-waiting. Most call-waiting features can be deactivated by dialing 70# before dialing into the conference.
·          Dial into the call using either the Toll Free or Direct Dial-In number provided. You will be prompted to enter your passcode.
·          Conduct a roll call to find out who has joined your conference.
·          Remind attendees to refrain form putting the call on hold, as some companies have hold music that would disrupt the conference.           Instruct everyone to state their names when speaking to avoid confusion. For example, “This is Karen, and I’d like to see…”
 
 
DURING THE CONFERENCE CALL
 
·          Ask for feedback from specific participants instead of from the entire group.
·          Postpone any discussions that are not relevant to the conference for another date and time.
·          Promptly deal with any noise or distractions.
·          Summarize the issues discussed and recap any action items resulting from the call.
·          Clearly state when you are ending the conference. Often a guest can be left on the line not realizing that the conference has ended.
www.zipconferencing.com

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Conference Calls – The Basics

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

I take it for granted that people have done conference calls before, but if you believe the analysts the market for conference calling services is only penetrated at a rate of 58%.  That means that 42% of the possible customers for conference calling are not using the services today.  Which means that many of you have never done a conference call.  Here is a simple guide to holding a successful conference call.

INVITE YOUR PARTICIPANTS
Send your guests, via email, fax, or word of mouth, the information listed below. All of the conference call codes and Dial-In numbers can be found online by accessing your account when you sign up for Zip Conferencing.
 
Design an Invitation:
Date/Time of conference call – you may want to include an agenda.
It is recommended that you inform your Guests to log into the conference call no less than 5 minutes prior to start time.  Your guests can speak together prior to you joining the call.  You can change that by accessing conference call options in your account and change it so that the guests listen to music and can not speak prior to you joining.
 
Audio Conference Dial-In Info:
·          Instruct guests to dial into the Audio Conference approximately 5 minutes prior to the conference
·          Provide Dial-In phone number
·          Provide Guest Code
·          Require attendees to refrain form putting the call on hold, as some companies have hold music that would disrupt the conference. 

PRE-CONFERENCE PREPARATIONS

·          Set an agenda for the meeting.
·          If possible, send the agenda to all meeting participants.
·          Send out a reminder to participants for calls scheduled far in advance.
·          Make sure you are in a quiet location where you will not be disturbed
ACTIVATE THE CONFERENCE CALL
 
·          Be on time! It helps if the host or chairperson dials into the conference a few minutes early. This avoids confusion if guests dial-in early.
·          Turn off call-waiting. Most call-waiting features can be deactivated by dialing 70# before dialing into the conference.
·          Dial into the call using either the Toll Free or Direct Dial-In conference call number provided. You will be prompted to enter your passcode.
·          Conduct a roll call to find out who has joined your conference.
·          Remind attendees to refrain from putting the call on hold, as some companies have hold music that would disrupt the conference.           Instruct everyone to state their names when speaking to avoid confusion. For example, “This is Karen, and I’d like to see…”
 
 
DURING THE CONFERENCE CALL
 
·          Ask for feedback from specific participants instead of from the entire group.
·          Postpone any discussions that are not relevant to the conference for another date and time.
·          Promptly deal with any noise or distractions.
·          Summarize the issues discussed and recap any action items resulting from the call.
·          Clearly state when you are ending the conference. Often a guest can be left on the line not realizing that the conference has ended.
You will find that if you treat the conference call just like an in-person meeting you will get the same results.
www.zipconferencing.com

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