Carolyn Bradfield

Airplane travel has a lot of drawbacks.  I’m winging my way to Houston on Southwest Airlines, one of the best and most efficient carriers in the industry, reading a USA Today article on hidden airline fees.   The article states that the Government Accountability Office reported that the extra fees airlines charge are not fully disclosed to passengers making it difficult to compare the total cost of the flight.

On their morning news program, CNN also reported that in the last two years since it became a trend to charge these extra fees, the airline industry has collected a staggering $8 billion from baggage fees, preferred seat fees, and likely the hidden fees referred to in the USA article.  This has become such a lucrative practice that it has been reported that some carriers are considering fees for using the overhead luggage compartments.

The GAO is pressuring airlines to be clearer and thorough in their disclosure of these fees so passengers can understand the true cost of a flight.  I think I’m going to write the GAO and request that they engage in the same analysis of the conference calling industry.

Larger competitors try to wow companies with very low per minute rates, touting their ability to save tremendous amounts of money.  In fact, many of these rates seem to be approaching what it cost a company to make a minute of conferencing.  However, when you add back the fees, then take the total cost divided by the number of conferencing minutes, you find that the effective rate per minute to be quite high.

The effective rate per minute of a minute of conferencing begins to rise when the following conditions are in place:
•    There are minimum call charges
•    Usage patterns are such that there are some shorter calls that don’t reach the minimum call charge.
•    Participants call in and initiate a call only to have it cancelled and rescheduled for another time.
•    The average monthly usage is low and invoice fees, surcharges and minimums account for a larger portion of the bill.

Go back to the airline analogy.  Think about a family of four flying from Atlanta to Orlando.  Each person checks a bag both ways.  That adds $200 to the cost of the trip.  Then there are other fees and surcharges that tack on another 20%.  What looked to be $150 a passenger round trip ended up being $230 by the time all the fees were tacked on.

I’m not a huge fan of government oversight, but GAO bring it on in my industry.  Copper Conferencing charges one fee – the Universal Services Fee required by the Federal government.  To the rest of my peers, it’s time for full disclosure so that business customers can compare an apple to an apple.    Maybe it’s better to drop your fees and raise your rates.  It’s OK to make a reasonable profit if you are reasonable about being up front about it.

Carolyn Bradfield is the CEO of Copper Conferencing, a provider of easy-to-use audio conferencing and web conferencing communication tools. Copper also provides wrap-around services including online account, invoice and recording management. You can try Copper’s great web and audio conferencing services — no obligation. Just sign up now.

Carolyn Bradfield

The study of history has always been a fascination. The History Channel and PBS rank pretty high on my TV list, especially during the summer when all my other mindless TV shows are on hiatus. One of my interests has been with the creation, the rise and the fall of empires throughout the ages.

Empires such as Rome, Great Britain, Germany seem to have some characteristics in common that make them look powerful and mighty to the outside world, but make them flawed from within, ultimately leading to their downfall. Here are some common themes that I see in the study of the history of empires.

It’s never enough.
Empires always capture territory, conquer lands and dominate the population. They extend their borders across continents and oceans in their quest to be the dominant power in the world. After the glory of their victory has worn off, Empires have to manage, administer and control what they’ve conquered. The larger they get, the more unwieldy the Empire becomes.

It’s my way or the highway.
Empires usually feel the need to rule by fear and intimidation. The conquering empire views the people in their territories as those to be controlled, subjugated and used. After all, conquest was expensive and an empire takes money to run. It’s always up to the minions in the empire to work hard, produce for the empire and expect little for themselves. Suppressed people become unhappy people creating disorder and dysfunction within the empire.

You must be like me.
When Great Britain used its mighty navy to sail around the world and conquer foreign lands such as India and the Far East, they encountered different cultures, religions and languages. Rather than learn from these differences, they were motivated to remove as many of the culture differences as possible leaving the people to wear English coats and top hats, have afternoon tea and worship in the Anglican Church. So much effort was expended in changing what was unique and culturally ingrained that little benefit was derived from the conquest.

History shows us that most empires become unwieldy, difficult to manage, expensive to maintain, hard to control and most of them crumble. Just look at Russia, Rome, Great Britain, Nazi Germany, Alexandria…..on and on. In fact, what empire do you know that has grown by conquest is still in existence?

