1. Plan ahead. Before a phone or web meeting, do an agenda and stick to it. This will help your meetings be more productive and efficient.
2. Know the phone commands. Keep a reference guide handy during a conference call so that you can easily record the call, mute or unmute your line. Check out Copper’s phone commands here.
3. Use web conferencing! Want to take your meetings to the next level? Web conferencing is a dynamic and collborative way to engage with employees or potenial customers.
4. Be interactive. Start leveraging the interactive tools that audio and web conferencing has to offer.
5. Just do it! New technology can be a little overwhelming, however there is no better way to learn something new than by jumping right in.

For a free 30-day trial of web conferencing, just visit Try Copper Conferencing!

Amanda Kubicek is part of marketing at Copper Conferencing and loves to rock climb in and around our corporate headquarters in Broomfield, CO.

Carolyn Bradfield

One of my favorite business books is “Managing by Influence” by Kenneth and Linda Schatz.  Unfortunately, it’s long out of print and you have to find a used copy on Amazon to read it. If you can get it, it’s worth the trouble.   The book discusses concepts that I think are important for all managers to address….how to lead people to change……how to use your influence vs. authority.

One of the best concepts in the book is surrounding the idea of “climate.”  The book asserts 3 following principles:
o    Every company has a climate
o    The climate affects everyone
o    You always affect the climate

What does it really mean to have a “climate” within an organization?  Everyone has worked in a job or a company that just wasn’t fun to be at.  Management was negative; people complained about their job, and everyone felt that they were at risk.  People felt they weren’t valued or cared for or had opportunities.  And then we’ve all worked at companies where the climate was great.  We looked forward to coming to work and felt motivated while we were there.  We didn’t focus on justifying our existence, but more on getting our jobs done.

I just realized that I’ve been Copper Conferencing’s CEO for exactly a year and when I took on that challenge, I realized the climate at the company was all wrong.  We were confused and tried to be all things to all companies vs. focus on what we do best – serve small to medium sized businesses with day-to-day phone conferencing.  Since then, we’ve become clear in our mission, who our customer is and how we can best serve them.

We didn’t have an identified and published value system, central to creating a good corporate climate.  We published one and began talking about whether our decisions support those values.  They’re very simple:  customer needs are urgent, the task is the boss, communicate honestly and specifically…….you get the idea.

One of the most difficult decisions we made was to eliminate those in our organization that didn’t understand the concept that a positive climate was very important for the success of the company.  If someone comes to work 8 hours or more today, they shouldn’t have to put up with those that don’t value their job, articulate what is wrong vs. have a plan to fix things, or who spend time talking about others behind their backs.

As I look back over the year, I’m very proud of our company, its climate and the home we have provided for our people.  We focus on development and have monthly strategy sessions, not annual reviews. We hold people accountable so they can hold a mirror up and let employees see the impact of their performance. We now pay for people to return to college or take courses that help them do their job better.  We’ve helped our employees buy their first homes.  We help people resolve their challenges in a positive way.

It’s a great climate and we monitor it constantly.  We’re not just the thermometer that takes the temperature, but the thermostat that sets it.  I think that companies should pay more attention to this simple concept by asking, “What is the climate?”  AND “How can I improve it?”.  We owe it to the people that have invested in us.

For more information about Copper Conferencing, contact a Conference Coach today.

So when presented with the choice of seeing a movie or going to dinner, I will frequently choose entertainment over nourishment.  Over the weekend I had an opportunity to see a film that wasn’t G, PG or PG-13.  Now when presented with such an opportunity one might choose to go see the best of what’s available at the box office.  On the other hand, one might also go to see something that is so incredibly far from Oscar’s view that if one doesn’t catch it on the big screen, one might not ever see it.  So, that’s what I did.

Imagine you are in present day United States where most of the population is infected with a virus that causes them to become zombies.  Yep, that’s right flesh eating zombies.  Now for all you zombie theorists, you know I what I saw, but for those of you who either don’t believe in zombies or can’t be bothered with such silly cinema, I went to see Zombieland.   Zombieland’s plot isn’t difficult to follow:  population is turned to zombies and a few lucky (or prepared) individuals don’t get bitten/infected and are left to fend off zombies in order to stay alive.

