| Conference calling services provide a way to | | | | you add a video or web component, would allow |
| release information to your sales force, | | | | you to educate your sales force about your |
| train your employees and link your scattered | | | | new product immediately. Not only will |
| workgroups. The conference call eliminates | | | | everyone learn about the features and |
| the need for costly airline tickets, lost | | | | benefits of the product, but conference |
| productivity due to travel time and expensive | | | | calling could allow real-time brainstorming |
| meeting costs. Training cycles can be quicker | | | | on sales pitches. All of your salespeople |
| with conference calling. | | | | would have the same information at the same |
| | | | time, and could collaborate on the best way |
| A friend of mine in Dallas used to work for | | | | to present the product to the customer. |
| IBM. One day he was complaining about the | | | | |
| amount of business travel that he had to do. | | | | What if your business has a large customer |
| His most recent trip involved travel to New | | | | support division, and you just decided to |
| York, probably at a cost of hundreds of | | | | install new software for their workstations? |
| dollars and certainly at a cost of lost time | | | | The software part is easy, it's distributed |
| and productivity. Do you want to know what | | | | through the network. But what about training? |
| the subject of the meeting was? It was all | | | | Again, you can bring everyone in for a |
| about the need to reduce unnecessary business | | | | training meeting. But who's going to do your |
| travel! | | | | customer support while your representatives |
| | | | are traveling? You could send trainers to all |
| Large companies always been willing to spend | | | | of your customer support locations. But how |
| millions of dollars for business travel and | | | | much will that cost, and how long will it |
| company meetings. But travel costs have risen | | | | take? Conference calling services make it |
| so much that the days of the road warrior may | | | | possible for you to train your personnel at |
| be coming to an end. And what's the | | | | their own workstations. There's no travel |
| replacement? The conference call. Conference | | | | involved and very little downtime. They will |
| calling services are changing the way | | | | get hands-on training in their own familiar |
| companies large and small are conducting | | | | environment. You can schedule a conference |
| their business. | | | | call as soon as the application is ready for |
| | | | use. |
| Personal contact and networking have been the | | | | |
| basis for business since business began. | | | | Imagine your business has expanded to the |
| Conference calling makes it possible to | | | | global level. Your product development team |
| conduct business without the need for | | | | is in California, marketing and advertising |
| physically traveling to one location or the | | | | is in New York, your programmers are in India |
| other. An audio conference call can bring | | | | and the product is assembled in Mexico. |
| together almost any number of people, from | | | | What's the best way to link all of these |
| two to hundreds. Although today's audio | | | | workgroups? Does anybody in your company |
| conference calls provide the same basic | | | | really have time to spend 22 hours on a plane |
| services of the old-fashioned three-way | | | | flying to Asia? And how productive is someone |
| conference call, they are much more powerful | | | | living with 12-hour jet leg? A strategically |
| and easier to arrange. | | | | scheduled conference call would allow all of |
| | | | your company's workgroups to meet in real |
| So how could conference calling services save | | | | time and collaborate on the project. |
| your business time and money? The | | | | Documents and presentations could be |
| possibilities are limited only by your | | | | developed, miscommunication could be avoided |
| imagination and ingenuity. Let's say that | | | | and everybody gets to sleep at home. |
| your business relies on large sales force. | | | | |
| Your sales force may be scattered from one | | | | Now if you really like to travel and you |
| end of the country to the other. How do you | | | | actually enjoy putting your shoes into an |
| train them on the benefits of a new product? | | | | x-ray tray, then you may want to avoid the |
| In the past, you would probably fly your | | | | use of conference calling services. An |
| sales force into the home office for a | | | | effective conference call is easier to set up |
| meeting. Not only did you incur travel costs, | | | | than a plane reservation. And it will |
| hotel costs and meeting costs, think of how | | | | certainly be less expensive than the cost of |
| much business you that was lost in the days | | | | even one airline ticket. The conference call |
| that your salesmen weren't in the field. | | | | may very well bring a day when all business |
| | | | travel is unnecessary. |
| Conference calling services, especially if | | | | |