The study of historical empires has relevance in the corporate world as we look at the big guys who seek to dominate their markets and snap up smaller companies suppressing what was unique and special about them. Corporations can become too large, too unwieldy and too inefficient to manage. Take Bank of America or General Motors as great examples. These billion dollar organizations can breed a culture of dysfunction, treat their employees like minions expecting them to give it all to the corporation and expect little in return. They can treat the customer of the conquered company as a second-class citizen.

The conferencing industry is a great example of where empire building has created bigger companies, not necessarily better companies. At over $1 billion in revenue, InterCall has grown primarily through acquisition, yet it has created a company that has a hard time absorbing its acquisitions, managing its technology, servicing its customers and keeping itself relevant to those customers and employees that may have been much happier in a different cultural environment.

Companies (and empires) rise when they seek to expand beyond their ability to grow organically and they fall when they function like the empires of history. Suppression and intimidation are never sustainable ways to rule an empire. And don’t think for a minute that those who don’t belong to the empire quake in fear when we see you marching through the marketplace, trying to intimidate or conquer. For every Goliath, there is a David. For every Redcoat, there is a Patriot. For every Storm Trooper, there is an Ewok. For every Colonel Quaritch, there is an Avatar.

For customers who are trying to decide if bigger is really better, think about how the company got big. If they did so through conquests (acquisitions), then you have to ask yourself if they are functioning like a company or like an empire. And you have to question if you are valued as a customer or treated like a minion. Or are you better off with someone who is smaller, more flexible, more efficient and more appreciative of your business? After all, empires can rise, but most of them also fall.

Carolyn Bradfield is the CEO of Copper Conferencing, a provider of easy-to-use audio conferencing and web conferencing communication tools. Copper also provides wrap-around services including online account, invoice and recording management. You can try Copper’s great web and audio conferencing services — no obligation. Just sign up now.

Carolyn Bradfield

The older you get, the more nostalgic you get.  Normally, I’m not given to looking back, but sometimes I just can’t help it.  This summer, my small high school in LaGrange, Georgia is holding a multi-year class reunion.  It’s been a while since I’ve been to one of these, but this one is appealing because I get to visit with more people I went to school with.

This is going to tell you how old I am and how much of a small Southern town I come from.  We had one movie theater, one hamburger place and one pizza place.  You couldn’t buy alcohol because the county was dry and our schools weren’t integrated until I was a junior in high school.  The big activities were driving around (gas cost $.25 a gallon), going to the movies once a week, and “parking.”  (Don’t ask me about parking!).

Those were simple times where we had to make our own fun, find things to keep us engaged and navigate through some profound changes in society.  During high school, I saw the end of the Vietnam War, the end of school segregation and the beginning of the drug culture.   Times will never be as simple, as clear and as innocent as they were back then.

I’ve been in the conferencing industry for 20 years and I have to acknowledge the end of an era for a technology and a company I was very fond of.  A small group of entrepreneurs founded a company in the ‘90’s called Evoke that built the best mousetrap I’ve ever seen in conferencing.  They automated an audio conference call where you never had to worry about making a reservation or that there wouldn’t be space available for your call.  They added a simple web interface to control your call that was a forerunner of the way we all use web conferencing today.

The founders (Paul and Todd) always saw themselves as a web conferencing company, raised millions of dollars in the investment world and launched a competitive strike against the incumbent WebEx.  What they failed to realize is that in reality they had built a better mousetrap for audio conferencing by streamlining how a call was managed and conducted.  Their technology was way ahead of its time and the rest of the industry followed their lead.

WebEx proved to be the giant in the web conferencing industry, and Evoke who became Raindance, never gained enough traction to be huge and make their investors rich.  In 2006, the management team at Raindance finally gave up and sold to their company to industry giant InterCall.

Sometimes, as in this case, the bigger company fails to recognize that what they bought extends beyond the revenue and profits.   Raindance had an incredible corporate culture, young and talented employees, an advanced technology and data system, a well-developed web product, and loyal customers.  InterCall, in their infinite wisdom, decided to dismantle all of it.