The main character, Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg is a self proclaimed loner who has managed to survive by being extremely cautious and by developing a list of things to remember for zombie survival.  One of my favorites is No. 4 Beware of Bathrooms because as Columbus puts it, zombies have a knack for knowing when you are at your most vulnerable.   Not long into the film, Columbus is joined by Talahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin).

Key to their survival is their ability to communicate with each other, which sometimes results in situations not desirable for everyone involved.  I won’t spoil the excitement for those who might actually plan on seeing the film.  But as in real life – not one littered with flesh eating zombies – communication is also key to survival.

Everyday at Copper Conferencing, we are challenged with how to make communications for our clients easier, more efficient and affordable.  And everyday our employees must find the best way to communicate internally and externally to reach the best outcomes.  So, I’m always thinking about how to use our web meeting and audio conferencing services and how our clients might be able to use them to better efficiency.  Now, I’m not going to suggest that if there is a zombie attack that having web conferencing and audio conferencing might save you from being bitten or infected, but what if it did?

For more about Copper Conferencing, contact a Conference Coach today.

To say that I don’t want his, or anyone else’s, illness is an understatement.  I would prefer that those who are infectious stay home.  And, in light of the H1N1 flu outbreak, it might be prudent for some of the health to stay at home too.    Here’s a vote for telecommuting.

In a recently released H1N1 study of cadets at the Air Force Academy, the revelation that as many as 19% of those confirmed with H1N1 continued to emit the virus for 24 hours or more after their fever and symptoms were gone.  The findings were reported in American Journal of Preventive Medicine. (Source:  www.emaxhealth.com)

I’ve worked in many offices where the sick came to work and where, although many of the sick employees could have worked from home thereby sparing those of us who were still healthy, management felt that it was better the sick employees were in the office working than at home working.  When sick employees go to the office, it puts the entire office at risk of developing illness – not just those that work in the same department or sit next to the sick person.  Another vote for telecommuting.

So when your employees are feeling the onset of illness and are likely to be the most infectious, give them permission and encouragement to telecommute.   Most office jobs can be done in a telecommuting environment, and web meetings and phone conferences make being productive while at home much easier.

So if you haven’t already given thought to how your office will function if hit hard by H1N1 flu or other illness, do it now.  Think about what your employees will need to work from home and give them the tools to do so before they call in sick or drag themselves to the office with a fever or hacking cough.

To learn more about Copper Conferencing’s web and audio conferencing services, contact a Conference Coach today at sales@copperconferencing.com or call 866.903.7521

BROOMFIELD, CO – May 22, 2009 – Copper Conferencing, a leading provider of audio and web conferencing, announced the launch of Copper Link (www.copperconferencing.com/partners/copperlink), a web-enabled portal that provides a gateway for agents to access reports, submit online orders, customize marketing materials and launch e-marketing campaigns.

“Copper Conferencing’s channel partners are an integral and important part of our business,” said Carolyn Bradfield, Chief Executive Officer of Copper Conferencing.  “Copper Link is a powerful tool designed to connect agents to Copper and to their prospects and customers.  Copper’s goal is to streamline communications with our partners and offer powerful marketing tools to help partners generate significant revenue from their existing customers and new prospects.”

Master Agents and their Sub-agents access Copper Link through Connect To Copper, a secure web portal.  The reporting tool displays up-to-date information on existing customer revenue.  Using the reporting tool, Master Agents can analyze customer performance, project commissions, and assess risks and opportunities.  New orders for web and audio conferencing are submitted electronically via Copper Link in just minutes offering efficiencies in how agents deliver information to Copper and in how Copper processes new orders and customer upgrades.

Copper Link’s marketing engine has powerful tools to help agents take advantage of electronic marketing for lead generation and revenue opportunities.  In minutes, an e-marketing campaign can be created offering a customized email and landing page combination where prospects sign up and are set up to begin using Copper’s web and audio conferencing services.  Agents are notified immediately via email when prospects have responded to the offer.

“Conferencing represents a powerful way for agents to earn incremental income from their base of existing customers who are buying a range of telecommunications services,” Bradfield added.  “Copper Link’s e-marketing engine takes the work out of generating conferencing revenue by automating the communication of special offers and audio conferencing rates to a partner’s existing customers or new prospects.”

