Can a company have a soul?

For it to have any chance of surviving, it better! According to Webster, “soul” is defined, in part, as “the spiritual principle embodied in human beings, all rational and spiritual beings, or the universe” and “the moral and emotional nature of human beings spiritual or moral force.”


A couple of friends of mine who founded Genesis Strategy Group (www.genesisstrategygroup.com) originally got me thinking about the concept “soul” as it pertains to a company.


What is your company’s soul? Or, asked in another way, what is your company’s driving force?


Some companies call this their “mission statement”, or their “core values”. No matter what you call it, this is what defines your company for your internal (read “employees”) and external customers. By placing a conscious focus on this soul, every customer interaction and business decision is governed by the moral compass calibrated by the company’s soul. While this may sound esoteric, it is quite the opposite. This concept provides a roadmap to how the company responds to any situation it encounters. This reduces seemingly complicated scenarios, either with customers or employees, to very basic components with the course of action easily identified and implemented.


So, how do you define your company’s soul? Like human beings, an organization without a soul is, well… dead.

Please vote for The Conference Group!

Hello All!


In the spirit of election season (and still on a high from having little ol’ Delaware in the national spotlight courtesy of Christine O’Donnell), I am, once again, asking for your support in the 2010 Telecom Association’s members choice awards. The polls close at the end of November, but just to keep me from pestering you again in a couple of weeks, please take just a moment now to cast your vote!



Click on TelecomVote.com now to vote!

On another note, we recently participated in the first ever Telecom Association Shootout, “aimed” at telling the channel how our wholesale program is the best solution for you and your peers. Since you are, hopefully, already in the “zone” for voting, please tell Telecom Association that the Conference Group should be named the victor in the shootout. The added benefit is that you can register yourself as a conferencing subject matter expert with Telecom Association just by casting your vote. This is a great opportunity to learn more about us, our worthy opponents, AND gain some recognition yourself! Click on http://www.telecomassociation.com/firstfriday/101001/The_Best_White_Label_Conferencing_Solutions_October_2010.htm  to vote and get registered as a subject matter expert.

As always, thanks for your time and consideration. If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to contact me directly.



Thanks!

Greg

Thank You for Your Support!

Greetings from the Conference Group! Thank you for the votes that we have received thus far as your favorite conferencing provider. Not surprisingly, we have received more votes than any other conferencing company to date, BUT you know what happens when one rests on one’s laurels. If you have not had the chance to vote yet, and you agree with your peers that selected us as their favorite, please take just a moment to cast your vote here.



As always, thank you for your support!

It's Time to Vote!

Time to Vote at TelecomVote.com !


Hello All! Since none of us EVER procrastinates, I am taking a moment to touch bases with you to request your vote for 2010 Telecom Association’s members choice awards. The voting opened up about 15 minutes ago, so at the very least, you know THIS TIME, I didn’t procrastinate!

As you know, many of you are partly responsible for our success. If the Conference Group has had a part in any of your success, please take 30 seconds to give us the nod at TelecomVote.com.

Thanks for your time and consideration. If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to contact me directly. Thanks!

Out of sight, maybe. Out of mind, not so much.

As I write this, I am sitting on a plane returning from a few weeks away from the office, having piggy-backed a vacation onto a business trip. Though I have not been seated at my desk with my ground level view of the shrubs that line the foundation of our brown brick building for over two weeks, my email inbox and voicemail are devoid of any unread (or unheard) messages. The dread that had inevitably accompanied me on my way home from past vacations is strangely missing. The fear of the unknown (with regard to office happenings and/or client requests) is a thing of the past.


Armed with my company-issued laptop and brand-spanking-new Droid Incredible smart phone, I have not only been kept in the loop with the daily goings-on at the Conference Group’s home office, I have actually been able to contribute effectively, and even address policy issues, without ever setting foot in the office.


