Traditional teleconferencing requires businesses to either purchase special equipment and software or pay a set fee for access to a teleconferencing service. For businesses that do a great deal of conferencing, these services represent an excellent value. However, many businesses only occasionally need to teleconference. For them, these types of service are overkill.

The service makes it easy for employees, clients, prospects and others to join your conference call. All that they need to do is to dial a toll-free number and enter a personal identification number. This has the credibility of a more elaborate conference setup but without the cost.Meet Me Conferencing is a service that allows occasional conference callers to have access to a powerful conference calling solutions on a pay as you go basis. For businesses who do not need unlimited access to conference calling, Meet Me Conferencing is the most cost effective option.

Meet Me Conferencing is easy for your staff to manage and moderate, as well. Your staff will get an audio console that lets them manage conferences and sub-conferences and even record calls if needed. Being able to have a teleconference whenever you need it will save your small business money on travel. After all, it is much less expensive to connect your team by phone than to fly them in and put them up in hotels.

If your business needs teleconferencing on an as-needed basis, Meet Me Conferencing is an excellent option. It gives you all the same features and benefits of full-service teleconferencing solutions, but at a much lower price. Contact us today to learn more.

One of the last things that people think about in a recovery plan is the ability to have a conference call. On the other hand, one of the first things that you need to do after a disaster is to get everyone together, take stock of the situation and plan your next moves. If everyone cannot physically get to the same place, you need a conference call to make this happen.

With RollCall Disaster Recovery, your ability to communicate with your team, your customers, and the outside world via phone and web conference does not have to be interrupted when the unexpected happens. The service backs all of your communications information up in a secure off-site location where it can be restored in just a few moments. In addition to having a secure conferencing system, your business will also benefit from having access to a team of consultants to help you with your disaster recovery needs.

Access to communications can stop an emergency from turning into a catastrophe for your business. RollCall Disaster Recovery services will ensure that you are able to communicate with the people that you need to, regardless of what might happen. To learn more about our services, please contact us today.

And, yes, this compliance infographic does focus on big-name companies with big-time revenue—but start-ups and small businesses are just as responsible for following compliance regulations!

Train like a pro.

Need to train a new volunteer on how to interact with a foreign culture? Does the current staff need a refresher on how to build confidence in the young kids they’re charged with mentoring? Whatever your training needs, consider using a webinar format:

• It’s cheap. In a world where it seems like funding is decreasing and the price of everything is rising, it’s mission critical to keep an eye on expenses. One way to save on training costs (like gas or facility rental) is with a webcasting platform. This option allows you to deliver targeted training to anyone, anywhere at a price that’s surprisingly affordable.
• It’s convenient. Chances are good that your volunteers are busy people. Archived webinars are a smart way to deliver training that fits into each team member’s schedule. They can view a session during a morning workout or after the kids go to bed.

Connect with potential donors.

Human stories are at the heart of every community or charity group. It’s the infant who lost his life to a genetic disorder. Or the grandmother who volunteered to mentor kids in need. Non-profits have so many cost-effective tools to share those stories with potential donors:

• Interview people who’ve benefited from your services, and share it via live streaming webcasting or archived webcasts.
• Engage with faraway donors via teleconferencing.
• Post photos of your volunteers hard at work via social networks like Twitter or Facebook.
• Blog about what’s going on in the organization. You might share news, updates, or even highlights from fundraising events or other activities. In addition to helping you connect with people, a well-planned social media strategy can put a nice dent into marketing costs.

What tips can you share to help other non-profits connect with others while lowering costs?

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Has your company integrated technology, like sharing content in HTML5, to enable workers to learn, connect, and share information? Feel free to share your comments below the infographic.

Are you seeing an internal uptick in the number of employees or decision makers interested in work-from-home arrangements? Please share your thoughts below the infographic.

Sustained Web Conferencing Growth

According to a TechNavio analysis reported by Business Wire, web conference use is expected to grow almost 20 percent in the next few years. This growth is spurred by the integration of high-speed internet technology in businesses throughout the world as well as the growing availability of mobile devices that can connect to the Internet. As businesses compete in an increasingly competitive market, video and web conferences provide efficient and cost effective communication solutions.

Web Communication Evens the Playing Field

Because web, video and audio conferences are available to businesses of any size at relatively low cost, they even the playing field. A 10-man team in South Dakota has an equal ability to meet virtually with international business partners as a Fortune 500 corporation in Atlanta. This multilevel access is allowing small businesses throughout the world to become major players in a variety of industries.

Instant Communication Stretches Your Resources

When a business partner has a problem, wants to draw up a launch plan or needs your expertise, the use of web conferencing provides a way to stretch your resources without disrupting your budget. When you send staff to physical locations, it becomes easily apparent how small your organization actually is. A person can only be in one place at a time. With virtual meetings, a small and dedicated staff can handle multiple relations each day. You can avoid hiring additional staff, cut back on travel costs and use the savings to fuel your business.

