Several weeks ago during a conversation about what I do at work, I had someone ask me with a straight face if as an operator I plugged people in and out of their conferences. I received a good chuckle out of this perspective. Mostly because I was picturing a woman with her Victorian Updo literally plugging wires in and out of a large switch board, and knowing the next direction this conversation would take would be about party lines. But, at the same time I realized that not everyone, probably not even most of our everyday clients knows how we really function and the technology and tools we use.
I could provide you with all the technical terminology, but I can assure you that I am not completely sure what all of it means, so in an attempt not to lose everyone through this post, I will keep this simple.
At TelSpan, we are equipped with a variety of conferencing bridges. In the audio conferencing world, a bridge is a piece of technology that serves as a point of connection for multiple individuals joining a single call, handling multiple calls from multiple organizations at once. In all reality, we never have to physically touch a line for it to connect to a conference call; our bridges do all the work. The only time your line would be ‘touched’ would be when a call participant has requested assistance from an operator, or if there was difficulty with a line entering a conference. And when I say touched, I mean touched by a mouse, on a computer. All of our bridges have a physical presence on a server, but what we work with is a real-time visual composition on a computer screen. When we assist someone trying to enter a conference we literally drag and drop and icon representation of their line to their desired location and viola, they enter their conference.
TelSpan allows conference participants to connect via TDM, SIP, and VoIP connections, no plugs required. A TDM connection in this case would be a standard phone line, where a SIP connection is a line that starts from a standard phone connection and then along the way to its destination is altered. For example, if you are in Boston and need to dial into a conference call, you could dial a toll free number or dial a local Boston 857 number and not be charged long distance rates. It would be like making a call from Boston to Boston even though you would technically be calling Indianapolis, our conferencing headquarters. This same SIP principle holds true for our International Toll Free Numbers only with countries instead of cities. The most fascinating connection is VoIP. A Voice over Internet Protocol connection allows you to dial from an internet based phone and interact with our conferencing bridges and with all the other SIP and TDM connections. Who would have ever thought this was possible? But it is possible through today’s advanced technology and it happens every day.
In conclusion, I can promise you this; we have updated our hair, left the party lines to rest and are dedicated to providing you with the most up-to-date conferencing technology available.
Having a successful self-managed conference call can happen for you if you are armed with the right information, and take a few minutes to help your participants be prepared.
There are a few common problems that happen on conference calls that are easily avoided with proper preparation, and one of them is hold music playing into the call. If someone in your conference call puts their phone on hold to answer another call, they might just be playing hold music into the conference call. This will make it very difficult for everyone else to hear, so the best way to avoid this is to simply inform your participants ahead of time. If they have another call they must take, they can simply disconnect from the conference and call back in when they are free. They are missing everything that is happening on the call, so they have nothing to gain by staying on the line. Remember, if someone is playing hold music into your call, you can utilize TelSpan’s *0 feature to get assistance from a Client Service Professional.
Another common problem in conferencing is background noise. Sometimes a person needs to get on a conference call when they are in the airport or at a restaurant, and while it may not sound too loud to them, the background noise is very distracting to other participants on the call.
TelSpan’s *1 feature allows each participant to toggle between mute and un-mute so that they are able to fully engage in the call without the distraction of the final boarding call preventing everyone from hearing. As the host of the call, you have the power to mute all participants at any time by utilizing the *5 feature, and if you need help finding the source of the disturbance, remember to press *0 and a TelSpan Client Service Professional will isolate the problem and work with the participant to achieve a solution.
There are many free conferencing providers available, so why pay for something you can get for free? For the past several years, our economy has forced us to review organizational budgets and make cuts where necessary. Travel is an area that generally gets cut up front. Conferencing is less expensive than the flight, car rental, and hotel stay, and saves the travel time. With the introduction of video conferencing, you are able to still have “face-to-face” time with your clients at a fraction of the expense. Now that there are free conferencing providers, you can save even more by facilitating these calls yourself right?
Not necessarily. Depending on the type of call that you are having, you may need operator assistance at some point, a roll call taken, or an operator-assisted question and answer session. These particular features are generally offered with a paid conferencing provider in addition to web options, branding, and the professionalism of a well-facilitated conference.
Large businesses usually prefer a paid provider who will offer training and assistance before and during their presentations, and will guarantee quality and reliability. TelSpan’s operators are here to help you achieve a professional demeanor while reliably assisting the host and participants throughout the call to ensure success.
Today we'll finish up our series by examining how the host's presentation skills can dramatically impact the success of a conference call.
Tip #3
Improve your Presentation Skills
1. Open Strong. Immediately open with a friendly greeting. Speak loudly and clearly and designate yourself as the moderator for the call.
