Five Ways Audio and Web Conferencing Helps Small Businesses

Small businesses are flocking to audio and Web conferencing for many reasons and they are all about money. Choosing audio and Web conferencing over traditional methods helps small businesses by helping them save money and more of it. Here’s how:

Travel

Audio and Web conferencing services let small businesspeople cut out travel expenses. In some cases, they can do away with travel altogether. There is no reason to spend hundred on air fare and hotel rooms when the same tasks can be accomplished right from your office computer.

Time

The old adage, “time is money,” has never been more true. Technology has saved us time in so many ways. Audio and Web conferencing is just another example of how technology allows us to do more. Time spent traveling is unfruitful and wasteful. That time can be better used to develop closer client relationships, provide better customer service to existing customers and develop more leads.

Printed Marketing Materials

There is no longer a need to create expensive marketing pamphlets and proposals. PowerPoint presentations are much cheaper to produce and can be presented via Web conferencing. Marketing this way saves trees and saves your budget.

Shorter Sales Cycles

Audio and Web conferencing shortens the sales cycle dramatically. Deals that once took several phone calls, letters and visits to accomplish can now be completed in one fell swoop through Web conferencing. Salespeople can instantly show prospects a product demonstration, invite decision makers into the conference and close the deal on the spot. All the extra time can be used to general more leads, contact more prospects and close more sales.

Webinars

Some small businesses are actually using Web conferencing itself to make money. They hold educational webinars for paying participants. Webinars can also be used to create leads by attracting the type of customer a salesperson is seeking. The relationships developed from these events can create more leads and develop more sales.

Interactive Web Conferencing

Web conferencing is a growing alternative for business people looking to save expenses and time. It allows users to communicate interactively via shared desktops, document sharing, instant messaging and voice. These features let you collaborate with others easily rather than working on many back and forth emails and phone calls. It is far more efficient to get everyone together in one room through web conferencing.

Web conferencing is as easy to use as any web site. The intuitive interface means you only need to point and click to invite attendees, interact on a project and save the meeting for later reference. 24/7 customer support ensures your meetings always go smoothly.

Before you invest in a web conference service provider, make sure you will actually get a reasonable return on your investment. The best way to do this is to use a provider that charges per use instead of by the month. This way you have a solid return on your investment and you can even allocate the expense to each project.

Make sure you choose a web conferencing provider that can meet all your needs. Many have more than one popular name-brand platform for you to host your meeting. If you get a service with excellent customer support, you will get a free tutorial or even a live walk through with a customer service agent. This is very important to minimizing the learning curve and ensuring you are up and running as soon as possible.

Remote Product Support with Audio and Web Conferencing

Small businesses cannot afford unhappy customers. Growing and turning a profit requires that you continue to maintain satisfied existing customers while acquiring new ones. To accomplish this, you need an efficient, affordable and fast customer support system in place that benefits both your customer service support personnel and your customers. You are probably already using audio and Web conferencing for business contacts around the world, but have you considered what these services can do for your customer support operations?

Most companies maintain customer service agents through a call centers, instant messaging and email. While these are useful avenues, you can save a lot by switching to audio and Web conferencing for the majority of your customer service support questions. Audio conferencing is much more affordable than call centers and Web conferencing offers the benefits of sharing documents and applications with clients while providing instant messaging or voice communications at the same time.

By switching to Internet-based conferencing solutions for customer support, you are no longer limited geographically for your customer service hiring needs. Many companies outsourced customer service to foreign countries, only to learn that their customers detested speaking with individuals with poor English skills. By instead using a combination of audio and Web conferencing, combined with native English speakers where the prevailing wage is lower, you can accomplish the same savings without sacrificing customer service.

Another problem with telephone support and instant messaging is the inability to show customers visually how to fix a problem. When you use an audio conferencing service that also offers Web conferencing, you can easily turn the phone call into a Web conference and show customers how to resolve their product questions. This leads to quicker problem resolutions and few onsite customer support calls. Together these conferencing tools will save your business time and money allowing you to service more customers in less time and a lower cost.

When to Use Audio Conferencing

Think about the last three conferences you attended. How far did you have to travel for those? How much did it cost your organization? If it was in your office at your desktop computer, you are already on the right track. If you had to travel miles to get to the presentation, there is room for improvement.

In today’s business environment, audio and Web conferencing just makes good sense. There is little excuse for spending hundreds of dollars for travel when that money could go towards growing the business. That said, there are still some decisions to make about how you will communicate with coworkers and clients in remote locations.

With all the communication options out there, it may be hard to decide what type of communication is best for a given business situation. You may have some documents to share that are self-explanatory. To share them, you only need to send out an email with an attachment. But what if recipients are likely to have questions? What is the best way to handle it? Should you choose an audio conference or a Web conference?

This can be a matter of preference or convenience. If you want to go over a document in detail, a Web conference may be best so that all parties are looking at the same part of the document at the same time. However, if you just want to provide a question and answer period, an audio conference makes more sense. This is because audio conferencing is cheaper than Web conferencing and therefore should be utilized whenever possible.

