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If
you host conference calls, schedule conference calls
or enjoy using the mute button while “listening”
to conference calls, this article and the on-line
tele-events will add some new kick to your
conference.
Teleconferences
have been around for several years, but in recent
times, with airline travel down and companies
looking to cut costs, conferencing has become a
critical communication method to help businesses
conduct meetings in less time and for less money. A
recent Wainhouse Research report found that over 66%
of respondents believed that converting in-person
meetings to travel alternatives using audio, web and
video conferencing would allow them to get more work
done, spend more time with family and friends, and
make faster decisions.
Understanding the different conferencing
options can help you offer valuable meeting
alternatives for your office or VA clients.
What
is?
Audio
conferencing,
also called teleconferencing, is a key component to
connecting remote audiences together over the
telephone. There
are generally four main category options: an office
phone with conferencing functions, an in-house
conferencing bridge, a conferencing service
(operator-assisted), and a conferencing service (reservationless).
The latter is the most versatile for
companies with audio conferencing needs of 4 or more
parties and is described further in the How-To
below. Requirements:
Telephone
Web
conferencing
also called data conferencing uses an internet
browser to allow 2 or more remote parties to see a
visual document at the same time: PowerPoint slides,
a website, a shared whiteboard, or any application
on a person’s computer.
This can be used with audio conferencing or
by itself with one other party on a telephone.
It is highly useful for sales, training and
marketing or anytime people need to work together
remotely. There are several different service
platforms with varying features and price levels.
Group Unity provides 5 different platforms.
Requirements: Telephone, Internet-connected
Computer
Video
conferencing
is when 2 or more parties are seeing and hearing
each other real-time through cameras and
microphones. Options
include using public video rooms or having in-house
video equipment.
In-house equipment and network needs can vary
greatly depending on the number of people in a given
conference room and the number of connections. Requirements:
Video Equipment (Camera), High-bandwidth Network
General
Rules for Conferencing:
1:
A conference call is just another meeting… but
with more technology.
Remember to apply all the basics of good
meeting preparation and etiquette. Is there a
purpose for the meeting?
Is there an agenda?
Do participants have the necessary meeting
notes and basic date, time and call-in information?
2:
Use the simplest solution for the meeting need.
There
are many conferencing solutions on the market today,
but many are expensive or complex.
Try to match the right solution to the
meeting need – this will minimize costs while
maintaining effectiveness.
For most companies the following order is
recommended from simple to complex:
an in-person meeting, a teleconference, a web
conference and finally a video conference. [Group
Unity is independent to the service providers and
can therefore describe the benefits and limitations
of all solutions to find the right fit.]
3.
Quality is important.
Ever been on a lousy conference call?
What’s the point of having a conference
call or meeting if no one can hear or understand
what’s being said?
A few pointers to improve this include: Use a
quality conferencing service. Use
a handset phone instead of a cellphone or speaker
phone. If
you must use a speaker phone, use a Polycom
Soundstation which has special voice enhancement
circuitry. [Group
Unity provides only quality teleconferencing, web
conferencing, video conferencing services and
equipment.]
4.
Convenience is key. If a meeting tool is too
complicated, it won’t get used no matter how
“cool” the technology. Using easy conferencing
tools is also where the benefit comes from because
they can be used on the fly without prior setup or
preparation. This
is critical for schedulers.
By example, a teleconference only requires a
telephone allowing a high degree of convenience,
while a video conference requires a camera and a
high bandwidth connection.
5.
Maximize the right features.
64% of the Wainhouse respondents believed
they would be more
competitive by converting their in-person
meetings to conferencing.
Features such as internet broadcast,
recording, polling, on-line chat, Powerpoint
presentations can greatly enhance the remote meeting
experience. Understand
these features and use them.
[AdminProf
readers requested basic How-To steps for
Conferencing. Below
are the steps for two of Group Unity’s most
popular and most applicable services.]
How-To
#1: Reservationless Teleconference
This
type of teleconferencing is convenient and
cost-effective.
It is ideal for most conference sessions, but
particularly for smaller or informal meetings.
This is a very easy service for schedulers,
hosts and participants.
You can conduct calls anytime without
reservations and always with your same permanent
conference numbers. [The
April 18th on-line event will cover
teleconferencing services and features in detail].
Pre-Step
1.
Contact Group Unity at 1-800-565-1722 to receive an
activated account.
You will receive a permanent dial-in number
and permanent conference code number within 24
hours. There
are no setup fees, monthly fees or commitments
associated with getting an activated account.
Operational
Steps
1.
Give participants the date and time of the
call, your Dial-In Number and your Conference Code.
2.
At the specified time, dial your
Reservationless Dial-In Number.
3.
When prompted, enter your Conference Code
followed by #.
4.
When prompted, press * to identify yourself
as the call leader, then enter your Leader PIN.
5.
Press 1 to begin your conference.
(Participants
follow steps #2 and #3)
(If
you are a scheduler, you can then hang up and let
the call proceed or you can use the dial-out feature
to call additional participants into the conference)
Additional
Features with this Service
Toll-free
Dial-In Number, Dial-Out, Individual and Group Mute,
95 participant capacity, Security Code, Account
Billing Code, Call Specific Billing Code, 24x7
Customer Service, Operator Available from within
Call
Integrated
Web-Control Includes:
Automated Email Reminders, Scheduling Tool /
Outlook Integration, Internet Audio Broadcast,
One-touch Recording, Polling, Powerpoint Slides
How-To
#2: Web Conferencing
This
type of web conference is useful for Powerpoint
presentations, sharing applications or taking
participants on a web tour.
This is a very easy service for everyone
involved. It also allows polling and Q&A chat
between the leader and participants. It is a very
versatile tool.
You can conduct web conferences anytime
without reservations always with your same permanent
conference number. [The
April 25th on-line event will cover web
conferencing services and features in detail].
Pre-Step
1.
Contact Group Unity at 1-800-565-1722 to receive an
activated account.
You will receive a permanent dial-in number
and permanent conference code number within 24
hours. There
are no setup fees, monthly fees or commitments
associated with getting an activated account.
Operational
Steps
1.
Give participants the date and time of the
call, your Conference Code and Web URL.
2.
At the specified time, go to the Web URL and
select “Start a Meeting”
3.
When prompted, enter your Conference Code and
start the meeting
(Participants
follow steps #2 and #3, expect they use “Join a
Meeting”)
Additional
Features with this Service
Powerpoint,
Whiteboarding, Web Tour, Application Sharing, Chat,
Q&A, JAVA run-time for easy browser integration,
24x7 Customer Service, Training Included, Per minute
or flat-rate billing methods, Brandable sites
About
Group Unity:
Group
Unity provides the best meeting and conferencing
solutions determined by: needs
of the organization, cost, ease of use, and proven
technologies and methods.
It is part of our mission to also advise
customers on ways to maximize and communicate the
technology benefits throughout their organization.
Whether your organization is a 1 person company or a
1000 person company, Group Unity can help.
How
Group Unity Works:
1.
Contact Group Unity and discuss
conferencing/meeting needs.
2.
Group Unity advises on suggested
service/product offerings and why.
3.
Group Unity activates most services within 24
hours for immediate usage.
©
2003 Group Unity Inc. All Rights Reserved. Published
by Paul Kosak, CEO and Founder of Group Unity. By
combining a background in facilitative consulting
and telecommunications, Paul created Group Unity Inc
with a vision to rid the world of bad meetings.
To learn more contact Paul Kosak at
800-565-1722 or email pkosak@groupunity.com. |