2. Outline Your Presentation. Start with the agenda for the call. This will not only inform your participants of what's to be covered in the call, it will also keep everyone on track as well.
3. Stay on Schedule. Try not to dwell on any certain issue too long to ensure you are able to complete your agenda within the desired time. One thing that will surely reduce attentiveness and participation is running over your scheduled time.
4. Provide Interactive Tools. Offering question and answer opportunities throughout your call will keep your audience engaged and will allow them to discuss any questions they may have during the call. Poll your audience! With a webinar, you can easily ask your audience multiple choice questions and have their feedback almost immediately.
5. Close Your Call Well. Clearly state when your presentation is concluding. Review the main points of the meeting, go over any goals or expectations you outlined earlier, and then formally end the call.
As you can see, it just takes a few simple proactive steps to help assist you with hosting successful conference calls in the future. Hosting successful calls can provide an environment where participants can be free from distraction and can focus on the message you are presenting.
Tip #2
Increase Participation and Engagement
1. Consider adding a visual element to your next conference. A web conferencing solution can add that missing visual piece which will keep your participants more engaged in the meeting.
2. Did you know TelSpan now offers video production services? Talk to us about how a short professionally produced video can be used in your next meeting and as a marketing tool.
3. Use an online registration tool to increase registration and attendance while reducing your administrative burden. The tool automatically reminds participants of their meeting and provides codes and access information.
Next week we'll discuss some presentation pointers to improve your new conference.
Have you recently hosted a conference call that didn't go so well? There's no need to panic. However, how well you host your conference calls can be a reflection on yourself and your organization. So, to avoid repeating the same mistakes, we have plenty of helpful tips to help you to recover from a bad conference call. I will present tips over the next few days:
Tip #1
Eliminate Background Noise Disruptions
1. Remind your participants to press the mute key on their phone when not speaking. This small step can greatly reduce background noise on a call.
2. Take advantage of the features TelSpan offers to allow you to minimize background disturbances on your calls. Options are available for the host to mute and un-mute all participant lines. An option is also available for the participants to mute their lines individually.
3. Use the command to flag for operator assistance and one of TelSpan's operators can identify and eliminate the disturbance on your call while it is occurring.
4. Designate an operator to be on the line during your call to monitor for any audio disturbances.
Tomorrow we'll discuss ways to increase attendance and engage your participants.
Have you recently hosted a conference call that didn't go so well? There's no need to panic. However, how well you host your conference calls can be a reflection on yourself and your organization. So, to avoid repeating the same mistakes, we have plenty of helpful tips to help you to recover from a bad conference call.
Did your last call suffer from background noise disruption?
Remind your participants to press the mute key on their phone while not speaking. This small step can greatly reduce background noise on a call. TelSpan's conferencing services also provide many features for you to be able to minimize background disturbance to your calls. We include options for the host to mute and un-mute all participant lines, as well as an option for participants to mute their lines individually
What do you do when you hear a disruption from background noise on your call?
Use the command to flag for operator assistance and one of our operators will eliminate the disturbance for you. Have us designate an operator on your line during your call to monitor for audio disturbances.
Having trouble keeping participants engaged in the call?
Add a video element! TelSpan has many web conferencing solutions for adding a visual element to your conference calls. We now also offer a Video Production Service! Have us put something together for you!
Did your call suffer from poor attendance?
Use an online registration tool! Participants cannot attend a conference they do not know about! Having participants register for your calls will increase attendance and will also give a reminder to participants when the call will occur.
Are your presentation skills up to par? Here are a few simple tips:
Open strong with a friendly greeting. Speak loudly and clearly and designate yourself as the moderator for the call. Outline your presentation.
Start with the agenda for the call. This will not only inform your participants of what’s to be covered in the call, it will also keep you on track as well.
Keep on Schedule. Try not to dwell on any certain issue too long to ensure you are able to complete your agenda within the desired time. One thing that will surely reduce attentiveness and participation is running over your scheduled time.
Offer the audience some interaction. Offering question and answer sessions throughout your call will keep your audience engaged and will allow them to discuss any questions they may have during the call. Poll the audience! With our webinar programs, you can ask the audience multiple choice questions and have their feedback almost immediately.
Control the closing. Clearly state when your presentation is concluding. Review the main points of the meeting, go over any goals or expectations you outlined, and then formally end the call.
As you can see, it just takes a few simple proactive steps to help assist you with hosting successful conference calls in the future. Hosting successful calls can provide an environment where participants can be free from distraction and can focus on the message you are presenting.
