Working at a small company gives employees the opportunity to dream, think, and contribute to product development, enhancements, and how we market and sell to our customers.  At Copper Conferencing, talking with our customers is as close as picking up the phone, whether you are in Marketing, Customer Service, Accounting or Sales.  We count it a privilege to hear what our customers tell us that they care about, what it is that they need, or what they would like to have from conferencing in future days/years.

Although predicting the future is not likely, peeking around the next corner isn’t out of reach.  The combination of customer desires and employee dreams of future possibilities launch ideas, and ideas become ways of doing things better.

2010 is the year of doing conferencing better, easier, less expensively.  At Copper, this means partnerships with leading web conferencing providers to provide an expanded menu of service and choices for our diverse customers.  It means introducing Local Dial In as a connection option to drive your costs down.  It means having a  Conference Coach available to you every time you call us, and Connect To Copper, a state of the art Customer Portal for you to  self-access and manage your  conferencing account whenever you need to.

Wherever you are, we are here. We have expanded our menu, giving you new choices, and making conferencing easier.

Try Copper for free!

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.

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.

In times such as this, I’m reminded that gaining a new perspective on a situation or problem is often easy.  As easy, say, as putting on a wig.  Yes, I said a wig.

Last weekend, several people from Copper Conferencing attended a social event where wigs were par for the course.  I can honestly say that I definitely gained new perspective on two of my colleagues, Sara Stilson and Sarah Deatherage.

And what I learned about each of them got me to thinking about how this new perspective might translate to not only what we do at Copper but how we provide webinars and audio conferencing to prospects and customers.

I know this may seem like a big leap, but really it’s not a terribly big gap to bridge if you think of the wig as a metaphor for small but significant changes that can be made in any business to simply change an attitude, a way of communicating or perspective on a problem or situation.   Think of how using (or adding) audio conferencing or web conferencing might make a difference in how you approach your clients, communicate with your employees or disseminate information to a target audience.  How much do you have to gain?

So the next time you’re in need of a new perspective, put on a wig.

Carolyn Bradfield

InterCall is by most measurements the world’s largest conferencing company.  In the early days they grew by showing businesses how efficient conferencing was, then they shifted to snapping up smaller conferencing companies and acquiring their customer bases   Recently, they have added revenue through rate hikes, fees and surcharges to stay even in the face of our current economic downturn.  (Think about airline baggage charges).

When you reduce customer service and account managers from companies you buy, diminish the personal touch, and raise rates, your options become limited in holding on to an increasingly dissatisfied customer base.  Enter the concept of the contract.  Contracts are often used to create the perception of obligation in return for a rate advantage.  If it were that simple, it would seem like a good idea.

However, is it really in a company’s best interest to get a rate advantage through a contact?  Let’s use the example of a company who agrees to pay InterCall $.05 per minute in return for a revenue obligation of $5,000 for 12 months.  They spend an average of $600 per month and would easily meet their obligation.

Now, let’s add back fees that they might expect on an invoice.  They want an invoice mailed, so that’s $25.00.  Their moderators like to get a post conference report, so that’s another $25 for each conference call.  There are bridging fees of 6% and miscellaneous telecom fees of another 1%.  Some of their calls are short, so they have to make up the difference to make sure that call billed $15.  If a couple of users call in, get the time wrong and start the call, that’s an expensive proposition.

Maybe those fees add another 25% in cost each month.  (I’ve seen it as high as 50%).  What is the real rate per minute now?  That contract that guarantees $.05 per minute, still guarantees the rate will not go up for 12 months.  However, the extra 25% in fees and surcharges really make that rate $.0625 – not what the company believed they were signing the contract for.

Sometimes contracts are a good thing, but in an industry that is ever-changing, with technology that consistently reduces the cost of doing business, contracts may box you in, limit your choices and give you a false sense of security.  My advice, keep your options open.

Have questions about Copper Conferencing or need to do an audio conference or web meeting?  Contact a Conference Coach today.

Seemingly a company could thrive with a focus on either marketing or sales and be successful. Marketing could bring clients in through proper advertising and a well planned strategy, and a sales team would not be necessary. Conversely, it seems sales would not need marketing either, by simply providing their own leads and bringing in their own clientele through research and hard work. In theory they are individually functioning divisions that can operate independent of one another, but in reality, the two are very necessary and must work together

When you think of sales, you typically think of overwhelming salespeople pushing a product that customers may or may not want. While this is true, sales has a very important purpose in all organizations. They execute the efforts of the marketing team and put it into action. The sales department in an organization can best be described as a special operations team in the military, and the marketing department is their Intel. Military Intelligence gathers all the information necessary for a mission and then distributes their findings for the Special Ops Team to execute.

