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The best security comes from the integrity of the guest who attend your conference call. However, at times you may be unpleasantly surprised or caused to have doubts about your attendees, or the topic is so important you want to quell your worries.
Here are some simple features you can use with your existing audio conference call service to bring the highest degree of security and confidentiality to your conference call. The first group of features are standard with our current audio conference call services and offered at no additional cost for our customers.
Music-on-Hold.
Entertain your guests when they join the conference call with music until you, as the host, arrive to begin the call. This is a simple feature that effectively insures your agenda is discussed in your presence and on your timeframe. You can initiate this feature with a quick call to Customer Service: 877-227-0611, ext. 3.
Change Your Access Codes Regularly.
Access codes too often end up in the wrong person’s hands: a former employee, a competitor, the wrong employee, the press. The frequency this happens rises as the need for confidentiality also rises with your conference call.
How it happens is varied: an overheard conversation, a note on someone’s desk, an email displayed on a monitor, conscious intent.
Just call Customer Service: 877-227-0611, ext. 3. Ask them to change your conference codes. They can do that in a few minutes. Don’t bother worrying. Just change them.
Lock Your Conference Call.
Once everyone has arrived on your conference call…lock it. As host, just press *7 from your telephone keypad. That locks your conference call. No one else can join. (It’s a great way to insure prompt arrival, too.)
Count Your Callers.
Press *8 if you’re the host and used your host code to join your conference call. You’ll hear the number of callers, including you, that are present on the conference call. So will everyone else, also.
That leaves the question: Who’s on your conference call. We can answer that for you with the following feature.
Name Announcement on Entry.
Require your attendees to announce their name before they join your conference call. This feature inserts a prompt, immediately after they enter their guest code and before they join the conference call, directing the caller to say their name. Then their voice saying their name will be heard either by you, the host (private playback), or by the entire group ( public playback ).
This feature requires you to first contact Customer Service: 877-227-0611, ext. 3
Force-Quit the Conference Call.
Not every caller leaves at the end of a conference call. Some have been know to linger, by themselves or in groups, to carry on the conversation or start another. And it’s done at your expense. Make sure your callers leave at the end of the call. Call customer service for the proper instructions to use with your service to make sure all callers present leave at the end of your call.
Here’s the ultimate, high-touch, personalized approach to security. It includes all of the above and a personal operator to further insure security for your conference call. And it does cost a bit more.
Operator-Assisted Conference Calls.
We can arrange for one of our conference operators to manage your conference call following your guidelines. You can work with them to create a personalized greeting, as well insure they allow only the names from your list to join your conference call. They can even cross-match that list of names with that caller’s caller-id to further help insure the identity given by the caller is correct.
Call Customer Service for rates and features: 877-227-0611, ext. 3
Again, security for a conference call begins with the integrity of your callers. These features can help minimize the impact from its lack. Call or email Customer Service for more details or to discuss further how you can help insure a confidential conference call:
877-227-0611, ext. 3,
Funny video from Dave Fleming highlighting a common experience in conference calls.
If your conference call is plagued by mystery callers joining your conference call then consider 2 features:
* Conference Lock.
You can lock your conference call and prevent any more attendees from arriving. It’s a great security feature. It’s also a great feature to insure prompt attendance by your group.
* Name Announcement.
You can require attendees to say their name prior to joining your conference call. Their name announcement will be played back either privately to you as the host, or publicly to the entire group. This too is a great security feature and a great feature to help insure prompt and full attendance.
All of our services have operators standing by to assist in the unlikely event of an unwanted and uninvited guest caller or music-on-hold from one of your caller’s line or dog’s barking in the background or even the occasional, but valid, technical problem. They’re an easy *0 away to help you make your conference call a success.
Theresa and Cindy, aka TCW, our customer service mavens talk about this tip, why it’s important and how easy it is to use in this their first podcast recording on their new podcast channel: A Day in The Life. You can subscribe to the podcast here with an rss reader:
OR
listen to the MP3 version of their recording here.
