An effective conference call is like any other meeting-to be professional and respectful of the participants' time; it needs good preparation, solid execution and timely follow-up.Historically, conference calls had to be organized around the limitations of audio conferencing technology. Traditional Ma Bell simply gave you a dial-in number and a PIN, and the bill arrived a month later. You were on your own for all other organizational aspects of your call. This meant that conference calls were always cumbersome.Web 2.0 audio conferencing changes the playing field
A new breed of audio conferencing provider is emerging that moves the ball way down the field. Whereas before you had only 3 dimensions of services, Web 2.0 audio conferencing provides at least 16 dimensions of service.16 dimensions of productivity
The following chart shows how Web 2.0 audio conferencing adds at least 13 dimensions of productivity to the 3 dimensions of same-old-same-old audio conferencing. With these added dimensions at your fingertips, you can simultaneously reduce your direct and indirect costs while increasing your call productivity. Remember, the cost of Web 2.0 audio conferencing minutes is a drop in the bucket compared to wasted wages, salaries and benefits plus added travel, meals and lodging costs associated with unnecessary travel.Web 2.0 Audio Conferencing - 16 dimensions of service...as compared to the 3 dimensions of traditional services
BEFORE the call1. Security & privacy2. Invitation, agenda and documents3. Group dial4. Automatic calendaring5. Manage dial-in information +6. Web conferencing
DURING the call7. Direct dial8. Monitor and manage +9. Recording10. Transcription
AFTER the call11. Follow-up action items12. Phone number quick-reference13. Process recording and transcription14. Meeting notes distributed15. Record keeping tools +16. Cost controls
Web 2.0 audio conferencing productivity numbers are compelling People-time is by far the main cost of a conference call. For example, 15 employees @ $25.00 per hour on a call for 60 minutes costs you $375.00 or $6.25 per minute. At say 10 cents per minute per participant, the actual cost of the call was $90.00 total. If this conference call started just 15 minutes late waiting for stragglers, you wasted $93.75 in people-cost. With Web 2.0, you could have direct dialed the stragglers immediately. Using the direct dial feature alone to connect the stragglers would have saved more than the total cost of the conference call The efficiencies and effectiveness of Web 2.0 audio conferencing don't stop there.
BEFORE a conference call
Web 2.0 opens new opportunities to save you time in arranging a conference call (see Chart No. 1-5). In the old days you received a PIN and dial in number from Ma Bell. A Web 2.0 service streamlines the call setup process dramatically with an array of features for privacy, scheduling, communicating with participants, calendaring, and presentation aids.
DURING a conference call
Historically, you paid for an operator to sit on your call. The only innovation here was that you were given those basic call controls to initiate from your phone. With Web 2.0, you have powerful new call features like Call Now and Group Dial that eliminate the need to have the host schedule a call and send out PINs altogether. Also during a call you can automatically start recording, if needed, and even order a transcription. Powerful web console features even allow you to monitor and control the call right from your computer, while the system manages highly complex wired, wireless and VoIP connections seamlessly in the background. This means you can see exactly who is on the call, lock out any new participants, and thus assure no interlopers are present.
AFTER a conference call
Good follow up is essential to effective conference calling. Back in the day, you received an invoice a month or so later with the audio conferencing portion buried in the bill. That was the extent of the post-call "support." With Web 2.0 you get an array of productivity tools from real-time call history information and instant email reports to MP3 recordings, transcriptions, billing spreadsheets and call lists for immediate follow up.
16 dimensions of benefits are replacing 3-dimension same-old-same-old In short, Web 2.0 audio conferencing is a still-unexplored new world of productivity improvement for large, medium and small businesses alike. Curiously, most 3-dimension conference call users have not yet awakened to 16-dimension Web 2.0 audio conferencing whose providers have successfully automated and integrated many previously unconnected activities, put them on the web, and are now placing them on your mobile phone.To learn more, Google "Web 2.0 audio conferencing".
? Copyright 2010. Leader Phone? and Michael McKibben. All Rights Reserved. Google Search Phrase: "Web 2.0 Audio Conferencing"
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