On September 1, 2010, the audio conferencing technology that was simple to use, always reliable and so advanced is being turned off.  Because InterCall never recognized its uniqueness, its potential and its possibilities, they ignored it, favoring a system that is more complex with lots of moving parts.  They spent tens of millions of dollars trying to customize a data collection and billing system when the one they purchased had much of the components of what they needed.

There are still a number of customers that use the Raindance platform and they are going to be in for a shock to their system.  Everything about their conferencing experience is going to change and not necessarily for the better.

It’s the end of an era in the conferencing industry and I’m sad about that.  I think the customers are going to find that being given lots of billing choices, more features than they will ever use, and a system that is not nearly as streamlined and elegant is going to be a step down in the way they do business.

Paul and Todd, thank you for what you brought to the industry, to the type of company you created and the culture that you promoted.  Thank you for thinking outside the box and creating a better way to do business.

Carolyn Bradfield is the CEO of Copper Conferencing, a provider of easy-to-use audio conferencing and web conferencing communication tools. Copper also provides wrap-around services including online account, invoice and recording management. You can try Copper’s great web and audio conferencing services — FREE. Just sign up now.

Carolyn Bradfield

One of the key things to remember about the Channel Partners Show in Las Vegas is the word “partner.”   Channel partners are independent business people who are experts in telecommunications services and  “partner” with technology providers to recommend and offer services to their customers.  Their customers are not large enough to staff up with a telecommunications or IT professional, so having an independent 3rd party help them make these types of decisions is critical to having the right services at the right price.

Copper Conferencing has a number of partnerships with telecommunications agents as well as technology providers.  Here are some thoughts about partnerships, focusing on what makes a good partnership and what destroys one.

Good Partnerships

• Partnerships are based on trust. You have to trust your partner to represent you appropriately and they have to trust you will deliver what you promised when you promised it.
• They have well defined relationships. Anxiety always comes from un-met expectations.  If partners know what to expect from each other, misunderstandings and conflict are minimized.
• Partnerships hold boundaries. Once the partnership rules are defined, if either of the partners operates outside of those defined rules, then the partner must communicate that a boundary has been breached and how to re-establish it.
• Partnerships are collaborative. Sometimes the rules need to change.  Sometimes what is being delivered needs to be adjusted.  Good partnerships make change a collaborative process, involving all parties.
• Partnerships must have processes to resolve conflict. If there are disagreements partners must have a plan and process to appropriately communicate and resolve the issue.

Interestingly, one key topic of conversation at this particular show was the issue of “channel conflict.”  Channel conflict specifically refers to organizations that use partners to generate revenue alongside with having their own direct sales force.  Conflict results when that direct sales force encroaches on a partner’s customer.  Because a direct sales force can likely sell services at a lower price than the partner, then conflict becomes inherent if there are no rules of engagement, little pricing discipline, or mechanisms to determine which channel is best positioned to serve the customer.

At Copper Conferencing, we have both channel partners and a direct sales force.  Our rules of engagement are quite clear relative to our partners.  If the partner is in a deal, we withdraw because generally the partner has a broader relationship with the customer and is better positioned to make conferencing a part of their overall package.  We discipline our sales organization with pricing controls so they are not undercutting our partners inadvertently.  If we encroach without realizing it, we immediately communicate to the partner so they are aware that their customer has been entertaining offers outside the influence of the channel partner.

This is a respectful way to do business and creates the trust that the channel partner needs to know that we are focused on what is in the best interest of Copper Conferencing, the partner, and the partner’s customer.  Unfortunately, this philosophy is not consistent in our industry.  The largest conferencing company (and we all know who they are) doesn’t respect the need to manage channel conflict.  They unleash their direct sales organization on anybody and everybody, have very little pricing discipline not thinking twice about undercutting their partners, and no mechanism to determine who is best positioned to serve the customer.

In the short time that I wandered by their blue and white booth, I overheard several agents with their list of customers that this provider encroached on and the unfortunate channel managers who had to explain that there was nothing they could do about it.  Wake up channel partners!  If you are in a relationship like this, then think long and hard about whether there is trust in this relationship.   It’s not enough to like your point of contact.  They are probably really nice people.  However, your provider must have a mechanism to define boundaries, rules of engagement and resolve conflict.  Otherwise, every customer you do business with is at risk.  What kind of partnership is that really?

