• Prepare – create an outline or agenda for your meeting and send to all of your attendees along with a few specific review items or tasks you would like them to go over. In addition, gather any additional hosts or presenters and perform a few trial runs to get everyone acquainted with the available conferencing features. This will prevent any confusion on the day of your meeting and help iron out any unforeseen issues.
• K.I.S.S. – stands for Keep It Simple (Stupid/Smarty/any other ‘S’ word you see fit). The last thing anyone wants to do is be stuck in a meeting that should have ended 5, 10, 30, 60 minutes ago. If all you require is a brief conversation, don’t feel as though you need to entertain everyone on the line as long as possible. As a general rule of thumb, larger web and audio conferences should be kept around the one hour mark, while smaller more intimate conferences typically last around 30 minutes.
• Watch – if you’re holding an audio conferencing call and are concerned that one or more of your participants are on the call but not engaged, consider integrating web conferencing into your meeting. With real-time video feeds you’ll be able to see each participant throughout your meeting, which leads to less sneaking off or multi-tasking on the job.
• Inform – prior to starting your meeting, send out an email to all participants that covers the topics that will be discussed and provide a clear list of objectives and expected outcomes that you are looking for. As a side note, it wouldn’t hurt to add in a few reasons why your meeting will help make their day/week/etc. easier and enhance performance.
• Ask – unexpected questions will keep participants on their toes and focused, making them less likely to multi-task. It’s not unusual for one or more attendees to hold off on making comments or suggesting ideas because they are unsure of when to jump in and add their input. If you feel you are not getting enough participation from certain attendees feel free to direct questions specifically at them.
• Audio conference hosts, might want to try asking all participants to leave their mute buttons off so they are less likely to be tempted by distractions (although if mobile workers are located in an area with a lot of background noise this might not be an option).
• Provide – web and audio conferences require just as much planning and forethought as face-to-face meetings, so be sure to offer your participants an informative, memorable experience.

More Information

Have any other tips you’d like to share? Send us a comment or contact one of our professional account managers today!

Audio conferencing technology has made dramatic leaps and bounds from where it once was when it first appeared on the market. These improvements have helped to increase audio conferencing popularity levels, making it the next best solution to face-to-face meetings. Today, audio conference calling companies offers flexibility and cost-savings that allow you to easily increase your productivity levels – something many of us can be thankful for.

Previously, executives around the world would have squirmed at the idea of conducting an audio conference call. Now, countless numbers of businessmen and women are opting in favor of employing services like – particularly at this time of year – because they provide high-quality communication and collaboration while also providing them with the flexibility to spend time in the location of their choice. Moreover, when incorporated with the Internet, you are able to better interact with your audience via enhanced audio controls, video, and presentation/application/desktop sharing.

So, in the Thanksgiving spirit, we have created a small list of audio conferencing features to be thankful for:
Streamlined scheduling – schedule and invite attendees to join your conference with one-click via your Outlook or Lotus Notes calendar
Dial-out – leading audio conferencing providers, such as InterCall make joining and hosting calls easy. Subsequent to clicking on the URL to join, you will be prompted for your telephone number; once entered, the audio bridge will dial out to you and connect you to the meeting
Document/application/desktop sharing – whether you’re taking notes, conducting a PowerPoint presentation or collaborating on a document, including a visual aspect to your meeting helps to keep your audience engaged. In addition, many solutions also offer the ability to pass control of the meeting or even your desktop to another attendee
Know who has joined your meeting – whether you’re holding an audio conference call, or conducting a meeting with web integration there are multiple features that allow you to know who has joined your conference and, if needed, disconnect a line
Mute attendees – if you’re familiar with audio conference calls, chances are you’ve been on one where there was an attendee with a distracting background noise that made it almost impossible to concentrate on the topic at hand. By being able to mute attendees, you can easily avoid this mishap and keep your participants engaged

Want to learn more about InterCall audio conferencing services, WebEx audio conferencing services, PGi audio conferencing services, and other audio conferencing providers in the USA and Canada? Give one of our professional account managers a call today!

