Web 2.0 Audio Conferencing as a Speaker/Educator Medium
The reach, efficiencies and benefits are quickly achievable
Our virtual society opens new opportunities for speakers and educators with audio conferencing-based program technology.
Back in the day, if one wished to promote a speaker or educator topic, one had to get people together physically. This meant booking the speaker, booking a venue, arranging refreshments or meals, sending invitations, gathering sign-ups, sending reminders, organizing site presentation requirements like flip chart, projector, handouts, setting aside the time, traveling to the venue, setting up, greeting participants, then making your presentation. Whew. Such events, done right, are a lot of work and often quite expensive. A hotel room can cost you $250-1,000 per day. Refreshments are usually $15+ per participant. Handouts cost you 10 cents a page. Projector and screen rental can set you back $250 per day. Speakers for these kinds of venues typically cost you anywhere from $400 to $5,000, or more.
In today’s fast-paced social and business climate, convincing prospective participants to set aside a whole day for a seminar is challenging. It is also expensive and time-consuming. Consider interspersing your face-to-face programs with audio conferencing-based programs instead. Here are some of the key attributes of an audio conferencing-based program.
Characteristics of an audio conferencing-based program:
- 1-2 hours max.; covers key learning topics with 20 minutes for Q&A
- Lecture Mode
- Record
- Web conferencing for real-time whiteboard, if needed
- Email handouts
The benefits of an audio conferencing-based program are many:
- Participants are more likely to attend because: (a) Doesn’t consume a whole day, (b) Nobody sees participants in their PJs, (c) Participants are not desk or chair-bound and (d) Participants can even be traveling
- Lecturer isn’t consuming a whole day; likely to charge less
- Cost savings allows for a more experienced lecturer
- Lecturer does not have to travel
- No lecturer hotel and lodging costs
- No venue costs
- No copying costs
- No audio-visual costs
- Better use of everyone’s time
- No travel time for participant
- More topics can be offered more often
- More contact-time with constituents
- Recording can be replayed
For years pundits thought that video/web conferencing would replace audio conferencing since it was more visual. However, audio conferencing has been found to be more useful in many settings. Most conference calls do not need the ever-present visual push. Web conferencing has proved to be perennially fiddly with set up configuration hassles on local computers. In addition, with video/web conferencing participants are “locked in their chairs” in front of their computer cameras. As a result, web conferencing is more useful to desk-bound, large-company users who do a lot of them, whose machines have already jumped through the configuration setup hoops, and who have comfortable chairs. Conferences with live video essentially demand that you stay in front of your camera the entire time; otherwise, people wonder if you are paying attention!
The telephone is the most convenient and universal technology tool on the planet, by far. Why not take advantage of its reach and convenience to extend your speaker-education with audio conferencing-based programs?
Participants in your programs won’t get antsy, the fidgety-types can move around all they want, your costs are a fraction of your typical program costs, you can extend your constituency nationally and internationally. Bottom line, audio conferencing-based programs dramatically reduce the boundaries to getting your message out. It costs only pennies to try it. Compare the traditional program described earlier for, say 15 participants for 2 hours, with an audio conferencing-based program, without including the speaker fee.
Traditional Program Costs:
- Venue – $500
- Refreshments – $225
- Handouts (25 pages) – $37.50
- Flip Chart – $50
- Projector – $250
- Mailings – $35
- TOTAL = $1,097.50
Audio Conferencing-based Program Costs
- Minutes (@10 cents a minute) – $180 – a 609% savings
Only a handful of truly Web 2.0 audio conferencing providers exist. Find one and try them. Start with short programs, then expand your repertoire as you become experienced.
To learn more, Google “Web 2.0 Audio Conferencing”.
Copyright © 2010. Leader Phone® and Michael McKibben. All Rights Reserved.
Google Search Phrase: “Web 2.0 Audio Conferencing”
About the Author
Michael McKibben is Founder & Chairman of Leader Technologies®, supplier of Leader Phone® audio conferencing services. Leader’s teleconferencing innovations include patent pending Web 2.0 technologies. Leader Phone® was first introduced in 2001 and has customers in most industry sectors as well as education and government.
The Use Of Phone Cards May Economize Great Deals Of Funds
You might have met the situation when you require to call to some other state but you can’t do it. That is not so considerable if you desire to call your grandmother and tell her about your weekend, but it can mean much in case you run some business. These business people may announce that they spend much to have a possibility to make these calls, so what are the options?.