Carolyn Bradfield is the CEO of Copper Conferencing, a leading provider or audio and web conferencing and wrap-around services to enhance customer experience. To learn more about Copper Conferencing, visit www.copperconferencing.com.

Carolyn Bradfield

The Channel Partners show kicked off with a flurry last night at the Mandalay Bay hotel with an open house in the exhibit hall.  The Copper Conferencing booth was strategically positioned right next to the food and the open bar, so we had a large group of people that hung out and visited with us, some waiting for the drink line to get shorter.

Aside from Copper Conferencing, there were a number of other conferencing companies in our industry who were present.  One of the hot topics for those at the show who know Copper and our industry is our newly-announced partnership with PGi (Premiere Global).  It is common in our industry to have buy-sell arrangements with other vendors.  None of us have the funds or band width to develop everything we sell.

In Copper’s world, we develop a lot of the key technology we are know for such as Connect To Copper, Copper Link, the Phoenix system and a soon to be announced Copper Mobile application for the iPhone and Blackberry.  For other technology, we take advantage of a larger company’s relationships and buying power and form partnerships such as the one we have formed with PGi.  They have helped us add new web conferencing to our product mix with the recent announcement that we now offer Adobe® Connect Pro, Microsoft® Live Meeting and Cisco WebEx®.  The have a much more extensive global network, extending our customer’s ability to execute both domestic and global conference calls.  We are really excited about what this means for the Copper Conferencing customer.

Now, just so you don’t think we’re boring and this is all business, we are having a little fun out here.  Remembering that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, I’ll give you a little peek behind the curtain.  Yesterday, I had a fun meeting with one of our channel partners, who I have promised not to name in my blog.  Come to find out that he took Paula Abdul to his high school prom in his junior year.  (I have asked for pictures as proof, but this seems real!).  She wore teal taffeta and was the best dancer, cutest cheerleader and overall nicest person in high school.  I’m awe stuck and glad to hear that given that I have been an American Idol fan for years!  I hear our channel partner was a stud in high school – tight end, star football player and overall hunk.  (You can still see this in him today!)

We did get invited to a couple of cool parties tonight – going to hear Smokey Robinson and the Miracles if any of you are old enough to remember how great he is and then afterwards were invited to another party at Drais on the Las Vegas Strip.  It may be a long night tonight!

Back home in Atlanta, I hear it’s blizzard conditions, so I may have to take one for the team and stay here a little longer if flights are delayed – I’ll suck it up and be a trooper and try and practice my newly acquired gambling skills to see if I can improve the $15 I have won over the last 2 days!

More from the channel show tomorrow!

Carolyn Bradfield is the CEO of Copper Conferencing, a leading provider or audio and web conferencing and wrap-around services to enhance customer experience. To learn more about Copper Conferencing, visit www.copperconferencing.com.

The show kicks off tonight, so I thought I would start with my impressions of Las Vegas first.  A year ago, the city was reeling from high unemployment, a low number of visitors, empty hotel rooms and unfinished construction projects.  Obama compounded the issue by publicly stating that when the economy is bad you shouldn’t go to Vegas.

A year later, things aren’t much better.  The fabulous City Center is now complete with its high end Tiffany and Gucci stores, but there is a glaring lack of people that were there and willing to pay the prices.  Everywhere else, stores are closing or they are selling off inventory and the casinos are hurting for gamblers.  Since Vegas hosts a number of business conventions, I would maintain that so goes Vegas, so goes the economy and the country.  The recovery isn’t in full bloom and certainly hasn’t helped “Sin City.”

