In a Minute...

How many times have you all asked me about the audio conferencing calling plans? I know I’ve joked and said “in a minute”.. well the minute is here!   We have opened the doors for agents to sell our Minute Plans!

Take a look at this!

There are some caveats to these audio conference packages.  The client will be limited on the (*) features.   

What is included?:

• Customer Service
• Attendance Reports via the Dashboard
• U.S. Toll-free access
• Leader Hang-up
• Music Security
• Entry/Exit Tones

Any overage is billed at $.05 per minute/per line.

Agents, contact me for your buy rates on these packages today!

Caroline Rogers

crogers@conferencegroup.com

877-716-8255 x78253

or 302-530-1666

The Anatomy of a Virtual Meeting

The Anatomy of a Virtual Meeting

Like the human body, a conference call will only function at top capacity when all organs, limbs, and brain power are in sync. Whether you use client controlled features or have our support professionals administer software operations, for smooth running, every element of your webinar, audio, or video conference serves a vital role.

The speaker or person facilitating the virtual experience is essentially the “brain” power, transferring information to the limbs and giving corporal commands. The “head” is responsible for maintaining timing, creating decent content, and interacting with the participants.

When you lead a webinar, think beginning, middle, and end.

First and foremost, know which of our features are applicable to your goal. Emphasize from the beginning if you want feedback, encourage them to use certain technology “lifelines” for communication throughout the meeting, and decide if your ending will be open to Q&A time or maybe an invitation to email inquiries.

Attendees may take advantage of our interactivity options; this is especially beneficial when the group is large. Live voices, back and forth, can be impractical. When this is the case, invite members to use technology solutions: email, live chat, or IM. As for the one spearheading, use these aids to your benefit.

•           Participant Greeting & Screening

•           Dedicated Operator

•           Toll-free Access

Prior to the conference, figure out how many will be attending. This is important because groups with more than 125 participants may require additional lines. When setting up, dial in 5-10 minutes earlier using the Leader Code provided on the back of your card and decide if your meeting should be recorded.

We guarantee 24/7 assistance to ensure your virtual experience is optimum, but maintaining transparency with your attendees by communicating our feature availabilities to them will make for smooth anatomical function.

12 Reasons Why Your Clients Will LOVE Our Admin Dashboard!

•      It’s FREE! 
•     Complete management of audio conferences within your company.
•     Ability to setup Admins for each department!
•     View lists of all conference calls within your company.
•     Search quickly by name or passcode for a conference card.
•    Instantly make changes to conference call features, passcodes, and user info.
•    Add and delete users.
•     View past conference call reports including caller phone number, connect times, total minutes, and cost.
•      Download .mp3 recordings!
•     Add one time billing codes to past conferences that will appear on your invoice for easy cost allocation.
•      Access conference wallet cards immediately with the ability to print paper cards!
•       Locate global toll-free access phone numbers that accommodate all participants!

To sign-up now, please visit http://www.conferencegroup.com/adminsignup . 

5 Ways to Make Your Conference Call "Count"

1.  Send Invitations with the Outlook Plug-in
    Download the Outlook Plug-in and send meeting invitations easily!  All you need is the participant's name, email and possibly "blood type". :)
2.  Download Group-e
    Take the "fear" out of conferencing by downloading Group-e, our FREE mobile app!  Store all your meeting info in one location and connect to your conference call in a snap!
3.  Enhance Your Meeting with VideoConferencing
    For those of you who can't see your "reflection", try adding a webcam and video conferencing to your meeting to increase interaction.  The Conference Group has many options to choose from!
4.  Record Your Conference
    Now this is something you can really "sink your teeth into"!  Record your event for easy access to audio conferencing, web conferencing or video conferencing meetings in the future.
5.  Review Attendance Reports & Follow-Up
    Log-in to our Customer Dashboard to view your attendance reports.  Determine who attended and who missed the conference call event.  Even though it may be a "pain in the neck", follow-up with participants after the meeting.  Send .mp3 links of the recording to people who were unable to attend, as well as any notes or action items from the meeting.

"Fang" you very much for your interest in our blog and Happy Halloween!  :)

Check out how we get in the Halloween spirit by following us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+!  Plus, get exclusive access to new products and promotions!

Here's a "Sneak Peek" of What's New at TCG!

Something new is in the air!!  As our continued commitment to be a “turn-key” solution for you and your clients, the Conference Group will be offering a new and improved Admin Customer Dashboard!  Control all your conference cards and users in one centralized location!  Add, edit and/or delete audio conference cards as well as web conferences.  Manage and update account information, view conference call reports, download conference recordings and more!  

For a demo of our New Admin Dashboard, please contact Caroline Rogers @ caroline.rogers@conferencegroup.com or 877-716-8255  x78253.  You may also follow us on Twitter @TCGChannel for the most up to date information on new products and free stuff!

China 400 Toll-Free Numbers

Are you tired of having up to three phone numbers for China; one for North China (landline), South China (landline), and a separate one for mobile? Well, scheduling a conference call with China-based participants has never been easier! The Conference Group now offers China 400 numbers to connect all of your participants in China with one toll-free access number! Eliminate the hassle of determining the type of phone your participants use, as well as the area of China they call from and ask about our China 400 numbers today! Our Customer Service Team is available 24/7 to assist you.

Why China 400 Toll-free Numbers?

•ALL participants located in China use the same 400 number

•Includes ALL Provinces of Mainland China

•Works with ANY mobile or landline phone

•Available with ALL TCG audio conferencing solutions

Add your China 400 number to our Outlook Plug-in and send it with every conference invitation!

Recording: 101

Conference recordings are essential to most businesses today. Not only do they help you remember what was said in a meeting, but they allow for participants who were unable to join the meeting to listen to the conference on their own time. Here is a list of our “recording basics” to get you started.

Recording Audio Conferences:

1. Verify recording is available for the audio conferencing service you are using. http://www.conferencegroup.com/audio-conferencing/compare-all-audio

2. Remember…Conferences will NOT automatically record. You must initiate the recording through a star command as the leader. (Unless you are using our Event or Event Answered Services, an operator can perform this function for you if it is requested ahead of time.) Please see our User Guides for specific recording instructions. http://www.conferencegroup.com/support/user-guides

Notification:

Once you have started a recording in your audio conference, all existing and new callers will hear the message, “The conference is now being recorded.”

Accessing Recordings:

Depending on the type of audio conferencing service are you using, you may have to access your recording differently.

• Reservationless recordings can be accessed through our Customer Dashboard. http://www.conferencegroup.com/dashboard
• For more information on our Customer Dashboard, please see our Dashboard User Guide.  https://www.conferencegroup.com/support/user-guides/customer-dashboard.aspx
• Event/Event Answered/Scheduled conference recordings can be accessed through our Conference Recording Center. http://www.conferencegroup.com/cdr/conference

Note: For login credentials, please contact our Customer Support Department. support@conferencegroup.com

Emailing Recordings:

If requested prior to the start of your conference call, you may elect to have your conference recordings emailed to you. The following email options are available:

• In your Attendance Report

• In a Separate Email

Recording Availability:

• .mp3 Recordings are available for 30 days

• To retain your file longer than 30 days, please save your .mp3 recording to your computer.

• There is no limit to the number of .mp3 downloads. However, the link will expire 30 days from the date of the conference call.

Transcription:

The Conference Group also offers transcription services for your recorded conferences. So, should you decide after a call that you need it transcribed, contact our Customer Service Department and they will have it back to you in 48 hours! csr@conferencegroup.com

Don’t Forget! Recording your audio conference is FREE! Make sure to take advantage of this great tool on your next conference call.