I know what you are thinking… “Big deal… I have been working from home, or the road, or from the middle of the ocean for years now.” True. I hear you. However, for me, as a former hardcore corporate type, this newfound productivity from afar is truly liberating. Now that I am current on the housekeeping items that accompany me in my role heading up sales for the company, I can hit the ground running upon my return to the office in the morning. Not facing an inbox of 1000 plus emails, a number of which are unsolicited cures for what ails me or the secret recipe that will result in my business growing exponentially in the next 6 months, I am free to channel my vacation-induced optimism into concrete initiatives that will allow me to tackle some of those sales ideas dreamed up while sitting poolside in the days leading up to my return to the mothership.


While the line between work and vacation has blurred with all of the fun new gadgets and communication services at our fingertips, I love the result. Now, if only I had coughed up the $4.95 to access the wi-fi service on the plane… you may have read this blog entry well before my feet ever touched the ground in Philadelphia. Next time…

Web Conferencing: Don’t Fear the AYCE Pricing Plans

The world is becoming flat… with regard to web conferencing pricing, that is… Following in the footsteps of Internet access, and cell phone usage, web conferencing is seeing a shift in pricing from consumption (usage) based pricing, to flat rate, “all-you-can-eat” pricing plans.


Is this good news? The knee-jerk response from the service provider viewpoint is “no”! Why would we be happy to offer up our services in an unlimited monthly (or even annual) package rather than on a per minute, “pay for every bite” structure? Simple… value (oh, and revenue, which we will get back to in a minute).


This is a great deal for the consumer, as they can now accurately predict (read control) costs associated with their web conferencing use. This part is obvious. What is not so obvious is that this is also a great deal for the provider. How so? Much like the consumers having a known expense each month, providers now have a known revenue stream each month. In addition, most web services are accompanied by a toll-free audio conference bridge that is invariably consumption (yes, “per bite”) based. Plus, meetings that are conducted with a visual component tend to last longer, hence the proverbial “win-win” scenario for both the consumer and the provider.


One last point… Flat-rate pricing has now granted access to the latest and greatest technological advances to smaller companies and non-profit organizations that may not have had the resources to partake before the flat-rate buffet was on the menu. Yet another “win” for all.


In these challenging economic times, the customer will always seek the best value he or she can find. Embrace the flat-rate pricing models for web conferencing and watch your revenue grow.




Greg Plum is the Director of Business Development for the Conference Group, a facilities-based conferencing and collaboration company with over 10 years’ experience serving channel partners and enterprise clients. Greg can be reached at greg.plum@conferencegroup.com .

Can you sell conferencing for 2.5 cents?

Announcing Together Talk®, our newest toll-free reservationless service, at an industry low price of 2.5 cents per minute. As our agent, you have the ability to offer this same service to your prospective customers for the same price.

What Together Talk® offers:

• Toll-free access to a 99 line conference
• Reservationless access 24/7
• International toll-free access from a few countries
• Limited leader star commands: lecture mode, mute, and lock conference

What Together Talk® does NOT offer:

• Operator access via *0
• Attendance reports
• Conference recording
• Conference manager web interface

Customers must request this service via credit card sign-up using a link that we provide to each of our agents who express interest in offering Together Talk®. Upon sign-up, customers receive passcodes instantly via email and the Conference Group orders the conference card within 48 business hours.

To take advantage of this aggressively priced service and to learn about commission rates, please contact us directly on 877-716-8255, ext. 8284 for Kristin or ext. 8268 for Greg or email us at partners@conferencegroup.com.

Find out if you won the Apple iPad!

This year’s Channel Partners Conference in Las Vegas was the best in years! If you had the opportunity to attend, you got to see the channel’s latest and greatest offerings. For the Conference Group, that meant a preview of our newest service that is available exclusively thru our master agents… Toll-free reservationless conferencing for an industry low price of 2.5 cents per minute. That is the customer’s price, folks, NOT a buy price. Of course the service is missing some of the bells and whistles that our full-service offering includes, such as *0 operator access, after-call reporting, free recording, extensive toll-free international access, etc. BUT, you will now have the ability to offer a toll-free service for less than most wholesale prices. Let me rephrase that… I said “now”, which is not technically correct. This service will be available to the channel on April 5, 2010.


