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Suggest You - Improving Conference Calls
For all the marketing professionals, brilliant salespeople, crafty entrepreneurs, and self-proclaimed marketing wizards I've come across, very few of them have shown any prowess in developing, and certainly little in applying a sound marketing communications plan.It isn't easy, but it's really not that hard, either. It takes some insight and serious persistence. But, even more important than that is simplicity.Why? If a plan is too intricate or difficult to communicate, it likely won't be implemented.Don't fret, though. I'm here to help. I've developed a plan for which the acronym is IMPACT, which you can find in action at www.danskincreative.com. But, I'll use simplified language here, to get in the spirit of the title of this post. Anyway, here are the steps required:Research: Use whatever is at your disposal (available studies; field sales reps; key customers; competitors; or focus groups if you sell direct to consumer) to determine where your company/products are positioned in the marketplace, existing perceptions, strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT), successful marketing initiatives of the past (what worked? what didn't? and why?) how you stack up against competition, etc.Insights: Next, from cross-ref
MODERATOR
Every conference call should have one identified and assigned moderator. If there is a group of peers, it may be appropriate to rotate the role of moderator from time to time with repeating calls, Typically, the individual creating the invitation is the moderator. The moderator is responsible for making sure that the call starts and stops on time. The moderator is responsible for keeping the call on track and gently guiding individuals back on track in the event that conversation begins to run away on a tangent. The moderator may also be responsible for controlling emotional r
Every business owner knows without their customers they do not have a business. Finding customers is only the first step in running a business. Keeping them for the long haul is the most important thing a business needs to do.Customers want to buy their goods and services from businesses in tune with their needs, wants and desires. They want to be taken care of and sold the best possible products for a reasonable price. What they do not want is to deal with a business that does not seem to have those thoughts in mind. How can keep your customers happy, and still make a profit?1. Do not forget your current customers when you offer promotions and special offers. While you do want to bring in new customers, giving your current customers the same promotions is a surefire way to keep them happy.2. Treat your current customers with the same curtsey and honesty you give to new customers. A customer who feels you are not treating them fairly will not be a customer for long.3. Do not promise something you cannot keep. Nothing annoys a customer more than to have a business tell them they can deliver on a certain date only to have the shipment days or even weeks late.4. Get to know your customers. Everyone likes to be remembered, even your c
ESTABLISH EXPECTATIONS UP FRONT
If you are the moderator scheduling the conference call, send out a list in advance with pertinent information. This information should contain the Purpose of the call, dial number with PIN code if necessary, the moderator, the start time, the end time, list of participants and specific agenda items. Attached relevant documents to email invitations for the conference call so the participants can prepare in advance. If documents are required from other participants to review on the call, make sure that these are coordinated and completed in advance. The more prepared you are for the call, the productive the time can be and the better able that you will be to stay on schedule.
PURPOSE
List the purpose or topic of the call clearly and succinctly. This should be the goal or objective of the call. Typically a conference call should be limited to one or two specific goals. This enables you to keep the conference call focused and succinct.
In some cases it may be more difficult to keep a conference call focused on a specific topic. For example, when reviewing the schedule for a large project there may be multiple topics that are relevant to time milestones in the project. If this is the case, keep the call focused on specific milestones that are due or relative to the point in the schedule.
Sometimes conference calls are used to gather information from many people in the field. These group calls can be effective if the purpose is for a moderator or manager to disperse information to several people simultaneously. However, if the call is used to gather information from several different individuals as a weekly update to management, is it really an effective use of time for anyone other than the manager? Is it really a good use of time to interrupt the schedules of many people to conduct a social town hall discussion in which each person waits in silent anticipation for peers to give a weekly update? Consider how much more effective it would be to obtain a written weekly report in lieu of a conference call. A written report can be read at convenience, creates a reference document for discussion if necessary, and enables the manager to work with priority or confidential communications in an appropriate manner. If you are already using both weekly reports and conference calls, then it is time to do some soul searching to determine if any of the communication is being treated with value or if it has just become a meaningless routine.
DIAL IN and PIN NUMBER
Always include the conference call Dial In Number and PIN Number on the invitation and any scheduled reminders. Make it easy to find the number. It can be a distraction to have people dial into the conference call late because they could not find the phone number.