All the conversations can be performed by means of the Internet but it is not as handy as usage of some cheap phone cards which can be easily purchased almost everywhere. In case you use the network in your daily life you can understand how to contact other persons but some people need just telephone to perform it. People attempt to teach their old relatives how to use the PC to call to the other location but it is really hard to comply. Some people announce that prepaid phone cards is the greatest choice for them as they just don’t have any computer.
This text will describe the main principles of usage of calling cards and some interesting nuances connected to it. When you get a calling card you ought to find some special code which is written on the card or hidden under special cover. It is actually simple to see the code but if there are some problems you can ask for some help from online support system. In case the system does not allow you to execute any operations you ought to reenter the code or correct mistakes. There is some automatic voice menu so you may search all the required information here. All you need to perform is only follow the instruction heard from it. Usually you may hear some information about the state of your account before every call.
There are some other services which may be used by the customers of calling company but not all oh them demand some money for the usage. Of course the basic advantage of such system is really low cost of all the calls regardless of the distance between users. Sometimes some of your relatives can ask you to send some money on their telephone account and you may execute that utilizing tips of voice menu. The dissimilarity between calling card and plastic card is not so great as it appears to be at the first glance as the possibilities are the same. You can also make some transfers to pay for lots of other services or even to donate some money so that is really handy to utilize.
A really significant problem for persons who commonly utilize the mobile phones is they can’t afford to utilize them when they visit other states. So the other really significant advantage of usage of cheap phone cards is the ability to use the same rates all over the world.
Some experienced network users may announce that there are some programs that can assist to communicate. The software products used there are basically free but some of them demand some small payments for usage. Keep in mind that it would be improbable to communicate with other persons if there are no microphone and speakers on the PC.
About the Author
You may see that Express calling cards online is the main field of activity of our corporation. You must systematize your requirements to find the best calling cards. You can get a lot of info on the internet source of our corporation. Also you can get prepaid phone cards with the assistance of our corporation. Do not pay much, just call.
Bedford provides a quality fun casino evening
More and more companies are recognising the benefits of rewarding the achievements of their staff. This is an element of team building, which has a proven track record in optimising efficiency and output of a team, which in turn increases profits for the company.
A popular choice of reward, is a fun casino evening. The emphasis is placed firmly on fun, rather than gambling, though they can become quite intense when a fair amount of cash is riding on the throw of a dice, or a turn of a card. They also offer something quite new and different from a bowling night, or a meal out. Many people are familiar to some degree with casino games, but have never actually set foot in a casino.
The beauty of this type of reward, is that even if the night falls a little flat, staff do appreciate the efforts the company has gone to, to reward them. Everyone likes being rewarded, even if the reward itself was not what they wanted. It is the thought that counts, and the feeling that their efforts have counted for something. Conversely, should their be no reward for achievement or effort, many people become disillusioned and despondent, and this is not good for any kind of company or organisation.
Bedford is rapidly becoming the place for a fun casino evening. It has great facilities for such an event, and as it lies close to the M1 and A1 motorways, and is on a mainline rail link from London, Cambridge, Birmingham, Sheffield, Nottingham and Leeds. Subsequently, it is very easy to get to.
Fun casino evenings are quite difficult to organise, especially if there are large numbers of people involved. For this reason, many companies outsource the organisation of fun casino evenings to an event management company. They have the experience, the knowledge, and the expertise to bring such an event to life.
About the Author
John Tarr is a copy writer for ActionDays. Click for more information about Casino Evenings in Bedford and across the UK.
How a Business Mobile could help your Company move
Helping your company move from point A to point B in an efficient manner whilst maintaining productivity and increasing profits, is the ultimate goal of any business regardless of the type of industry they are in. If you have a think about your business and the things that are important to improving your business, then you will have a really good starting point when it comes to choosing the right kind of business mobile solutions and plans.
There are business plans that you can take advantage of depending on the size of your company. If you are only a small business then you might like to consider a simple plan. A simple plan will often involve an account that has a handful of phones that are linked. For larger companies with multiple employees and sections, you will probably be better off looking for a complete package that will improve communications between all employees.
If you have not taken the time to consider your needs carefully you could just end up with a plan that costs you more than the benefits you receive. Finding the exact business mobile solution for your business will see your company thrive and move leaps and bounds ahead, with reduced costs and far greater productivity.