Audio conferencing is also perfect for quick team meetings. When team members are scattered geographically, weekly team meetings help keep members unified, connected and focused. Each member can discuss accomplishments and goals in a virtual meeting, ensuring everyone stays on the same track to a shared goal.

Even more Benefits from Audio and Web Conferencing

We all know that Internet-based conferencing tools reduce travel costs, increase business efficiency and help the environment. But the benefits do not end there. Audio and Web conferencing tools do even more by reducing real estate and facility costs, resolving customer issues more quickly and cheaply and lower telephony infrastructure and administration costs.

Reduced Real Estate and Facility Costs

Some executives experience a jaw-dropping amazement when they learn the tremendous savings audio and Web conferencing can bring, allowing employees to work from home or from less expensive locations. Conferencing tools let teleworkers join meetings and collaborate on projects from remote locations. By moving operations to locations with lower rents or buying facilities with lower taxes, companies can significantly reduce facility costs.

Quicker Customer Resolutions

Call centers have developed a chain of escalation procedures to handle customer inquiries quickly. In the past, this meant putting a customer on hold, and transferring a call to someone else, forcing the customer to explain the problem yet again. But with audio conferencing, supervisors can be brought in on the call. When the representative explains to the supervisor the problem with the customer listening, the customer knows the problem is understood. This collaborative approach makes the customer feel cared about and respected. This approach is quicker as well, allowing direct communications that side-step misunderstandings and solve problems swiftly.

Lower Telephony Infrastructure and Administration Costs

In the past, businesses spent enormous resources developing conferencing bridges for their businesses, adding on the cost of the hardware, electricians and maintenance of the system. As these systems age, businesses no longer need to replace them. Audio and web conferencing allows businesses to install and maintain a simpler, less expensive telephone system because conferencing bridges can be eliminated. With the high-speed Internet connection the business already uses, all of the companies conferencing needs can be met with Internet-based audio and Web conferencing.

Web Conferencing Benefits Many Business Models

Virtual companies began showing up around 2005 and they continue to become popular business models due to low operating costs. When organizations can minimize the cost of doing business, they gain a market advantage. These businesses are also faster to adopt change and respond to market forces because they are not tied down to a set business model. All operations are done “in the cloud” as they use web-based applications and communications like web conferencing to accomplish their business goals.

Telecommuting, on the other hand, is a little different. Workers at virtual companies work remotely, but they are not really telecommuters because there is no central location that the business calls home. Telecommuting workers are typically a segment of a traditional brick-and-mortar business, performing those roles that can easily be accomplished remotely or for jobs that are difficult to accomplish from a desk in the office. Web conferencing makes it easy for these workers to keep managers up to date on their accomplishments and progress.

Then of course, there is the traditional business, working from a central, strategically placed location. These are generally larger businesses, usually established more than five years ago, when web conferencing first began to take off. The advantages of a brick-and-mortar business depends on the industry. When trust is an important factor, it is helpful to have a physical location where customers can find you. These businesses use web conferencing less frequently and often pay more for their communications, relying heavily on traditional mail marketing and a local sales force.

Whichever your business model, technology is making non-traditional business formations possible. Businesses are no longer tied to a building or to a set business model. As business school graduates go out into the workforce, many are embracing technology and finding their own path to success. Instead of looking at the traditional tools of business, they are scanning the landscape for what works now.

The Top 5 Web Conferencing Mistakes

It may be hard to believe, but some businesses out there still have not tried web conferencing. If you are using web conferencing for the first time, here are some helpful tips to help you avoid common mistakes.

Know the User Interface

For the sake of your professional image, you should run a practice meeting to understand the user interface. While simple to use, it is best to know where to access the features and functions so that you do not delay meetings while you search for the controls. A quick five-minute meeting with a colleague should be enough to have you up to speed.

Guide Participants

Do not assume the participants know how to use the interface. Meeting attendees will appreciate you taking the time to review the interface with them before beginning the meeting. Take five minutes at the opening of the meeting to go over features and functions and answer any questions participants may have.

Recording

Do not forget to use the recording feature for your meeting. Recording is a great way to keep things on track and repurpose the meeting when you are done. Let attendees know you are recording and you will realize a polite, professional and well-maintained meeting that can be used for training or marketing purposes later. Be sure you know how to record the meeting before you begin.

Joining Audio

Show attendees how to mute their audio and how to turn it back on. Do not assume they know how to turn it on and off. By going over the controls at the beginning of the meeting, you minimize problems with background noise from lines that have not been muted. Ask attendees who are not presenting to mute their audio, but ask them to turn it back on for a question and answer session. Be sure they know how to use the feature before the meeting begins so all runs smoothly.

Avoid Desktop Distractions

Do not leave unnecessary applications open on your desktop. Be sure you close them before your presentation. Notifications, pop-ups and other distractions can interrupt your presentation or otherwise distract attendees from your message. Close extraneous program and keep documents you wish to share in a single folder on your desktop so they are easy to access.