MODERATOR
Every conference call should have one identified and assigned moderator. If there is a group of peers, it may be appropriate to rotate the role of moderator from time to time with repeating calls, Typically, the individual creating the invitation is the moderator. The moderator is responsible for making sure that the call starts and stops on time. The moderator is responsible for keeping the call on track and gently guiding individuals back on track in the event that conversation begins to run away on a tangent. The moderator may also be responsible for controlling emotional re
Many people believe that the main reason for representatives leaving their organisation is that of money in that they leave for a bigger salary. In fact, the biggest reason why people leave organisations is that the role they are doing is no longer offering any challenge or excitement. The second reason is due to the behaviour and capability of the immediate line manager. More often than not, the two are strongly linked with the manager taking little interest in the representative’s development and as such the representative feels under valued and bored due to the lack of attention and challenge.Often the blame is laid at the manager’s door, but the representative must take a share of the responsibility also. The trouble usually arises when expectations are not laid out “on the table” with both parties unaware of each other’s needs, motivations and expectations. The end result is often a lack of trust and respect between the representative and manager which leads inevitably to conflict. A good manager will ensure that a “contract” is created between the manager and the representative and that this contract is “two-way” but unfortunately this rarely happens and if any contract is put in place it is 2one-way2 with the manager outlining what he or she expects
PURPOSE
List the purpose or topic of the call clearly and succinctly. This should be the goal or objective of the call. Typically a conference call should be limited to one or two specific goals. This enables you to keep the conference call focused and succinct.
In some cases it may be more difficult to keep a conference call focused on a specific topic. For example, when reviewing the schedule for a large project there may be multiple topics that are relevant to time milestones in the project. If this is the case, keep the call focused on specific milestones that are due or relative to the point in the schedule.
Sometimes conference calls are used to gather information from many people in the field. These group calls can be effective if the purpose is for a moderator or manager to disperse information to several people simultaneously. However, if the call is used to gather information from several different individuals as a weekly update to management, is it really an effective use of time for anyone other than the manager? Is it really a good use of time to interrupt the schedules of many people to conduct a social town hall discussion in which each person waits in silent anticipation for peers to give a weekly update? Consider how much more effective it would be to obtain a written weekly report in lieu of a conference call. A written report can be read at convenience, creates a reference document for discussion if necessary, and enables the manager to work with priority or confidential communications in an appropriate manner. If you are already using both weekly reports and conference calls, then it is time to do some soul searching to determine if any of the communication is being treated with value or if it has just become a meaningless routine.
DIAL IN and PIN NUMBER
Always include the conference call Dial In Number and PIN Number on the invitation and any scheduled reminders. Make it easy to find the number. It can be a distraction to have people dial into the conference call late because they could not find the phone number.
MODERATOR
Every conference call should have one identified and assigned moderator. If there is a group of peers, it may be appropriate to rotate the role of moderator from time to time with repeating calls, Typically, the individual creating the invitation is the moderator. The moderator is responsible for making sure that the call starts and stops on time. The moderator is responsible for keeping the call on track and gently guiding individuals back on track in the event that conversation begins to run away on a tangent. The moderator may also be responsible for controlling emotional r
You probably think that your biggest competitor is a big-name chain store, a recognized brand name or a specific salesperson. While it’s true that sometimes a customer’s choice boils down to either buying your product or someone else’s, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, the customer’s real choice is between buying your product or simply nothing at all.Knowing that your customer doesn’t have to buy the product at all will change the way you look at the sale. If a purchase doesn’t seem to be noticeably enjoyable or easy, your customer may opt out of buying it. When this happens, your customer’s reluctance has become your new competitor.Learning to shape your approach to the particular needs and emotions of your customer will help make the transaction smooth and enjoyable. Here are some tips for discovering your customer’s emotional reasons to buy and using them to stir their motivation to act on that desire now.1. Customers enjoy buying products, not having products sold to them. Nobody likes to feel persuaded, pressured or suckered into making a purchase. People enjoy spending money when the decision to buy is theirs, and when they are in control of getting the things they need or want. Build up the customer’s buying experience to
Sometimes conference calls are used to gather information from many people in the field. These group calls can be effective if the purpose is for a moderator or manager to disperse information to several people simultaneously. However, if the call is used to gather information from several different individuals as a weekly update to management, is it really an effective use of time for anyone other than the manager? Is it really a good use of time to interrupt the schedules of many people to conduct a social town hall discussion in which each person waits in silent anticipation for peers to give a weekly update? Consider how much more effective it would be to obtain a written weekly report in lieu of a conference call. A written report can be read at convenience, creates a reference document for discussion if necessary, and enables the manager to work with priority or confidential communications in an appropriate manner. If you are already using both weekly reports and conference calls, then it is time to do some soul searching to determine if any of the communication is being treated with value or if it has just become a meaningless routine.
DIAL IN and PIN NUMBER
Always include the conference call Dial In Number and PIN Number on the invitation and any scheduled reminders. Make it easy to find the number. It can be a distraction to have people dial into the conference call late because they could not find the phone number.