We decided to stay at the Luxor, only a short walk to the Mandalay Bay Hotel that is host to the convention, because of the super special room rates – $100 for a suite, you can’t beat it!  However, the hotel is aging and hasn’t come up to par with modern times.  Here is my advice for hotels like the Luxor to stay relevant to the business and convention customer that will certainly come back to Vegas over time:

• No hotel should be without WiFi.  Get a clue – we all have laptops.
• Get rid of those tired bedspreads and linens.  Use the white “hotel bed” look.
• Same with towels – upgrade them!  (And add bathrobes)
• Use better products in the bathroom – we like gels, high end shampoo, etc
• Change out your TV’s to flat screens

We kick off the Channel Partners Show tonight.  I’m excited to see many of the telecommunications agents that send Copper Conferencing business.  I’m excited to see the vendors and exhibitors and find out what’s new and relevant.

Welcome to my journey at the Channel Partners Show.

Carolyn Bradfield

I like to stay on top of what’s going on in the world.  I’m a total “newsie” checking in with every local and national channel available to me.  Sometimes I following a world event like the tragedy in Haiti and other times it may be something that seems small that has a big impact on how I feel about the world around me.

A story on World News Tonight struck me the other day.  It seems that research has shown that the average middle school student spends over 75 hours a week engaging with media – music, texting, gaming, TV, Facebook occupying most of their time.  In addition, 2 hours daily are devoted to the cell phone with an hour and a half of those spent texting.   Only 38 minutes A WEEK is devoted to reading.  Even less time is spent just talking to someone.

The same research also shows that students who engage with their electronics don’t do that well in school.  47% get bad grades compared to 23% who moderate their consumption.  Media consumption drops by an average of 3 hours a day if parents make the effort to set guidelines with their child’s grades going up.  If my 15-year old stepdaughter is any indication, then this research is absolutely dead on.  The iPhone is never far from her fingers and she must check it 20 times an hour for the latest from her friends.  Hours are spent alone in her room on Facebook or on the Internet.

I worry about what type of workforce we’re creating when these texters and Facebook fanatics get old enough for jobs.  With the large number of young people at Copper Conferencing, I’ve started to pay much more attention to the impact of their electronic habits.   For simplicity sake, let’s give this generation a name that describes them – The “Text-X Generation” will suit me for now.

My Text-X group has some positive attributes.  They are unafraid of anything relating to the Internet.  They know how to determine which organizations are best suited for Copper Conferencing and who to talk to.  They are unafraid of all types of web conferencing, easily logging in and holding Internet meetings and remote sales calls.   They think of creative ways to use social media to get Copper’s business message across.

However, I am concerned.  I hear the instant messaging chimes go off dozens of times in an hour where someone has the “tyranny of the urgent” and sends an I/M about everything that’s on the top of their mind.  I worry about the distraction this creates for them and the message’s recipient.  I worry about how many times a day someone checks or posts to Facebook and what’s on their “news feed.”

More than that, I worry about Text-X’s ability to know when a conversation is warranted vs. an email or instant message.  Maybe we should consider the research study that indicates the most successful students are those that spend less time with their electronics.  I think that is also true in business.

The conferencing industry has helped companies and managers shift from the memo and the “directive” to conversation and collaboration.   It’s the art of the conversation, the relationship, the discussion, the collaboration that I believe continues and will continue to breed success in business.    Although I think we should embrace the increase in our knowledge and use of instant media, I think that we also need to instill a balanced diet in our respective organizations.

At Copper, this is made a little easier because we use our services to hold meetings, strategy sessions and trainings over our conferencing technology.  We focus on getting people’s feedback, drawing them into the conversation and asking for their opinion.  My commitment is to go above and beyond that to help Text-X become more balanced.

First, I am going to coach the management team to stop responding to all instant messages and to request that their people set a meeting to talk about issues and requests that are important but not urgent.  I’m going to randomly monitor Facebook and ask people to stop checking and posting during work hours.   I’m going to help people resolve issues or conflicts in person vs. email messages.

And parents, if you have a Text-X kid at home, take a lesson from the research.  They are way less likely to succeed in school if you don’t take the time to set boundaries.  And, I’m going to project that they are going to be way less likely to succeed on the job if they don’t develop the skill set needed to express themselves with others without needing a keyboard to do the talking.  It’s up to all of us to help our Text-X group live a much more balanced existence.

To learn more about what’s new at Copper and how audio conferencing and web conferencing services can help you improve your business and cut costs, contact a Conference Coach today.