Cut Business Costs with Conference Calls

Those of us in business management know the importance of keeping to or even beating a budget whenever possible. Managers can maximize efficiency in business communications and cut wasted resources by using audio and web conferencing. Here is a rundown of how audio conferencing works so you can consider how best to manage these services to the benefit of your organization.

Introduction to Audio Conferencing

Audio conferencing is an Internet administered version of the classic teleconference. It offers an ease and convenience that was never available through traditional teleconferencing services. Gone are the days of missing a meeting because the limit on number of attendees has been met. Exorbitant fees are a thing of the past. Internet audio conferencing has made audio conferencing an even better way to save expenses on business travel.

Reservation not Required

With audio conferencing, the sessions can be done by reservation, where each participant calls into a specific phone number to be connected with the group. This type of conferencing is not as expensive as it once was. Most providers charge by the minute, rather than by the tradition method of billing by number of attendees.
Reservationless sessions now can be arranged using the Internet. This was not possible with traditional teleconferencing. Now attendees call in with a unique phone number assigned to you by the audio conferencing provider. You then provided attendees access with a code that they enter to join the conference.

Technical Aspects

Traditional telephone networks provided a dedicated line for each phone number. This ensured clear calls and prevented disruptions in communication. This is accomplished online, using private IP networks. Where public IP networks are subject to disruption when other users take up bandwidth, private networks do not suffer this complication.

The Internet does not transmit the actual analog audio signals from the telephone. Instead, these signals are converted into digital information that can then be transmitted via the Internet. Because digital data takes up less bandwidth, other calls on the private IP network do not interfere with your call. Digital data is also easy to record and playback whenever necessary. No additional devices are needed, as would be the case with traditional teleconferencing.

Business Advantages

With all the advantages audio conferencing has over teleconferencing, you can rely more heavily on virtual meetings, saving thousands on your company’s budget. You will look like the hero for cutting costs. Not to mention the benefit your company gains from the increased productivity that results when employees can communicate at great distances easily and conveniently.

Why Conference Calls? Practical Uses For Any Business

Conference calls are a vital service for your business. They can be used in training, marketing and customer service. Your company image comes through on conference calls, just as much as they do in phone calls and face to face meetings. This is why choosing a conference call provider is a process that should be taken seriously by your business.

Ease of Use

With the advent of the Internet, communication speed has become breathtaking. The faster we communicate, the more we can discuss and accomplish. This means your conference call service must be easy to use and simple to navigate. The service should be a tool that facilitates quick communication and should not hamper the conversation while you fumble with its functions.

Call Quality and Customer Service

Conference calls convey more than just communications. Every interaction you have with clients and customers are Public Relations moments. They are times when your professionalism and sharpness must be perceived by the client. This means you need clear communication lines and good customer support, should there be any problems with a conference call. You need to be able to fix any problems quickly and efficiently to move on to the subject at hand and minimize disruption.

Conference Call Costs

While price is a factor, be careful not to choose from the bottom of the barrel. In business, you get what you pay for. Free services are not likely to convey the professional image your business needs to succeed with clients. Because free service providers are out there, you should not be paying large fees to your conference call service. However, if you want a good service provider, some nominal fees should be expected to maintain the technology and pay employees to provide the good customer service.

Good technology and customer service will ensure your company's image is projected in the best light during conference calls. Sales can fall through for any number of reasons. Do not let your conference call service provider be one of them.  For more information conference calling for business - visit, http://www.flyconferencing.com.

Must Have Home Business Tools

If you have a home based business, there are five basic tools that you should have. Your home office is your communication center and working quickly and efficiently allows you to maximize profits. These five must have tools for your home based business will keep you working smarter instead of harder to maximize profits.

Computer

Obviously, you need a computer. But not just any computer will do. The basic features you will need in a computer are a good operating system, high-speed USB and a fast CPU. When it comes to operating systems, there are many business owners there who are not crazy about Vista. High-speed USB is needed for all your peripherals and a fast CPU will ensure you can jump from application to application with little waiting time.

Scanner

Scanners are usually needed for home based businesses, allowing you to eliminate the filing cabinet and lost paperwork. Be sure to choose one with auto-feed so you can quickly digitize multi-page documents. You can organize documents in folders by client or adopt a document imaging software that allows you to manage the documents into many searchable categories and subcategories.

Website

A business simply cannot compete without an Internet site that provides potential customers with information about your business and what you can offer them. A blogging site is the accepted norm these days, allowing you to publish material that shows the authority you have in your line of business. When customers read what you have to say about the business, they see that you are a professional who knows what you are doing.

Internet Fax

While fax may seem like a thing of the past, it is still alive and well for many. Having an eFax service is essential for reaching customers, especially in Business-to-Business environments. These services are usually low cost and user-friendly, allowing you to send fax messages by email.

Conference Calls

You can reach customers world wide with the Internet, but you can’t have a good conversation with multiple members of a potential customer’s business without conferencing. Conference call providers make it easy for the small fish to swim like a big fish, offering all of the services of fully integrated telephone and web conferencing systems. By choosing a reputable service that offers both reserved conference calls and reservationless calls, you get everything you need to present your services in the best light to potential clients no matter where they are located.