.Conference calls are an important communication tool in today’s competitive world of business. Companies that are able to communicate better are able to accomplish their goals more effectively and more efficiently. Conference calls make group communication easy, but if a few simple rules are not followed, background noise in a conference call can make you feel like beating your head against the wall until the bad sounds go away. Background noises can come from a variety of sources, and are capable of disrupting an entire conference. Have you ever had to cancel a call because people couldn’t hear each other over background noise?
The good part about background noise issues is that they are generally easy to avoid or resolve. Providing the following tips to the attendees prior to your next conference call should help ensure excellent audio quality for everyone involved:
1. If you aren’t in a very quiet environment, mute your phone when you aren’t speaking.
a. If your audio call is with TelSpan, you may toggle the mute function on your conference line by pressing *1.
b. Most phones also have a mute button or option (it is normally the button that says "mute" or has a phone or a speaker with a line through it).
2. If you are not clear on what I mean by ‘a very quiet environment’, you aren’t in ‘a very quiet environment’:
a. If you are driving in your car and on a cell phone, you are not in a quiet environment. Road noise from cell phones is one of the surest ways to ruin a conference for everyone.
b. If you are typing a long e-mail and your keyboard is next to your phone, you are creating noise in the conference.
c. If you are in a conference room with multiple people chatting, you could easily be creating background noise in the audio portion of the conference.
d. If you are using a jackhammer to breakup your driveway, you might be creating background noise in your conference call.
3. If you need to step away from your phone, do not put it on hold. As wonderful as your company hold music may be, placing your phone on hold while on a conference call will subject everyone in the call to said wonderful music. Rest assured that your conference participants will be complaining about the music, but you won’t need to worry about it because your line will be on hold and you won’t be able to hear them. If you absolutely must place your phone on hold, be sure to mute your line in the conference first. This will block the hold music from playing into the call. Be sure to unmute yourself when you return to the conference.
4. Last but certainly not least – If there is background noise or hold music in your conference and you are utilizing TelSpan, press *0 to speak with an Operator. TelSpan’s Operators will answer your request within seconds and will be happy to resolve any issue that may be occurring in your conference.
Be sure to give this information to everyone that will be attending your conference. It only takes a single person to ruin the party for everyone else.
Thanks for reading and good conferencing!
Experts in the business travel industry are predicting increases in business travel expenses for 2011. American Express is forecasting worldwide increases in airfare and hotel rates in 2011, with increases of up to 10 percent in key markets. With oil prices increasing at four times the rate of inflation over the last decade, American Express expects travel prices to continue to rise for the foreseeable future. North America experienced a significant rise in travel rates in 2010 with domestic airfares up 39 percent for business class.
Kiplinger agrees with American Express, forecasting increases in airfare, hotels, car rental, and restaurant prices. They also point out that airlines will be much less likely to negotiate fees and fares corporately, and that travelers should plan on shelling out more for baggage, extra legroom, blankets, and other extra fees on airlines in 2011.
What’s a business traveler to do? We all know that business travel will never be eliminated and that some meetings simply accomplish more face-to-face. Remember though, that today’s conferencing technologies are not only decreasing in price, they are increasing in ease-of-use, reliability, and some have even added a “face-to-face” component with new video technologies. Our TelSpanRayo platform provides audio, web, and video conferencing via webcam all in an easy-to-use platform with the highest levels of reliability guaranteed.
The next time you’re stuck in an airport, sitting in an uncomfortable airline seat next to a sick passenger, or standing in a car rental or hotel check in line, think of us. We are ready to help you decrease your travel budget, increase your productivity, and enable you to spend more time with friends and family. Doesn’t that sound like a win-win in 2011?
1. Reduce Travel Expenses
Meeting via conference eliminates travel expense including gas, mileage, airfare, hotels, and meeting facility rental.
2. Save Participants Time
Eliminating travel means a huge savings in terms of eliminating the time spend travelling to and from meetings.
3. Increase Productivity
Saving travel time means increased productivity. No time is wasted prior to or after a virtual meeting.
4. Conferencing is More Affordable than Ever
Conferencing prices have come down dramatically and ease of use has increased. TelSpanRayo allows you to use web, audio and video conferencing all in one platform!
5. Meet on Demand, as Often as Needed
The days of scheduling conference calls in advance are over. Use your conferencing codes to meet on demand 24/7 and as often as needed when issues arise.
6. Improve Employees’ Quality of Life
Employees who experience less business travel and less time in meetings are able to spend more time with their family and friends, resulting in happier more productive employees.
7. Improve Relationships
Being able to touch base virtually means your business has the ability to improve relationships with employees, vendors, customers, and potential customers without increased time and expense.
Contact TelSpan to learn how your business can begin reaping these rewards now!
Part one in a series
At TelSpan we specialize in high-touch, critical conferencing events. But what is a conferencing event? You are probably familiar with reservationless audio conference calls, and possibly even web conferences, but a conferencing event takes conferencing to the next level. When your conference combines two or more technologies, involves a large number of participants, and needs to be professionally planned and executed, a conferencing event is in order.