If you currently have access to our services via a master agency, contact them for more information (but if you do it before April 5, they won’t have much information). This is just a “head’s up” so you know what is coming and so you can plan accordingly. If your master agency tells you that they do not have access to the Conference Group’s services, please have them contact me directly. Of course, those of you who have enjoyed years of success working directly with us will also be able to offer this service beginning April 5, 2010.

Oh, I almost forgot… If your name is Jake Peterson and your company is called City Communications Integrated, you DID win the Apple iPad just for stopping by our booth at the Channel Partners Conference. Congratulations, Jake! (Hey, Jake, do you sell any conferencing?)

Check Out Greg Plum at the Channel Partners Conference in Vegas!

Check out this video with Greg Plum at the Channel Partners Conference and Expo in Las Vegas, Spring 2010.

http://www.varvid.com/channel-partners/

Thank You For Your Support!

February 09, 2010

Conferencing Expert Tapped as Finalist for Executive of Year Award



By David Sims, TMCnet Contributing Editor



Greg Plum (News - Alert), director of business development for The Conference Group, a provider of audio, video and Web conferencing services, has been selected as a finalist for an industry publication’s Channel Executive of the Year award.

 Plum, who is one of 10 finalists, will be honored during an awards ceremony March 1 at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas. The winner will be announced at the event.


Based in Newark, Del., The Conference Group (News - Alert) operates as a full-service audio, video and Web conferencing company. With a concentrated focus on collaboration, the company has been successful at creating a strong portfolio of satisfied sales partners and clients located in North America and internationally.


Driven by its collaboration services expertise, the Conference Group has developed tailored programs to meet a variety of its clients’ needs. Some of the main strengths of the company include a suite of online, real-time provisioning tools, as well as a strong international footprint providing toll-free access to participants located all over the world.


Plum joined The Conference Group in 2000, at which time he set out to further develop the company’s channel strategy. Since then, The Conference Group has experience substantial growth, expanding program to include hundreds of agents and resellers in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.


Mike Saxby, a group publisher working for Virgo Publishing, said after a close race, "Where hundreds of votes were placed, these individuals clearly stand out as the cream of the crop. Each of the finalists should be recognized for the role they play in the success of the indirect channel model.”


To determine the Channel Executive of the Year, the organization solicited nominations from channel partners. To be eligible, a nominee must have been the top person in the company’s channel operations - at the executive level of vice president or higher - at a telecom vendor (network operator/service provider/manufacturer).

Channel partners were then asked to vote for the Channel Executive of the Year based on nominees’ leadership, longevity, innovation and contribution to the indirect channel.



David Sims is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of David’s articles, please visit his columnist page. He also blogs for TMCnet here.


Edited by Amy Tierney

From Provider to Consumer…

From Provider to Consumer…



I have been in business development for a conferencing provider for almost 10 years now. That’s right… sales. For 10 years I have worked with thousands of people telling them about how our conferencing solutions will make them more efficient, save them money, and make their businesses more productive. Today, the teacher became the student… er, the customer. With mother nature’s wrath in the form of back-to-back Nor’easters hitting the mid-atlantic region, I found myself smack dab in the middle of a Governor-declared state of emergency for the second straight day.


Oh, Great! Another day with watercooler banter being replaced by the delirious shrills of a cooped up 6 and 8 year old. But what about that full calendar of meetings and presentations? Not everyone is house bound with a raging case of cabin fever… for most of the world, this was just a typical Thursday, the day of the week where we stuff as many activities in as possible to be able to take it easy on Friday (in theory anyway).


First on the docket, a conference call with the fine folks at Phone+ and the Channel Partners Advisory Board to discuss the upcoming conference. Except for my complaining to the others on the call about my snow-induced woes, the call was like all previous advisory board conference calls. Next, a presentation of the latest developments in our wholesale program to a long-time agent who is excited about ratcheting up his conferencing business. Surely, this presentation could have been moved to a more convenient time – one when the country road outside of my house looked less like Siberia and I would have all of the comforts of my office at my fingertips. It could have been rescheduled, but why?