There has been a lot of talk lately about the benefits that mobile phones can have in regards to operational performance. It increases:
Communication
Productivity
Employee mobility
Customer service
A good mobile plan is not just about staff and customers being able to communicate, it also can help your company to meet various business objectives such as:
Email capability – being on top of emails is one way to increase productivity and keep employees connected and in the loop. If there are certain messages that need urgent attention, they can be dealt with on the spot.
Instant Messaging – being able to get in contact with a staff member is easy when your plan involves SMS capabilities.
Internet – Most mobile plans for business will include web connectivity. This is important and very useful in order to identify and send through links or to conduct research in order to answer a customer query.
Navigation – when your staff are on the go, travel time can take a lot of productivity out of the working day. This is further increased when staff are not familiar with the areas they need to travel to. Many plans and phones will have built in GPS navigation to help them get to where they need to go and back to the office in the quickest time possible.
Photography – there are many businesses that rely on photographs to allow them to pinpoint work that needs to be done. This photographic evidence, can be taken by cameras that are installed as standard on most phones. Staff will also be able to forward images to their supervisors or business owners in order to receive the immediate go ahead.
These are just really the tip of the iceberg, as technology is changing around us all the time. If you want your business to be ahead of the rest and to be a shining example of efficiency and productivity, organise a business mobile solution to get you there.
About the Author
Do you feel that your company could be helped by investing in Business Mobile? IP Solutions is a London and Manchester based company that will be able to help you. For more information visit the website at http://www.ipsolutions.uk.com/
The Advantages of a SpliceCom Handset
What do you need when you are thinking about the way that your business communicates? What sort of equipment do you want at your disposal when you are thinking about how to talk to both your employees and your clients? Chances are good that when you are planning out a communication system that the option of SpliceCom handsets come up. More and more businesses are flocking to the SpliceCom handsets and you may be wondering why.
The truth of the matter is that this technologically advanced system is tailored to meet your needs whether you are a small or a large business, so take some time to figure out what SpliceCom handsets have to offer you.
Firstly, you will find that they have recently put out the highly impressive PCS 410; this is their latest offering in terms of the keyless IP phones. This particular model comes with a highly intuitive, fully integrated Video Graphics Array, an LCD touch screen and graphical icons that are used to control the functionality. You will find that you can have pages from the Internet pushed directly onto the screen and that you can also make use of a variety of web-enabled applications.
On the other hand, you may also be interested in models like the PCS 10; this is a display phone that has been specifically designed to meet the needs of a maximiser system phone. This is perhaps the phone with the best learning curve. It is very simple to use and with ten pre-programmed system function keys and integrated voicemail management, some investigation will show you that this system is very well designed and can give you many of the features that you have been looking for.
You will also find that when you are looking to make sure that your basic telephone needs are met that these phones do come through. You will find that such basic features as a dedicated Direct Station Select/Busy Lamp field can be found in the PCS 100 and there are eight context sensitive keys that will give you access to each of the system features. This is an excellent all around phone that manages to blend in quite well no matter what kind of office environment that you are looking to nurture.
You will also discover that the SpliceCom Handsets are built in such a way as to take up little space on your desk while still giving you an attractive profile. Consider what the space that you have to spare for phones is and make sure that you really look at the aesthetics of these handsets as well.
Consider what your options are going to be and make sure that you think about which of these phones is going to suit your needs best. Taking some time to really consider your options and to make sure that you are going to be getting the results that you need is the only way to get the phone that is right for you and chances are, upon looking at the SpliceCom handsets, you will find a model that is going to be able to give you the features that you have been looking for.
About the Author
Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For business telephone systems, he recommends Intech Telecom, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of SpliceCom Handsets.
VOIP: Austin Businesses Can Utilize to Cut Costs
You can’t turn on the TV, open a newspaper, or surf the web these days without more bad news about the economy. It’s no secret that we are in the middle of a recession. Here in Austin we are faring better than many, but recession or not, businesses large and small are looking for ways to cut costs. VOIP technology is one way business can achieve this. Advances in technology tend to make our lives easier, and these efficiencies also save us money. Voice over internet protocol, or VOIP, is one such technology. If you aren’t familiar, VOIP is the technology that allows us to make a phone call over the internet. Instead of an analog audio signal traveling over a phone line, the sound is translated into a digital data so it can travel over a broadband connection. You can make calls with your computer or VOIP-enabled phone to another PC, VOIP phone, or land line. You may have heard of Skype, a service that uses this technology for personal use, or here in Austin, NEC’s Aspire is an VOIP solution for businesses. The benefits of this type of business phone system are many and it’s easy to see where it can save you money.