• Automatic dial-out to participants – eliminating the need for them to remember dial-in numbers and passcodes
• A streamlined interface – built based upon customer feedback in order to make common features and navigating conferencing controls even more user-friendly
• Sharing – of your documents, desktop, applications and websites
• Recording – for storing conferences in your personal digital library for future playback
• Outlook toolbar – for one-click scheduling, starting and recording of conferences
• Universal access – from Mac, PC and iPhone

As an upgraded and more powerful version of the original, PGi’s GlobalMeet 2.0 also offers features that have been upgraded and new, flexible pricing options to provide effective and cost-efficient audio and web conferencing to companies of all types and sizes around the globe.

In addition to the launch, PGi also released a GlobalMeet app in Apple’s iTunes store. PGi’s GlobalMeet app is the earliest in a forthcoming collection of mobile applications that were created to make the service available on any device, on the go or in-house, whenever the need arises.

PGi founder, CEO and chairman, Boland T. Jones, indicated that GlobalMeet was designed to “work the way real people do,” claiming that it is the solution to previous web conferencing issues. Jones also stated that both he and his company are sincerely thrilled by the “early market response,” and added, “PGi is changing the game again with GlobalMeet 2.0,” by providing a simple, user-friendly experience and price that is unparalleled in the industry. GlobalMeet offers both bundled and unbundled web and audio conferencing plans, with pricing starting at less than $30 per month.

Still wondering what GlobalMeet 2.0 can do for your business?

Aside from the obvious savings of time and money and a smaller carbon footprint that result by employing an audio or web conferencing service, PGi’s GlobalMeet solution helps you strengthen the bond between your team and your geographically dispersed customers and staff while increasing business productivity levels.

Think an audio or web conferencing solution, such as GlobalMeet, might be the right fit for your business? Give one of our skilled, professional account managers a call today and let us help you find the ideal conferencing solution for your unique business!

Businessmen and women are reinventing their professional worlds on their terms. Thanks to cloud technology boundaries are eliminated and new possibilities are available for increased productivity and connectivity.

For example, PGi iMeet has been used for everything: from job interviews to product demos and regular status updates. Wondering what it can do for you? Well, here are a few ways that PGi iMeet can up your company’s ante:

• Increase every employee’s productivity – in addition to saving time and money by eliminating business travel (and the hassle that comes with it), you are also encouraging a work/life balance for your employees. This is becoming particularly important for younger generation work forces
• Command attention – if you’ve ever held or attended an audio conference then you probably know how easy it can be to get distracted by other tasks. Web conferencing with PGi iMeet gives each participant their own “cube” where they can be seen throughout the duration of your meeting; so it’s no surprise that, when they know someone is watching, your participants will be more inclined to pay attention, interact with others, and not try to multi-task
• Avoid emergencies – market swings and natural disasters happen, and business travel can get interrupted for countless reasons; thankfully web conferencing allows employees to react promptly to these issues – whenever or wherever they may arise

In addition, PGi recently announced the launch of its iMeet Mobility Suite that works hand-in-hand with the PGi iMeet solution. The iMeet Mobility Suite offers a comprehensive range of tools that permit effortless, social video conferences that can be accessed remotely. What’s more is that PGi’s iMeet Mobility Suite is streamlined with your device’s browser without application installation because it is built on an HTML5 platform.

Are you interested in learning more about PGi iMeet or finding the ideal conferencing solution for your business? Give one of our professional account managers a call today!

Thanks to the current advancements in technology, it is just as likely that you will conduct business with a customer in another country as it is that you will conduct it with someone across town. That being said, you should not assume that sending an email is the most proficient method of communication. While email might be convenient, web conferencing solutions allow you to harness the full power of the Internet and offer a much more professional and valuable touch that can keep you ahead of the competition.

Web conferences take all the benefits and features of an audio conference call and bring it to the next level. Not only are you able to communicate with up to thousands of participants at one time, but you can also view documents simultaneously. Just imagine the time and stress you could save yourself from by eliminating your chances of miscommunication! And you are no longer limited to simple file sharing; now web conferencing allows you to share your desktop and other applications, utilize interactive annotation tools, as well as a host of additional powerful features.

For example, audio conference calls might leaving you wondering who is currently speaking; web conferencing solutions such as PGi’s iMeet provides individual “cubes” for each meeting participant that contain bios, social networking information, and take the guess work out of determining who is speaking by lighting up green whenever a participant talks. These cutting-edge features aide in strengthening the relationship you create with your current and potential clients and partners.