Similarly, when you think of marketing, you think of massive amounts of e-mails piling in your inbox with special offers. While this may be true, marketing is crucial in providing leads, and getting a brand name recognized. They handle the leg work for the sales team, so the sales team can focus on closing business and getting potential prospects to use a product or service. Without the advertisements, e-mails, and various marketing plans though, a company would be relatively unknown.

At Copper Conferencing, an audio and web conferencing provider, marketing and sales work together harmoniously in order to achieve similar goals. The Sales Director and Marketing Director ensure  that they are not only on the same page with current marketing campaigns, but also, that they are focusing their efforts and teams to maximize their return on investment. Audio conferencing and web conferencing is an industry where most companies are realizing the services incredible benefits. By reducing costs and travel expenses, conferencing is changing the way companies operate and do business. Through expertly managed marketing and sales strategies, Copper Conferencing is quickly proving that a perfect balance of the two departments is a key to success.

Now that we see that sales and marketing are uniquely individual, yet very complimentary of one another, we can see how using a successful marketing plan in conjunction with a well executed sales team can generate new business. Copper Conferencing is a perfect example of this through a recent campaign. Copper is running a Business Webinar Series allowing speakers across the country to show their expertise to an array of business professionals. This shows our conferencing services to potential clients around the nation, and at the same time, generates leads for the sales team to follow up with. Remember, a subtle alliance between two divisions can bring powerful returns in the business world.

Have questions about Copper Conferencing or need to do an audio conference or web meeting?  Contact a Conference Coach today.

Snow in Golden, CO

Have you ever been pulled out of a dead sleep by a ringing phone?  Ah yes, the sudden realization that the phone is ringing — somewhere and the near panic as you try and reach the phone before it stops ringing.

It’s always a shock being wrenched out of a dead sleep by a ringing phone.   But it’s particularly fun when it’s an electronic message at 5:10 a.m. from your child’s school letting you know that there’s a snow day.  There hasn’t been a snow day in Golden, Colorado in almost 4 years.  Golden is located in Jefferson County, which is largely located in the foothills and mountains surrounding Denver, the school officials usually only delay schools.  But not today.

The storm that’s currently hovering over the Denver Metro area has already dumped almost 9 inches of snow in Golden as of 6:05 am with another 6 – 10 inches more expected today.

So instead of shoveling snow off the walk, scraping ice off the car window or slogging through the snow this morning to drive my child to school and then on to the office, I’ll be snug inside my house with a child who is thrilled to have a snow day.

Ah yes, but I don’t get a snow day though I would love one.  For me, the demands of business at Copper Conferencing must still be tended.  Fortunately, I work for a company that recognizes that sometimes employees can’t be in the office, understands that it is still possible to conduct business at home and provides employees with the tools necessary to continue working — regardless of location.

Yes, Copper is the provider of web and audio conferencing services that enable me to work where ever I am in the country.  As long as I am in business,  I will always have audio conferencing and web conferencing as two of my business tools.  These two incredibly affordable business tools make conducting business so much easier that not having them is almost unfathomable.  I’ve done without audio and web conferencing in the recent past and the difference in my productivity was notable.

So, if you’re in the path of this storm or another that may disrupt your ability to get to your office or if you’re a manager whose team members may be stuck outside of the office due to adverse weather or illness, you need to seriously consider getting audio and web conferencing if you don’t already have it.

Today, I’ll be watching the snow fall and webcasting my heart out.

If you’d like to know more about Copper Conferencing’s web and audio conferencing services, contact a Conference Coach today.

Using Facebook to Attract Clients and Connect with Like-Minded People

Presented by: Marquesa Pettway
Date: Today! Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Time: 2:00 pm ET

Register Now!

Today’s free 60-minute webinar presented by Marquesa Pettway provides participants a clear understanding of Facebook and ways to use it for personal and professional purposes.  In this webinar, you will learn:

• 6 Ways to Create a Magnetic Profile
• 4 Strategies for setting up “The Critical Nugget for Client Attraction:  The Facebook Group”
• 2 Strategies for increasing your business – the Fan Page that keeps you in front of your target audience

This is an hour well spent for anyone who wants to become more familiar with Facebook or for anyone not yet using Facebook.

Register Now!

Who Should Attend:  Everyone

Have questions about Copper Conferencing or need to do an audio conference or web meeting?  Contact a Conference Coach today.