We spent an hour reviewing everything that we would have covered had I been sitting in my office, or even via a face-to-face visit. They even got to see my snow-beaten face, complete with an exaggerated 5 o’clock shadow on steroids, thanks to the integrated video…


Today, this sales guy became a customer. In a former life, my company’s slogan was “Think of Yourself as a Customer”. And what better way to think of yourself as a customer, than to “walk a mile in their (snow filled) shoes”?

'Perfect Storm' Drives Demand for Video, Web Conferencing Services: Report

January 27, 2010



'Perfect Storm' Drives Demand for Video, Web Conferencing Services: Report


By Amy Tierney, TMCnet Web Editor



Once regarded as a costly and often “privileged” tool for businesses, the visual collaboration market has made headway to become a larger part of organizations’ unified communications mix.


And thanks to technological advances, the recent economic downturn and greater environmental concerns, these elements have formed a “perfect storm” to push demand for visual collaboration – including video and Web conferencing - to the forefront, according to a recent report from Frost & Sullivan (News - Alert).


A new report from Frost & Sullivan, called “World Visual Collaboration Managed Services Markets, found that the market earned $82.7 million in 2008. And by 2015, it is projected to grow to $938.3 million, increasing at a compound annual growth rate of 162.4 percent.


"A driver that is most likely [going] to contribute to the growth of the visual collaboration market is the reduction of travel required by a company," Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Iwona Petruczynik said. "This can create significant cuts in business costs and help improve productivity levels; employees can conduct their businesses without the need to meet face-to-face with their clients or partners. New models offered by service providers that do not require up-front capital expenditure by customers are also adding to the widespread adoption of visual collaboration services globally."


Beyond travel, employees are also concerned about their businesses’ environmental impact. With an eye on “going green,” more companies are embracing eco-friendly solutions that don’t require a large investment.


What else is driving the adoption of visual collaboration? Dispersed workers. Those employees who are spread across different locations need to stay in touch with each other and their clients. For example, the recent swine flu pandemic proved that using online collaboration tools helped keep businesses functioning, Frost & Sullivan said.


Greg Plum (News - Alert), director of business development for The Conference Group, a provider of audio, video and Web conferencing services, said Frost & Sullivan is on target with its research. The notion that video and Web conferencing tools are only going to grow is something The Conference Group (News - Alert) has been steadily emphasizing to its customers.


“This certainly adds validity to online collaboration of all genres,” Plum told TMCnet.


“With the decreasing cost of bandwidth and the ubiquity of endpoints, which are simply Internet browsers and webcams for many desktop videoconferencing services, the masses can now enjoy true video conferencing with no capital expense and nominal ongoing costs,” he said. “Many services are offered as a flat-rate for unlimited use, enabling the enterprise to easily control expenses.”


Previously, visual collaboration was considered high-end and too costly to deploy. Many businesses often held the misconception that such services were difficult to use and were only reserved for upper-level executives.


While there is growing interest in visual collaboration managed services, some business leaders in less developed countries still prefer to hold in-person meetings to conduct business, Frost & Sullivan said. The visual collaboration market will experience some pricing pressure over the next few years in more mature markets, but predominantly in emerging markets, Frost & Sullivan said. What’s more, increasing automation will result in decreased demand for managed services. But to the drop, vendors must expand their offers and include new or upgraded features.


"Rising interest in high-definition and immersive visual collaboration is leading to increased competition among value-added resellers and equipment vendors, fueling pricing pressure which, in turn, will contribute to falling prices," Petruczynik said. "Service providers will need to improve their product portfolios to create a one-stop-shop for managed services."

And officials from the Conference Group said their product, the ReadyShow Video service, give customers what they need with a simple solution.


The company’s ReadyShow Video service offers customers the ability to conduct a multi-point video conference right from their desktops or laptops with a browser and a webcam. For as little as $100 per month, customers can receive unlimited video conferencing and use the embedded VoIP feature for the audio portion of the conference, Plum said.


Amy Tierney is a Web editor for TMCnet, covering business communications Her areas of focus include conferencing, SIP, Fax over IP, unified communications and telepresence. Amy also writes about education and healthcare technology, overseeing production of e-Newsletters on those topics as well as communications solutions and UC. To read more of Amy's articles, please visit her columnist page.




Edited by Amy Tierney