Web conferencing breaks down the geographical barriers that are separating us, and bridges the gap through face-to-face communication. If you are interested in finding a web conferencing solution for your business, contact one of our professional account managers today. We work with the industry’s leading providers of web conferencing services and can find you the ideal solution for your business’s unique needs.

By replacing conventional face-to-face business meetings with an audio conferencing or web conferencing solution, you dramatically slash the increasingly high prices and hours of time that are typically wasted on business travel. Just think, you can completely eliminate company car rental, hotel room, and airfare expenses, and instead meet with participants from the comfort and convenience of your own desk. What’s more is that many of the leading providers of audio and web conferencing services now offer conferencing applications that allow you to attend or even conduct a conference via your own smartphone.

Let’s face it, nothing is guaranteed; even if you sent your best employee half way around the world to close a prospective deal, there is a chance – however small it may be – that the deal could fall through. Why risk throwing away thousands of dollars and countless hours when you could keep that same employee in-house (and available to work on other projects), and meet with the same prospective clients for only a few cents per minute?

In addition to saving a considerable amount of time and money, another huge advantage to utilizing conferencing services is they will enhance your company’s productivity. In the past, regular business travel would allow you to maybe meet with one or two clients per week; however, with all the free time you gain by employing a conferencing service, you could schedule two or three client meetings – per day. Just imagine what your business could achieve by being able to meet with ten to fifteen clients per week! Not to mention, a well rested staff will work harder and better than a jet-lagged staff. Plus, taxis and airports are not the most ideal locations to get extra work completed.

If you’re interested in finding the ideal audio conferencing or web conferencing solution for your business, give one of our professional account managers a call today. We work with the leading providers of conferencing services in order to find you the perfect solution at the perfect price.

When compared to email, audio conferences offer a more sophisticated form of communication that allows the user to convey as well as interpret crucial “tells,” such as the tone and volume of the participant’s voice. This is something that email simply cannot deliver, even though it does give it a good try with emoticons and capital lettering.

Moreover, audio conferencing and conference calls are cost-efficient, simple to set-up, and extremely user-friendly – what’s not to love about that? Capable of being used for countless needs, conference calls and audio conference services can broaden the scope of your business’s reach. Aside from the obvious cost savings that results in eliminating the need for business travel and the associated expenses, businesses of all sizes stand to gain many benefits from employing an audio conferencing solution, such as:

• Simplified domestic and international communication and collaboration
• A proficient image that allows even the smallest business to appear as professional as the “big dog” competitors
• A smaller carbon footprint for your business with the decrease in business travel as well as overall paper consumption
• Streamlined scheduling for meetings with integration to programs such as Microsoft Outlook
• The ability to bring your entire staff together, regardless of their location, to either work on an issue or project in-house, or to conduct a presentation for a current or prospective client or partner

With the recent rise and availability of audio conferences and audio conferencing services, it has never been easier for a local or national business to take the leap into international sales. Stressing over a language barrier? Fret not, as conferencing services allow you to include a translator on your real-time conference calls.

Are you thinking about employing an audio conference solution for your business? Give one of our professional account managers a call today to find out more!

The wonderful thing about conferencing is that it allows you to do anything you used to do offline, online, for much less time and much less cost. If you’re on the west coast and need to collaborate with your team in geographically dispersed satellite offices on an up-coming project or presentation, a web conferencing solution would save you the hassle and expense of traveling to each branch location. Moreover, modern web conferencing solutions allow you to interact with your staff in real-time with the type of conferencing quality that rivals in-person meetings.

For example, for small meetings that require up to 15 participants, PGi’s web conferencing solution, iMeet allows you to connect to any computer, phone, or mobile device with enterprise quality audio. PGi iMeet allows you to lock your conferences to prohibit any unwanted visitors, and offers desktop video and the ability to upload, present and share your files.

Gone are the days of wondering whose speaking when you’re in an audio or web conference! Was that Bill? Joe? Justine? They don’t sound familiar – was that person even invited to this conference? PGi iMeet has come to the rescue with their active talker icon. Each participant is given his or her own individual “cube” for everyone to see that glows green whenever that person is speaking. As for those inevitable side conversations, PGi iMeet also allows for private chats with other participants. Moreover, to get better acquainted with your attendees, you can access each person’s bio, photos, and social networking information simply by clicking on their cube.

