Carolyn Bradfield

Copper Conferencing exhibited at the Phone Plus Channel Partner show in Miami this week.  In fact, we just won an award as one of the Top 50 Channel Partners by Phone + Magazine, the sponsor of the Miami event for the second year in a row.  The show is designed specifically for telecommunications agents to network with service providers to increase their knowledge of technology and services.

Some of you may not know what a telecommunications agent is or how they add value in the marketplace and I think this is worth a discussion.  Small to medium sized businesses often do not have the resources to hire a dedicated telecommunications expert to navigate through the myriad of services they need to communicate.

All companies need a long distance strategy, a data strategy, a phone system, wireless technology and of course, our service, conference calling.  Making those choices, finding the right vendor and making sure you negotiate the best price is very difficult and that’s where a telecommunications agent steps in.  It’s their job to assess a company’s telecommunication needs, match them with the right vendors, negotiate the contracts and put the services in place.  Yes, the vendors pay agents when they sell services to the customer, but the benefits to the customers are enormous.

And it also seems that a company’s needs are never static.  Technology changes, companies grow (or shrink), they open new locations and rearranging these services are generally an on-going need for an organization.  The telecom agent stays involved, monitors these needs and generally makes suggestions for improvements.  They will step in, re-negotiate contracts, audit invoices and keep vendors delivering what they promised.

At Copper Conferencing, we recognize the valuable role that these agents play with small to medium sized companies which is the market we pursue.  We partner with agents by giving them tools to educate their customers, allow those customers to use our portal to manage their accounts and being there when they need more information about our web and audio conferencing services.

Copper developed a web-based technology called Copper Link™ that even allows agents to create customized e-marketing campaigns to alert their customer base to the fact that conferencing is one of the services they offer.  It makes it easy to get the message out so that the agent can be more complete in the service offerings.

We enjoyed the Channel Partner Show in Miami (despite the construction at the Lowes Hotel in South Beach).  Our hat is off to these independent business owners who have a telecom agency and to the time they spend to educate themselves at shows like the Miami event.  Our hope is that more companies will realize just how valuable agents are in charting their communications strategy.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Denver, CO, April 14, 2009 -– Copper Conferencing, a leading provider of audio and web conferencing, announced a unique offer for one free day of audio conferencing along with integrated web conferencing to companies that sign up by Earth Day, April 22, 2009. To take advantage of the free conferencing day, companies who have never used Copper Conferencing can sign up at www.copperisgreen.com/earth-day.

“Conferencing eliminates wasted travel that is costing American businesses much of their profit,” said Carolyn Bradfield, Chief Executive Officer of Copper Conferencing. “We will give any company that has never used Copper Conferencing one free day to explore the benefits of conferencing, understand how the technology can streamline expenses while helping the environment by reducing travel. Callers access Copper from toll-free numbers making the selected day of conferencing truly free.”

Copper Conferencing’s On Demand audio conferencing allows up to 125 people to participate in one phone meeting without a reservation. If visuals are required, web conferencing, can be added at no additional charge. To qualify for one free day of conferencing, companies who are new to Copper Conferencing must sign up by Earth Day, April 22, 2009, and may conduct their free conference calls on any day they select in either April or May 2009. To learn more about the free day of audio and web conferencing, visit www.copperisgreen.com/earth-day.

“Businesses in America are struggling to streamline expenses, reduce travel and keep employees motivated,” Bradfield added. “Conferencing is an easy-to-use, inexpensive tool that increases productivity and improves morale. Conference calls not only reach your employees, but teleconferencing also provides an effective lead generation and sales tool to create awareness of a business’ products and services. Phone conferencing doesn’t require the purchase of any equipment and can be used without any contract or commitment. It’s time for some good news, and we’re offering one free day of conferencing to help businesses that need it.”

About Copper Conferencing
Headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, Copper Conferencing provides eco-friendly audio conferencing and web conferencing services to small and medium-sized businesses. Copper’s Conference Coaches™ provide expert guidance of enhanced conferencing services. From On Demand reservationless audio conference calls to highly interactive webinars and special event calls, Copper Conferencing helps businesses save time and money while improving productivity. Copper’s audio and web conferencing services are backed by fully-managed, carrier-class platforms to power communication for thousands of customers. For more information about Copper Conferencing, visit www.copperconferencing.com or call a Conference Coach at 866-903-7521.

Press contact:
Alycia Maier-Turner
Copper Conferencing
303-952-4308
pr@copperconferencing.com

###

Hosting a conference call or joining a call can easily be done from your car. First, if you must call from your car, pull over and stay in a place where your signal is strong. Second, remember to use the mute feature to mask road noise. Third, remember that movement can be heard. So try to minimize movement in the car while on your conference call.

Tip #1: Find a speakerphone that is “full digital duplex”
Speakerphones pick up lots of background noise, and sometimes cause “clipping” because of the limitations of the equipment. A full digital duplex phone will allow all parties to speak at the same time with no clipping.

Tip #2: Use the mute
If no one in your room needs to speak, use the “Mute” button on the phone to prevent background noise from disrupting the conference call. When someone needs to speak, simply release the “Mute”.

Tip #3: Limit movement
If the speaker is in your room and there are several people in the room, limit movement of paper and people. The speakerphone will pick up the ambient noise making it difficult for others on the other end of the conference call to hear.

Tip #4: Sit the speaker close to the microphone
Make sure your speaker is close to the microphone of the speakerphone. If the speaker is too far away, participants on the other end of the conference call will have a difficult time hearing and may become frustrated or disengage.

Many companies are geographically diverse and more employees are working from home. Having op centers and employees all over the country can be a boost to your business. Conferencing makes telecommuting possible. Conference calls and web meetings are great tools to meet remotely and get business done.

When setting up a conference call or web meeting, make sure you include different time zones in the meeting invitation. This will decrease any confusion and make your call run smoother.

• Make a schedule for your conference call
• Plan how much time you would like to dedicate to each topic of discussion.
• Let participants know the scheduled length of the meeting

Now you know about how long the conference call will be and your attendees can plan accordingly.  This way there are no surprises or excuses.

Try buddy system
The hardest part of a schedule is sticking to it. Having a co-host can help you stick to your schedule and respect your participants’ time.

1. Important Information –
Important information is disclosed during the first few minutes of the call. For example, speaker and topic introductions are normally one of the first things to happen on a conference call. Special instructions are also given out in the beginning. You could miss useful meeting information by calling in a few minutes late.

2. Join Notification –
Many audio conferencing services sound a notification when people join a call. You don’t want to be the person who interrupts the speaker/meeting because you joined late.

3. Reputation –
How many times have you heard your boss say, “Does anyone know where Joe is? Does he know we are having the meeting now?” We can all admit we have been there, but it is not fun to be the late person. When you call in on time or early it shows you are organized and care about the meeting. This is the impression you want to send your superiors.

So, set your reminders now! Join a conference call on time or early.

If you must use a mobile or cordless phone during a conference call, remember to mute your line when you are not actively speaking.

All the information you need to complete a successful conference call in a wallet-szed reference guide.

Our conference call service has the ability to mute and un-mute lines. ## will mute all lines except the moderator. This will stop unwanted noise from participant lines. When you need participants to be able to speak you can have them un-mute their own lines. This should eliminate the most common problem on conference calls — background noise.