Conferencing events are great for high profile calls such as Investor Relations Calls, Virtual Training and Educational Events, Public Relations Events, and Crisis Communications Events. In these types of conferences, it is crucial that the organization presents a professional image to their constituents. Having an operator on the call to make introductions, manage the participants and noise level, and conduct a professionally run Q&A can boost your organization’s image and credibility.
A TelSpan Event Advisor will assist you with the complete planning and execution of your event, and an Event Operator will ensure your conference is flawless and professional. Depending on your needs, a combination of online registration, operator assisted audio, web conferencing, and even streaming may be utilized.
In my next post we’ll begin to explore the different components of a successful conferencing event.
In the past month alone we have heard stories of devastation and destruction disrupting businesses and altering lives forever.
• Volcanic ash disrupting flights and impacting travel dramatically.
• Floods causing devastation.
• Tornados leaving swaths of destruction.
• An oil spill causing massive environmental damage, and negatively impacting a wide variety of industries, with no end in sight.
It’s easy to think these disasters won’t happen to us but no one is immune. Every organization should have a disaster preparedness plan, and part of that plan should include the ability to communicate via conferencing platforms when offices are closed or travel disrupted.
We have clients in the southern United States who utilize TelSpan’s audio conferencing services to communicate during emergencies, particularly hurricanes. From urgent conferencing solutions where you can dial out to your entire staff in an emergency with just one phone call, to recording emergency updates via phone which can be accessed by employees, TelSpan offers more solutions for disaster planning than just day-to-day conferencing. Be sure to have audio and web conferencing codes established and at the ready in case a need to communicate by phone or to meet with dispersed participants occurs.
Call us today at 800-800-1729 to learn how our unique conferencing solutions can help you prepare for the unexpected and keep your organization performing during any emergency.
Have you ever thought about the quality of the operator on your conference call and the difference that operator makes in the overall presentation of your organization? Have you ever experienced any of the following?
• Operators who are not articulate enough or difficult to understand because of accents or dialects?
• Disappointment with operators who are unprepared or not knowledgeable about your industry?
• Frustration with operators mispronouncing terms and names?
• Static, echo, or sound quality issues during conference calls?
• Not getting enough help and support from your Conferencing Service Provider when planning and setting up your conferencing events?
At TelSpan, we think nothing is more important to the outcome of your operator assisted conference call, than the quality of the operator running your call, and the support system behind that operator. Our operators go through a rigorous training and certification process. Our operators are articulate, fluent, and speak clearly. Our Operator Services Team is backed up by the entire TelSpan team, including Client Services, Quality Assurance, Web Services, as well as our Event Advisors, who help you organize and plan your conferencing event from the pre-planning stage, all the way to post-event analysis.
Think about the difference an operator can make to you, and then give us a call!
Most of us consider an audio conference call to be routine, however keep these tips in mid to increase the professionalism of your next call.
• Use a headset or handset with your telephone. Do not use the speakerphone.
• Avoid extraneous sounds such as music, coughing, eating, typing and shuffling papers. The mute button is your friend.
• Take turns speaking and state your name when speaking if you are on a large call.
• Do not put your phone on “hold” during a conference. Your on hold music or messages will play into the call. Mute and unmute your line as needed instead.
• When possible, limit cell phone usage on conference calls. These phones are more likely to drop or add static into the conference.
For more tips, visit http://www.telspan.com/audio-conferencing-etiquette-guide
Have you ever wondered if audio conferencing solutions are still relevant in the new age of VoIP? I believe they still are. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and allows you to communicate via a microphone or headset connected to your computer, as opposed to a traditional phone line connection.
VoIP integrates well with web conferencing and participants appreciate the integration of the audio and web through one channel, reduced cost, and ease of instructions, but VoIP has enough issues to warrant a second look at audio conferencing.
Without the right equipment and configuration of microphones, speakers, and headsets, feedback and other issues may occur. Using VoIP will also deplete bandwidth on your conference which can affect the quality of your overall conferencing experience. As you add more elements into your internet pipe, participants, video, webcams, VoIP, your conference quality and speed may suffer. Many users do not have the bandwidth to support all of these features within a conference.
If you are holding a web conference of any great size, and it is important to you that your conference goes off without a hitch, it is still recommended to utilize a separate audio conferencing line for your audio. This allows your bandwidth to be dedicated to your web conference, and helps to guarantee the quality and clarity on the audio that you need.
Here’s a great article from The Webinar Blog:
http://wsuccess.typepad.com/webinarblog/2009/07/voip-gives-me-a-headache.html