Although web conferencing is a valuable tool, you should ensure you come across as genuine and engaged during all communication. For more information on how to use virtual meeting spaces for the best results, speak with a trained web conferencing representative at RollCall today.

• Is the webcast for marketing purposes? If generating leads or driving website traffic is the goal, then common business wisdom advises that the webinar should be free. It’s perfectly fine to collect information (contact info, web address, etc.), but avoid the urge to ask for a fee.
• Will attendees be willing to pay a webinar fee? Everyone has an eye on the bottom line these days, but it’s still important to consider the audience when deciding whether to charge for webcast events. For example, a homeschooling mommy blogger audience is likely less able to pay a webinar fee than a multinational corporation. Always consider the target before setting a price structure.
• Is the webcast for training purposes? Whether the content is designed for professional development or software training, chances are better that attendees would be willing to pay for learning opportunities. Be aware that some decision makers will view this type of online learning as voluntary, so prices generally need to be at the lower end of the scale.
• Is the content necessary for compliance? Compliance training is a must-have for a range of sectors, making it more likely an employer would be willing to pay for relevant, targeted webinar content.
• Can we make the payment process smooth? Not all live streaming webcast providers are set up to provide a payment solution that’s easy for you and attendees to navigate. Look for a web streaming company with the tools to integrate a range of payment options, from PayPal to credit cards.

For more info about offering paid live streaming content that includes stress-free payment solutions and mobile-friendly viewing technology, contact RollCall Business Conferencing.

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1. Choose conference calling services wisely. Yes, you can find a free conference call provider. But if that provider delivers services on a less-than-professional level, you could find yourself spending time apologizing for technical difficulties instead of driving the message home.
2. Get the feel for a “people-free” audience. Teleseminars and teleconferences have a different flavor than a face-to-face meeting, where a presenter can observe and interact with the audience. If you’ve never done a remote presentation before, practice the teleconference with colleagues or friends so you develop a better sense of how to interact with a group over the phone.
3. Stand up. It’s easy to suffer a case of the slouches if you’re sitting down. Why does that matter on a teleconference? Slouching affects your volume and breathing, and that can make talking for an extended period a genuine slog. Standing up forces you into a posture that gives your voice clarity and command, and makes you feel more energetic.
4. Don’t read. Teleconference attendees can smell a reader through the phone line. Use notes to remind you of pertinent points or data and to keep the presentation on schedule. The more you practice, the more natural the delivery will be and the less you’ll need to rely on reading.
5. Watch the water (or coffee or tea….). When doing a solo presentation via teleconference, water can be your best friend—and your worst enemy. Take a bathroom break before the event, and then be smart about how much water you’re drinking throughout. (Bonus tip: Lips dry? Keep lip balm handy.)
6. Consider a wingman/woman. Hosting an effective teleconference can present challenges, so don’t be afraid to turn your solo act into a duet. An assistant, for example, can keep you on schedule or take the lead on a particular segment. That person might also help people who are having difficulties, like the teleseminar attendee who can’t find the pre-event material you emailed last week.

You can go solo and still deliver an effective teleconferencing event. For more info about our suite of tools that gives you the power to deliver messages reliably and affordably, contact RollCall Business Conferencing.

• Establish leadership. No, we’re not talking about using dictatorial top-dog tactics to manage a distributed team. Rather leadership in this situation is about guiding team members toward completing the objective. Often that involves tasks like defining deliverables, managing timelines, and keeping team members focused on the end goal.
• Respect culture. Work groups distributed across countries can easily fall into chaos when cultures clash. Take time to understand culture challenges your team may face when communicating with each other.  Remember, too, to pick up the HR basics for other countries team members may be working from because employment law may vary from country to country (for example, some countries may regulate working hours).
• Schedule one-on-one time. It’s easy for remote workers to feel disconnected from team members or a team leader. Occasionally schedule time for your people to break out as well as time for you to connect with individual team members.
• Record/archive communications. From DM’ing on Twitter about an updated timeline to teleconferencing your way through a major snag, recording and archiving communication allows team members to review things they may have missed or go back and clarify items they may have misunderstood. Upload the records to a central location, and regularly remind team members they have access to them.
• Handle conflict. Whether it stems from a personality clash or difference of opinion, conflicts can trigger mayhem on any project. Unpleasant as it may be, team leaders need to deal with disagreements, misunderstandings, and misperceptions. Take time to resolve conflicts that arise. Although a face-to-face meeting is ideal, it’s not always possible. As an alternative, arrange a teleconference with the involved parties to hash it out—so the entire team can get back to working toward project goals instead of dealing with drama.

What tips can you share for managing remote teams that communicate via teleconferences, web conferences, or social media?

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