Theresa and Cindy, our Customer Service Mavens, host their 3rd podcast in their series called A Day In the Life. They discuss the importance of being prepared when you host a conference call. Some of the points they cover include:
Arrive on time. That means at least 5 minutes before the start of the conference call.
Know the features*. Each conference call service has a number of different features that allow a host to insure the quality and quantity of interaction on their conference call.
Know how to use these features.
You can listen to their discussion here in MP3.
You can subscribe to this podcast series with this link.
* Contact Cindy or Theresa at Customer Service for a list of the features with your service:
Phone: 877-227-0611, ext. 3
Email: customerservice@conferencecallsunlimited.com
I had the pleasure this morning to sit in attendance with a conference call hosted by Shawn Frey, Industrial Recruiter/Industrial Sales Trainer at Harper Brush Company located here in Fairfield, Iowa. Harper Brush is a leading company here in Fairfield. They’ve continued to grow both in their products, the quality of the service, # of employees and as a community partner.
Shawn hosts a bi-monthly conference call (at 6 AM Central…!) with his distributors from around the country.
I’m always on the lookout for stories about our customers and their use of our services. It’s fascinating to me to see the many ways our services are used. And, I always find tips I can share with our customers that might help them make better use of their conference calls.
Shawn’s conference call this morning was a pleasure to attend. Here’s why: It was organized, coherent, clear, and all that combined to make it very productive. Here’s the simple, but very effective, techniques Shawn uses to get the most out of this conference call.
SHAWN’S TECHNIQUES FOR MAXIMUM PRODUCTION
* Start on time, every time.
I could tell from everyone’s prompt and prepared arrival that Shawn had instilled in them the idea, from repetitive practice, that the call would start on time and they would be asked to participate. Every caller arrived on time (ok a couple arrived a minute or two late) and ready to participate.* Welcome them by name.
Shawn greeted every caller by name. Now, that’s easy as there were only 6-7 of us. But greeting them by name and with a personal anecdote helps reinforce the warm and open setting for the call.* Start with a Brief Review
After a quick, brief, round of chit-chat Shawn began the meeting with a call to review the notes from the previous call. Again, it’s an effective and easy way to set the tone and bring everyone’s focus to the call. Kinda like a warm-up before an athletic event. Just get the brain warmed up and moving towards the topic.* Actively Seek Everyone’s Input.
Again, Shawn’s group is small. But it’s a great technique to make sure your conference calls stay interactive, engaging, interesting, expansive and moving forward when you ask each person their opinion and then ask them follow-up questions.(Go back to the first point: Everyone’s prepared. But then allow, seek, prod, query the guests for more input. For 2 reasons: 1) it adds depth and focus to their content; 2) most people don’t know they know as much as they do. So, help bring it out of them. Makes them feel good also by sharing all they know with their peers.)
* Finish on time.
Whew, how many times have I quietly dropped off a call when the host lets it ramble on? Be like Shawn, finish on time. Respect your callers’ time and when it’s time to stop, stop.* Take Notes and Share.
Shawn takes notes from every call and then distributes them by email to his group. WOW! That’s a powerful step to make the most out of your conference call. It so clearly shows the callers that the call is important and the host is willing to go the extra step to insure you get the most from your attendance.
Shawn asked me to share some thoughts or tips of my own at the end of his call. Some are ones we discussed together.
TIPS
1) Add Name-Announcement – On-Entry.
That feature asks/insists each caller say their name before they’re allowed on the call. The announcement can be either private, to Shawn as the host, or public for everyone to hear. And you’ll hear the same announcement as people leave.2) Record the Call.
You can record your conference call with all of our services. Our latest bridge allows you to record the call in a .wav format and download it at your convenience. One caller asked if it would allow you to fast-forward through the slow parts. Yes. It will. And we can convert that .wav file to a mp3 format with a link for you to post on a website….or…we can create a podcast for your listening audience.3) Blog.
Shawn can post his call notes and call recordings at a blog. Then his callers can post their comments and follow-up for everyone to share in the benefit. It would be a one-stop shop for their tips and advice and questions. They could access it anytime, from any computer with an online connection.
Shawn, thanks very much for inviting me.