What you should know is that an increasing number of companies recognized this solution and have survived this sour economy by using such tools as audio, web, and video conferencing. These collaborate tools have been helpful in managing clients outside of geographical boundaries and managing employees within the company. The question is, what has Copper Conferencing done to differentiate itself from the other conferencing companies to prove it is an even better solution for those companies in search of cost saving maneuvers?

The answer is, Copper Conferencing has the most user-friendly conferencing services. Copper’s collaboration tools include:

• On-Demand reservationless audio conferencing
• An online customer portal Connect To Copper that lets the customer control his/her conferencing
• A learning center with one-minute skill builders
• Free assistance from an excellent customer service team
• A range of webcast and web meeting options
• And these services come with no contract and no usage fees

It’s no wonder why companies have made the switch to Copper during the weak economy.  You can try Copper for free to see for yourself.

Jon Burnham is a marketing assistant for Copper Conferencing.  Jon works and plays in and around Atlanta, Georgia.

One decision I have made as I’ve gotten older is to do my best to embrace change as helpful and additive.  Being part of the conferencing industry over the last decade has been influential in the development of that perspective. Conferencing calling has evolved from a labor-intensive, reservation-required, operator-assisted process of days gone by to the easy, intuitive, technology-savvy  on-demand calls of Copper Conferencing today.  That metamorphosis has been good – good for the industry, good for customers, good for business.

Have you looked at your conferencing bill lately?  Are you so used to what you’ve always done that you won’t look for something better?  What would compel you to make a change this year?  Price? Features?  Reliability?  Availability? Look back before you look ahead.  Make a list of priorities.  Call Copper Conferencing today to see how we can help you make a difference in your business.  Try Copper for free.

Carolyn Bradfield

I feel lucky everyday that I am blessed with smart, creative, fun and good people to work with at Copper Conferencing.  They appreciate their jobs, appreciate the customers, appreciate each other and uphold the value system that Copper is very committed to.

Unlike other businesses, Copper has had a very good year despite the economy.  Although the official unemployment rate is 10.2%, I think it’s really more like 17 or 18 percent when you factor in those that are underemployed or who have given up finding a job until the economy improves.  In the conferencing business, for every 100 people who used to attend conference calls, now there are only 80 or so to do the same thing.  Despite that fact, Copper has grown this year and I think it’s primarily due to the care, support and good service we give our customers, both old and new.

We made a conscious decision this year to thank our employees by investing in them in ways that most companies would not.  When the first time homebuyer’s tax credit came out, we had people come to the office to educate our group about the financial benefits of home ownership.  Knowing that many had not saved for a down payment, Copper offered a loan program for that down payment with the payback of the loan due once the tax credit was received.  We now have 2 employees who are living in the first home because of the program.

One of our employees expressed a desire to get her master’s degree.  We created a tuition reimbursement program to pay for college tuition for all employees.  The response was overwhelming.  People are investing in themselves and going back to school.  We are going to be flexible about their schedules and supportive of their pursuit of a higher education.

Since December is the slowest conferencing month (everyone takes vacations), we decided to give everyone the week between Christmas and New Year’s off without having to take vacation days.  People can recharge, travel, see family and come back renewed and refreshed.  Those in customer service that want to work can come in and we will pay them extra for their time.

Now to the golf carts.  One obscure rule in the tax credit give-away program by the Federal Government was a $4500-$5500 credit for “street legal, low-speed electric vehicles”.  You guessed it; golf carts qualify.  You can practically get them for free, drive them around for a while, and sell them if you want to.  I just couldn’t quite convince our COO that it was a good employee benefit.  And by the way, they are all sold out through the end of the year when the credit expires.  Hopefully, they will extend the credit and I can take another run at it.

In 2010, we will continue to invest in our employees.  Don’t tell them, but I plan to take them all on a big trip if the company hits some big growth numbers for the year.  You can help me by helping them.  If you are a Copper customer, refer a friend.  If you are not, try Copper.  We’re a great service and our employees will love on you a lot.

With the economy suffering, it’s the best time to invest.  For Copper, the best investment we can make is in our people.

To learn more about Copper Conferencing or to get started today with your own Copper Conferencing audio and web conferencing accounts, contact a Conference Coach today.