MODERATOR
Every conference call should have one identified and assigned moderator. If there is a group of peers, it may be appropriate to rotate the role of moderator from time to time with repeating calls, Typically, the individual creating the invitation is the moderator. The moderator is responsible for making sure that the call starts and stops on time. The moderator is responsible for keeping the call on track and gently guiding individuals back on track in the event that conversation begins to run away on a tangent. The moderator may also be responsible for controlling emotional r
Two powerful tools to influence your target audience are case studies and your website. These tools show your potential customers that you are their best solution. In this article, you'll learn how to use case studies and websites to help with your IT marketing.Case StudiesA case study is a really fancy testimonial. It usually has the picture of the client with their logo, their full name, address, and other contact information.A case study will have a few short paragraphs where the client talks about the benefits that they've received by working with your firm over the years, and a strong endorsement signed by them and your firm's contact information at the bottom as a call to action. If you're targeting small medical offices, for example, and you have two to four related case studies, they can be incredibly powerful.WebsitesA website is an important IT marketing tool for your business. Put the right content into it so it gives the maximum impact to your clients. Don't waste your time on irrelevant things like advertising the cheapest power supply or motherboard. Focus on your industry specific solutions and solving the niche's biggest IT problems.Each Web Page Should Address a NicheIf you have three niches that yo
DIAL IN and PIN NUMBER
Always include the conference call Dial In Number and PIN Number on the invitation and any scheduled reminders. Make it easy to find the number. It can be a distraction to have people dial into the conference call late because they could not find the phone number.
MODERATOR
Every conference call should have one identified and assigned moderator. If there is a group of peers, it may be appropriate to rotate the role of moderator from time to time with repeating calls, Typically, the individual creating the invitation is the moderator. The moderator is responsible for making sure that the call starts and stops on time. The moderator is responsible for keeping the call on track and gently guiding individuals back on track in the event that conversation begins to run away on a tangent. The moderator may also be responsible for controlling emotional r
Is there really a formula that goes into working at home and making money online? Many people try to become the next top successful Internet marketing online, but what they fail to realize is that there is a formula that you must follow, and that is the “perfect wealth formula”.This formula will be your guideline to success, a blueprint laying out step-by-step what you must do in order to achieve the success so many people are in search of. Let me give you a few very good pointers.First all success comes with trust and good relationships. Building trust up is a must for any perfect wealth formula. What building up trust and good relationships will enable you to do is make people feel good and know that they can come to you for help. This in return will make them trust the products and programs you recommend to them, which then leads to you earning more money.Without trust and relationships you business will have a hard time getting off the ground, and you wont make much money at all even if you offered the best program that is out there.Secondly is support and training. Not everyone is going to be an expert, however they are going to want to learn how to become one in the shortest amount of time. So what you need is a support syst
MODERATOR
Every conference call should have one identified and assigned moderator. If there is a group of peers, it may be appropriate to rotate the role of moderator from time to time with repeating calls, Typically, the individual creating the invitation is the moderator. The moderator is responsible for making sure that the call starts and stops on time. The moderator is responsible for keeping the call on track and gently guiding individuals back on track in the event that conversation begins to run away on a tangent. The moderator may also be responsible for controlling emotional responses or maintaining a professional level of courteous communications. It may be necessary to encourage some individuals to participate, or discourage some individuals who may have a tendency to filibuster. It is the responsibility of the moderator to keep the call on schedule and focused on the purpose of the call.
It is the role of the moderator to reduce or eliminate distractions or interruptions. It is the role of the participants to remain quiet and respectful unless there is something useful and relevant to add to the conversation. Distractions may sometimes appear as opinions, jokes, anecdotes or personal stories that contribute very little to the progress of the conversation. It is the responsibility of the moderator to control the call and keep it focused.
START TIME and END TIME
Schedule the call to start five minutes past the hour. Most calls are scheduled to start precisely on the hour and the first five minutes of the call are wasted while waiting for some individuals to dial into the call. Sometimes it is difficult to start on the hour because a previous call or meeting may be ending precisely on the hour. Schedule your call to start five minutes past the hour and start precisely at the scheduled time. If you always start at the scheduled time, you will develop a reputation for being precise and the participants will plan accordingly. If you always start late or consistently spend the first five minutes waiting for participants to join the call, then the other participants will become accustomed to this delay. Schedule the call to start five minutes past the hour and start the call on time every time.
Schedule a precise End Time for the call and stick to it. Develop a reputation for ending your calls on time. It will create a sense of urgency and a rhythm for the conference calls as people realize that the purpose of the call must be met in a designated amount of time. It will enable the participants to schedule other activities after the call with confidence. It will keep the call focused. Complete the call with a summary of highlights and action items. If there are follow-up items, or if additional time is required, schedule the next phone call and use the summary highlights and action items as the agenda for the next conference call. Every action item should have name or names of associated owners to complete, or there is no purpose for the list of action items.
ROLL CALL
Conduct a time check near the end of the call and reserve the last few minutes for summary wrap-up and roll call. What, roll call at the end of the call? Yes, do your roll call at the end of the call, not at the beginning. It is inevitable that some individuals may join the call late. Avoid the temptation to wait for participants to join or to introduce distractions and interruptions by late arrivals. Start the call on time and get right to the purpose of the call. Conduct your roll
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