* Because data is transmitted through the internet, this means you do not have to pay for an additional phone line for each individual employee. Multiple users can share a single connection. An entire customer service division, for example, can work off a single “line.” * VOIP capabilities allow for employees to work from home. This option saves the employee money on their commute, but can save you in real estate expenses. Knowledge workers that don’t require much supervision, like engineers or programmers, can set up shop at home and only travel to the office for status updates or reviews. * If you have mobile employees, VOIP can save you money. Software like NEC’s Aspire turns any laptop into a VOIP telephone. No more long distance charges, or costly cell phone bills. * If you have the resources to expand your business during these tough times, the reward could be great. VOIP allows you to set up small branch offices quickly with minimum hardware purchase, and there would be no need for a remote PBX. Employees on the go, or those in a branch office, can connect to the business phone system via their laptop.
One benefit of Aspire in particular is that that if you are not ready to switch over to VOIP all together, you can still take advantage of the technology. With Aspire you can use VOIP as you see fit, when and where you need it. At any point you can switch from regular circuit technology to VOIP. Austin businesses find this ideal because the software eases what could be a difficult transition if attempted cold turkey. Your business may be lucky enough not to be feeling the effects of the recession. Regardless, voice over internet protocol is one technology that can not only make your life easier, but help your business save some money this year. One solution to consider is NEC Aspire. Austin businesses can benefit from the ability to transition easily and take advantage of the cost benefits of VOIP. In a media swarm of negativity, this is one piece of good news you can bank on.
About the Author
Helen Walker. Since 2000, Telco-Data.com has provided VOIP Austin business phone systems Austin.
The S-AGE’s 2009 Workforce Predictions
Most Boomers, at least in the private sector, will increase their efforts to stay in or return to the workplace. According to The Congressional Budget Office retirement accounts have lost $2 trillion (yes, that’s $2,000,000,000,000) in the past year and a half. The Employee Benefit Research Institute states that 401(k) average losses hovered right around 10% (our wizard colleagues think this estimate is low).
An increasing number of people will look toward career planning/management of their mid to later life careers as central to maintaining their sustainability in the workforce. The employed will seek career planning help from their employers. The unemployed will self-fund their learning experience or struggle to learn how to plan on their own – just as many have struggled to learn how to save! All will come to realize that Financial Advisors/Planners do little good if there is no work to provide income for savings and investments. Read our first book, Boom or Bust!, for expert help in setting the stage for your mature career planning.
Smart Boomers will learn how to leverage the advantages of maturity in hard economic times. For instance, Gary Kaplan and Associates (a leading executive search firm in Southern California) supports the premise that battle-proven business warriors may be the best of all generations at managing through and weathering hard economic times. Why? Because mature workers are the only generations in the workforce that have experienced both the good times of economic growth and the really hard times of economic uncertainty. While you are seeking advantages for your mature career, be certain to be ready to debunk the many myths about age and work. Ageless in America’s myth cards debunk widely held myths about mature workers and make a strong factual case for hiring, developing and retaining Boomers. Remember that it is the smart people who identify their advantages and use them liberally.
Many Boomers will realize there is a gap between what they know and what they need to know in terms of working later in life and they will “flock” to school – on line and in person. This is the year when lifelong learning will really begin to mean “lifelong” – and recently gained high level skills and competencies will be increasingly valued. For Boomers who would like to scale back to part-time work, start a business or work on a project basis instead of retiring completely, a portfolio of current skills/competencies will become a “must have” if they are to overcome hard times now and thrive in good times later.
Some Boomers with limited skills will find themselves out of work and out of contention for work. The economy will continue to lose jobs in 2009 and only the highly competitive people will thrive.
The Bottom Line in ’09?
Only those Boomers who continue to learn and strive for their
right to compete in the future will succeed in the present.
The S-AGE’s 2009 Workplace Predictions
Age discrimination claims will continue to rise. As people become more fearful, as early retirement packages continue to be proffered and accepted, as sheer masses of older workers are rejected in the hiring process; age discrimination claims will continue to rise. Google this subject! You’ll soon see that more and different types of age discrimination claims should be expected in 2009 based on the activity in 2008.
The growth rate of mature workers will continue its rise from 2004 to 2014 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Growth for employees in the 35-44 year old range will increase by 8%, the 45-54 age range will grow by 5% and employee growth in the 55-64 year old range will rise by 42%. Organizations that help mature workers to thrive will have a competitive advantage beginning in 2009.
