In the conference call world, operator assisted service is considered the Cadillac (or should I say, Lexus) model. It provides the highest level of control and professionalism available. The vast majority of investor relations, legal, and corporate presentation conference calls involve one or more trained operators who screen and organize the call. There are many optional services that are offered, including getting customized participant reports and providing introductions. The "creme de la creme" service is what we call "operator dial out" which means your associates don't have to call into the conference call -- we call them! Picture your conference starting like this, when we place your call for you: "Mr. Smith, this is the operator for the ABC Company conference call you were invited to join. Mr. Jones and Ms. Brown are standing by for you. May I patch you into the conference at the present time to get started?" Needless to say, making that kind of impression could be worth a small fortune, and yet, it only costs a few extra dollars to provide that level of professional service.
June 2008 Archives
"Pay as you go" conference calling is a great option for those who don't need conference services very often. There are several advantages for the occasional conference user. First, there are no set up fees or monthly minimums, so quite simply, if you don't use the service, you're not charged for it. If you only use it once every two or three months, that's ok -- you'll only be billed for what you use. Second, it still provides you 24/7 access and there are no reservations. So again, you can use your service anytime you want. Third, you have your choice of both toll free and non-toll free options on a per minute basis. You only pay for what you use -- no more, no less. It's a convenient, inexpensive way to take full advantage of the latest phone conference technology while being in complete control of your budget. It never hurts to have that call in number and PIN code handy to share with colleagues or prospects when the need arises. It's better to get your conference account now and have it ready to go at a moment's notice versus scrambling at the last minute to accommodate everyone. You can get more information by clicking here: Pay As You Go
How about having access to a phone conference bridge and being able to use it as much as you want, anytime you want, for one low flat rate every month? Not a bad deal, huh? An amazing 90% of our new customers choose flat rate conferencing because it provides the most convenient and inexpensive way to enjoy the benefits of phone conferencing. First, you pay one set fee a month and can use it at anytime. Second, you can talk as much and as long as you want without having to worry about how much time you are using. And third, there are no long term contracts. You can use the service on a month to month basis. Flat rate conferencing has taken the industry by storm and more and more businesses, large and small, are migrating their conference traffic over to the flat rate model. It's a tremendous way to save money while knowing you can conference anytime and from anywhere. Flat rate plans are also available for web and video conferencing services as well. Check it out by clicking on the Flat Rate link above.
Today, 98% of conferencing is done over the phone. Web and video conferencing are just taking hold, and technology is rapidly advancing to accommodate conferencing in ways we can't even imagine. The next futuristic trend in conferencing -- say 5 to 10 years from now -- will involve holographic meetings where folks will put on funny looking head gear and meet in virtual rooms to discuss business. So, rather than travel to San Francisco, you can sit at home, and have a virtual presence in the San Francisco office -- they'll be able to see your face, your expressions and even see you walk around. And you'll be able to see them do the same thing. Amazingly, if you wear a body suit filled with sensors, you'll be able to shake hands and feel the pressure of the grip. You'll feel them -- they'll feel you. (Can you imagine what that technology will do for the adult industry?)
At first, holographic meetings and conferences will be pricey because they consume a tremendous amount of bandwidth. But who knows how the next generation of travel on the superhighway will develop. For those of us who have been around awhile will attest, it wasn't that along ago that "dial-up" seemed fine. Somehow, someway, someone will invent a new way to conference and kick start a generation of "conference visits" rather than "conference calls" that will enable you to travel anywhere in the world and have a 3-D presence. Just like Captain Kirk in StarTrek, you'll be able to press a key on your keyboard and beam yourself anywhere -- maybe not your physical body, but at least an image of yourself.
You can get more information about the fascinating subject of virtual reality and holographic meetings here.
Our young teenage girls never laughed so hard as when they found out we were sending them to Etiquette School. Whatever they learned didn't seem to have very much of an impact, but in today's business world, etiquette can spell the difference between success and failure. Conference call etiquette, like anything else, is based on simple common sense, but you might want to remember a few important tips to insure a productive conference call that will leave participants feeling good and that their time spent was worthwhile.
Just because your conference colleagues can't see you, doesn't mean you can get away with anything. In fact, you need to be ever mindful of intrusions that you don't normally notice. First and foremost, do NOT use a speakerphone to participate in a conference call. (If you are just listening, a speakerphone is fine as long as you have it on mute.) Second, a cell phone with a poor connection can wreak havoc on a conference call and turn into an invitation for folks to just hang up and not dial back in. Third, be sure to always introduce yourself before speaking so people know who they are listening to. Fourth, don't multitask and distract the conference call by creating needless commotion with papers, or typing, or heaven forbid -- clipping your nails! And fifth, if you are presenting, be sure to speak slowly and clearly and repeat numbers so everyone can keep up.
Those are just a few tips that will help make your phone conference call successful.
With soaring gas prices, many businesses are looking for way to enable employees to telecommute while maintaining productivity. With the right set of telecommuting tools, productivity can actually be enhanced. That's why we have undertaking a new initiative to provide our customers the best phone, web and video conferencing services at the lowest prices.
One of the new products we're excited about is called Start Video. It's an amazing program that allows everyone on your conference to not only share desktops and programs like Powerpoint presentations, but you all see each other in live streaming video. All you need is a webcam. For audio you can talk on VOIP (the Internet) or use a regular phone line. Best of all, it's a flat rate service so you have unlimited usage and can leave it on all day or all night.
There is NO software to download, it works on PC's and Macs, and you don't have to install anything. So, no matter where you are in the world, if you want to conduct business face-to-face, this is the service you're looking for. Call us today to get a free demonstration and find out how this particular tool can help you cut costs dramatically, save a ton of time, and help you get on board the telecommuting superhighway where there are no gas stations or traffic jams.
When you start your phone conference call service, you'll receive a set of personal and confidential PIN numbers to access the conference bridge. The set consists of TWO numbers -- one for the host or moderator, and one for the participants or conferees. Everyone dials the same call in number, and when prompted, the moderator uses the moderator code and the participants use the participant code. It's that simple.
Some customers wonder if the moderator code is limited to one person. The answer is no. Any number of folks can use the moderator PIN code. So, you could have 10 people in the conference and 3 of those could be moderators. This is particularly handy when you want to set the conference in lecture mode -- in other words, you want to mute all of the participants and the only voices you hear are from the moderators. Anyone who calls in using the moderator PIN code will NOT be muted.
The drawback to handing out your moderator PIN code is that you might lose control of your conference management and security. Usually, it's not a problem among trusted associates, but if it becomes an issue, you can call us to get a new set of PIN numbers. In fact, it doesn't hurt to change your PIN numbers every now and then to maintain security. Changing PIN codes is free and can be done very quickly.