I’ll break it down for you even further. Conferencing solutions save you from the hassle of:

• Making the trip through traffic to the airport (as well as paying for parking)
• Having to book flights to and from your destinations
• Car rentals
• Hotel rooms for your traveling employees
• Per Diem expenses for food, drinks, etc.

Business travel can cost thousands of dollars, while conferencing solutions generally cost only pennies per minute! Contact one of our professional account managers today and we will help you find the ideal conferencing solution for your unique business needs.

On-demand conferencing is beneficial for multiple reasons:

• Employee training
• Information retention
• Branch offices or mobile workers in different time zones
• Employees that cannot make the conference due to illness or an emergency
• No required plug-ins, software downloads, etc.

On-demand conferencing lets you increase the reach of your content by allowing customer in locations where arranging a live meeting can be impractical access to your conferences. As the size of your audience grows, it becomes more and more difficult to arrange a single time that works with everyone’s schedule. Mobile workers or those in branch or satellite offices in geographically dispersed locations can be hard to synch appropriate meeting times with. Salespeople and support staff members need to be available on-call as much as possible in order to provide successful service to existing and potential customers. Likewise your presenters’ time is also precious, and they are better served making the most of their day utilizing their skills and knowledge to the best of their ability, as opposed to presenting repeat information over and over to different audiences.

If you do manage to find the time to hold a live audio or web conference with a large audience, it can take an extended amount of time to address and deliver your message to each specific department. As you might have read in a few of my previous posts, meetings that drag on for indefinite periods of time risk losing the attention and interest of your audience. On-demand conferencing lets you customize your meetings by personalizing your content (for example, adding or removing particular slides) based upon your audience.

When it comes to retaining information, having your previously recorded audio and web conferences available on-demand gives your staff access to important information, such as products, policies and procedures, at all times and from any device. In addition, on-demand conferencing tools are available that can track who viewed what information, from where, for how long, and even show their answers to any polling questions or interactive surveys should you decide to incorporate them.

For more information on on-demand conferencing services and how they can help improve your business, give one of our professional account managers a call today!

1. “Hot” prospective customers – the reason so many web conferences are held in the first place. While it’s true any type of attendee can become a prospective customer, these are the ones that come to the table ready to go. You can spot this type fairly easily: they actively participate in discussions as well as any surveys or polls you include in the presentation. The key to engaging this type of participant is not in the frills – just deliver exactly what you promised. Hot prospective customers come into your meeting prepared for whatever it is you are presenting, so delivering an engaging, well-balanced presentation with timely follow up will ensure you the best chances of turning that prospect into your newest customer.
2. The creepers – these types make their way onto multiple mailing lists in one way or another and could possibly even attend your meetings regularly. However, while they may habitually attend your meetings and likely have a good reason for being there, they generally won’t participate. These types of meeting-goers typically include researchers, possible competitors, insiders in the industry, etc. Most hosts are hesitant to engage this type of attendee and write them off early because they are less likely to become a sale. However, we suggest giving them a direct shout-out during the conference to increase the odds of their participation. For example, prior to the start of your meeting mention the topics/products you are covering, and if there are any researchers in the audience be sure to list a few of your resources for them to check out independently.
3. The no-shows – these are the ones that accepted your meeting invite, said they’d be there, and when the day finally came they failed to show up. While this might leave you hesitant to share information with them after the fact, it is important to keep in mind that they may have missed your meeting for a very legitimate reason (i.e. illness, family emergency, etc). The best and easiest way to handle these participants is to make your conference and related materials available – whether online or via email – to all attendees at the conclusion of your conference. This will allow the ones who missed it a chance to hear and view the same information, and give those who were able to attend the ability to review the materials again.
4. The just-the-facts-folks – these types of attendees are strictly business. They have accepted your meeting invite for a specific reason and want you to deliver just that – no more, no less. The best way to address this type of attendee is to deliver exactly what you outline at the start of your meeting. Also, having materials available after the conclusion of your meeting that they can view at their convenience is helpful as well.