How to Save Your Clients Time and Money by Lee Simonson, 24Conference.com August 2008
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The advantages of using conference calling to save time and money.

Ask any decision maker what drains his or her time during the day and you'll probably get the same answer -- meetings! So, executives are always on the lookout for ways to get the information they need while avoiding meeting burnout.

Fortunately, there's an answer. It's conference calling. And with the latest technological advances, more and more companies are adopting conference calling as the preferred method of communicating, replacing physical meetings that take up too much space, time and expenses. Getting everyone on a conference call is a lot easier than hauling everyone across town. And it's a no brainer when it comes to reaching contacts across the continent.

Conferencing is a tool that helps marketing, PR and advertising firms, communicate their ideas quickly and effectively. And with $4 a gallon gas, it saves a considering amount of resources, especially for their clients. It's the green way to do business. Its popularity is growing substantially, and every time the price of gas goes up, more and more enterprises are turning to conferencing as a solution. In fact, some companies just give every director and manager their own conference access.

Here are a few things you should know about conference calling and the three ways you can take advantage of the technology.

1. Phone conferencing is what most people are familiar with and it's the fastest and simplest way to get a group together. Everyone just dials the same conference bridge number and then puts in a unique passcode code, and starts talking. There are a variety of options the moderator has, including such things as "lecture mode" where those in attendance can only hear those who have dialed in on the moderator passcode.
2. Web conferencing connects you to the Internet and allows everyone on the conference to see PowerPoint presentations, or share applications like Word, or Excel spreadsheets. Actually, you can "share" your desktop so everyone on the conference can see what you are looking at on your own computer screen. So, web conferencing enables you to use the phone conference and the web at the same time to make your presentations more visual.
3. Video conferencing adds a live video feed from a web cam to your normal web conferencing features. Everyone can see you talking, and you can see them talking, while presenting an online presentation. Usually, you would use a regular phone for the audio portion, but you can also use a microphone and speaker with your computer to talk using VOIP (voice over Internet protocol.) As with the first two options, video conferencing can also be recorded. In general, because of a limited amount screen space, video works best with 6 people or less.

All the conference options are very inexpensive and there is no need to buy expensive hardware or new phones. Most conference users have "reservationless" conferencing which means they have access to the conference bridge 24/7 and can place calls anytime they want.

Payment plans include pay as you go, flat rate and toll free access numbers. For a more professional touch, you can get operator assisted conference calling. That's when an operator calls out to the participants and places them into the conference call. The participants don't have to do anything except answer the phone. Pretty convenient!

Overall, conferencing will continue to gain in popularity and will become a standard method of communicating with groups of associates or clients. While it's been around for years, conference calling is taking on a new life due to corporate efforts to curtail travel expenses and improve productivity.

If you have a client who can't stand the thought of being dragged into another time consuming meeting, suggest a conference call or web presentation. You might be surprised at the reaction when he or she says, "Yes, please!"

Lee Simonson is a conference consultant and the owner of 24Conference.com, serving hundreds of clients across the United States and Canada.

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Company URL: http://www.24conference.com

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