Audio Conferencing Services for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses

Let’s face it, business travel is expensive, time consuming, and rarely fun. Not only do you have to deal with the hassle of getting to the airport/train station on time and passing through security, but you also have to purchase increasingly expensive travel tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, etc., and spend a great deal of time away from your friends and family.

Add to that the fact that businesses of all sizes are tightening their budgets in order to stay competitive, and it’s easy to see why so many of today’s companies are looking for an alternative solution to meeting in-person.

Small and mid-sized businesses face an even greater challenge, as many typically lack the capital that large enterprises have to meet and connect with their geographically dispersed customers, colleagues and partners. One way to work around these issues, however, is to employ an audio conferencing service.

Audio conferencing keeps your team connected, increases your business’s productivity, and helps the environment – all while saving you money.

By cutting out even one form of transportation for you and/or your participants, you are shrinking your business’s carbon footprint and making a positive impact on the environment. Having said that, we have yet to see the genuine impact that audio conferencing services have made on the environment, simply because many businesses have yet to use them the way they could and should. When first introduced on the market, audio conferencing services were complicated and unpredictable, causing many to shy away from regular use.

Today’s audio conferencing services, however, are flexible, reliable, user friendly, and offer a comprehensive set of features to make your audio conference more powerful, engaging, and effective than ever before. Schedule meetings in advance or host them on the fly – whether you’re meeting with as few as 3 or as many as 3,000 participants – all from the comfort of your desk.

Today’s conferencing market is growing at an incredible rate. The global recession has caused businesses all over the world to reassess where and how they spend their money; and as a result, travel budgets are often one of the first to get hit with cuts. At the same time, audio, video and web conferencing solutions are becoming more powerful, economical, and reliable, and therefore, a more viable option for small and mid-sized businesses. If you’re thinking of employing an audio, web or video conferencing service for your business, give us a call today! We work with today’s leading providers of conferencing services and can help you find the ideal solution for your unique needs.

Audio Conferencing Service

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Audio Conference Improvement Tips to Increase Participants Engagement

We’ve all been there before. You get the meeting invite, read it over, and cringe as you click the “accept” button while picturing what you – and many others – consider to be a waste of valuable time during your busy work day. Nevertheless when the scheduled time comes, you diligently dial-in ready and willing to collaborate.

Then just as you suspected (and is witnessed in the video), you struggle to stay awake as you listen to a lack-luster presentation and ultimately zone out until you are either called upon for a response or it ends… or both.

While it can provide a reliable, crystal clear connection on which your message can be delivered, even the most advanced audio conferencing service cannot present your material for you. The fact of the matter is that your participants are at the mercy of their presenter(s). As a result, we’ve compiled a list of a few tips and tricks for increasing participant engagement in your next conference:

• Customize your participant entrances – many times hosts will try to begin a meeting, but are interrupted with a “so-and-so has entered the conference” greeting, causing them to start over. This is an easy adjustment, and the majority of today’s conferencing software permits the host or presenter to adjust the entrance greeting, allowing the meeting to start on time, every time
• Reach out – every audience is unique. By asking questions and getting feedback throughout your conference, you can tailor your material as you present it
• Summarize – open your presentation with a brief summary of what you plan on covering and what you hope to accomplish. If you plan on covering a lot of important information, consider distributing an outline via email along with your invitations or just before the start of your meeting
• Use multiple presenters – especially if you plan on passing the 30 minute mark. Nothing causes participants to lose interest faster than a dull, monotone voice, so if you have a presenter like the one in the video, it’s important to try and encourage them to liven up their voice to deliver a more animated presentation

Additional Information

If you are searching for the right audio or web conferencing service for your business, give us a call today! Our professional account managers will help your find the service you need with the features you want for the best available price.

For more information please visit: Audio Conference, Audio Conference Calling