Copper Conferencing offers channel partners competitive buy rates, accurate and timely commissions, product training, and sales support.  Copper Link enriches the channel partner program by offering automated tools to analyze customer activity, process orders and market to customers and prospects.  To learn more about Copper Link, visit www.copperconferencing.com/partners/copperlink.

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, internet meetings 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

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You can search “conferencing” to find out what others are saying about the technology.  This will give you unbiased information on who’s using what and why.
While your searching, make sure you follow Copper Conferencing (CopperConf). We will keep you updated on industry news and latest happenings at Copper.   http://www.copperconferencing.com/go/e6355

When was the last time you left your office for the day and felt really satisfied that you were able to accomplish everything you wanted to that day? If you said today, then I congratulate you!! If you thought, “I can’t remember ever having a day like that” then more than ever you need the power of web and audio conferencing.

Powerful Scheduling Tools
Think of web conferencing as a pocket super hero and audio conferencing as a scheduling fairy. A super hero and a fairy?!? Yes, actually. And while this may seem eccentric, having help to accomplish your goals is imperative.

With an audio conferencing account, you can hold a phone meeting for up to 125 people at the wave of a wand (aka your index finger). Quite literally, you can send an email with the conference call dial-in information and start the call within minutes. Or, if you need to plan something for tomorrow or several weeks in advance, you just send a phone meeting invite (email) with the conference call information. It’s that easy.

With a web conferencing account, you can meet with people anywhere in the world and show them exactly what you need to – right from your desk. Talk about superhero qualities! And web conferencing provides several options.

• Web meeting or webinar is an interactive internet meeting for just a few people or many people.
• Webcasting is an online meeting where you push the content out to your audience. All the audio and web is done over the internet.
• Web conference or webinar is generally a large-scale web event with several hundred people. These can be either interactive or lecture style.

Both audio conferencing and web conferencing give anyone the flexibility to schedule meetings closer together.

Boost Productivity and Cut Costs
Being backed by a super hero and fairy make it easy to accomplish a lot. Planning meetings more efficiently means more time to accomplish other goals. And increasing efficiency often translates into better time management – thereby boosting productivity.

CFO’s love cost efficiencies. CFO’s love meeting or beating budget numbers. CFO’s love employees who save the company money. Enter web conferencing – cost savings super hero. By using webinars and online meetings to conduct business, travel costs can be minimized. Not every meeting can be done via an internet meeting, and for those really important meetings, spending the time and money to travel is the right thing to do. However, for meetings that can be done using web conferencing, it’s a smart decision and a cost saving decision as well.

Ready to have a super hero and a fairy on your team? Find out more about web and audio conferencing by visiting www.copperconferencing.com. Try it first and then buy it.

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.

BROOMFIELD, CO – February 18, 2009 Copper Conferencing is pleased to announce Carolyn Bradfield, a 20-year conferencing industry veteran, has moved from Copper Conferencing’s Board of Managers to become the CEO of Copper Conferencing, a leading provider of audio conferencing and web conferencing services to small and medium sized businesses.

Carolyn was one of the original founders of InterCall and later founded and developed two audio conferencing reseller companies, Quorum Conferencing and InterAct Conferencing. InterAct was acquired by Raindance Communications and as a result, Carolyn became the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the organization from 2002 through 2004.

Copper Conferencing was founded in 2006 by Brad Dupee and Carolyn. According to Carolyn, "Copper was designed to offer a comprehensive array of web and audio conferencing services to small and medium sized business customers. Conferencing enables businesses to increase productivity and cut expenses anytime but particularly during an economic slowdown. Copper’s strategic business model is ideally suited to help businesses at any stage of development."

With the acquisition of The Conference Depot in early 2008, Copper Conferencing grew exponentially and added new services and marketing capabilities. Carolyn became a member of the Copper Board of Managers which is comprised of conferencing and business industry veterans. Carolyn has stepped in as CEO to help guide the company through its next phase of development.

"Copper Conferencing will benefit greatly with Carolyn as its CEO," said Christina Wafford, COO and CFO for Copper Conferencing. "Carolyn’s years of telecommunications industry experience coupled with her successful track record as a business owner and investor are a welcome addition to Copper’s management team."

Carolyn will be at the Copper Conferencing booth, No. 1730, during The Channel Partner Show in Las Vegas on March 1 and will be available to connect with the many channel partners that Copper Conferencing has developed. Copper invites all its partners to visit its booth during the show.

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 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

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