Organizations will seek mature workers but they will raise their expectations for employees’ commitments to their own professional/personal growth. During the recruiting process, recruiters will pose questions and probe applicants about their recent learning experiences. During the performance management process, employers will measure what employees have learned as well as what they have accomplished. Increasingly, employers will make decisions to keep or release people based on proven commitments to self-learning.
Team projects and special assignments will grow and older individuals, such as Traditionalists (born before 1946) who have specialized in one or more areas of high-need will have their choice of assignments whether or not they are engaged as full-time, part-time or just-in-time contributors.
Organizations will become ever more flexible. The greatest opportunities may always be found during the worst of times. Planning, organizing and leading an increasingly flexible workforce is beginning to take front and center stage in many organizations. This trend will accelerate in 2009. Boomers and Traditionalists who are prepared to compete will have their choice of opportunities in all areas of the flexible organization.
About the Author
AgelessInAmerica was developed by Carleen MacKay and Brad Taft, nationally recognized career management consultants and co-author of books, articles, newsletters and multi-media training materials. Widely known across the nation, on stage, in print and by America’s smallest to largest firms and the maturing population themselves
Workplace Conflict Resolution
Managing and resolving workplace conflict is one of the major challenges facing businesses and organizations. Because of our hardwired “fight or flight” response, we often respond to conflict either with avoidance or hard line, win at any cost, tactics. The problem is neither achieves a workable resolution. The good news is that better alternatives exist.
Afterall, conflict is a normal part of life. Our ability to resolve problems effectively and manage change dramatically impacts our success and work satisfaction. A company or organization’s ability to resolve conflict productively impacts productivity, competitiveness, and its bottom line.
Five Ways of Addressing Conflict
There are five basic styles we humans use to address conflict:
Accommodation – or “killing them with kindness.” It is surrendering one’s needs and wants for the satisfaction of another. This works well in courting situations of all kinds, whether customers, potential employers, or love interests. It is the strategy of choice when the relationship is the most important element.
Avoidance – the flight part of “fight or flight.” It is the process of ignoring or postponing conflict. This can be useful as a temporary measure but it never resolves the problem. Sometimes, however, there is no way to win and it is best to just cut your losses. As the song says, “You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.”
Collaboration – the act of two or more people working together to achieve more than the sum of the individual parts. This is what people mean when they refer to “win/win”. However it requires trust and open communication to work. Therefore, it is time and work intensive to achieve.
Competition – the fight part of “fight or flight.” It is the process of trying to do better than others or at others’ expense. Sometimes, however, scarcity exists and survival of the fittest, strongest, etc. is the only way to go.
Compromise – a quick dispute settlement process in which two or more sides agree to accept less than they originally wanted. This is also known as “split the difference.” It is less than optimal as a resolution strategy because it requires each side to give up things that are important. It is a good backup strategy.
These styles were first identified by Thomas and Kilman in 1976.
Why People Avoid Conflict
Meaningful work conflict is essential to an organization’s health and success. Think of the “clash of ideas,” that ultimately creates a better product. The alternative is called “groupthink,” and can lead to disaster, e.g. the Challenger explosion. Yet most people avoid conflict at all costs at work. Why?
Because pushing for resolution means exercising personal courage by standing up for your ideas and beliefs and bringing important differences and perspectives forward. Many are uncomfortable because they lack conflict resolution skills and are afraid of getting hurt or losing out. Having to endure conflicts in your workplace without sufficient information, training, tools, or support, puts you in an uncomfortable position.
Yet conflict can be productive, beneficial and empowering. Relationships are often deepened when people work through their differences to a mutually satisfactory result. Disagreements often result in a more thorough study of options and better decisions and direction. Ownership in and commitment to the resolution are increased through participation and involvement
Resolving Workplace Conflict Constructively!
Here are some tips taken from those who resolve disputes for a living.
Define the actual causes of the conflict. Find and enlist your adversary in finding, the real issues which are not necessarily the ones you are currently arguing about. Ask what are we fighting about? How can we work this out? What are we each trying to accomplish?
Validate differences in perception and point of view. There are always 3 different truths in any argument, yours, mine and the actual truth. Neither of us can know “the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” only our own perception. Validating and accepting your adversary’s perception does not obligate you to share it. By doing so, you are inviting him or her to join in the resolution process.
Set up and get agreement for a process you both will work through. Usually this involves each side having completely uninterrupted time (with an agreed upon limit) to express themselves about the conflict. Separate this from the process of seeking possible resolutions. People need to vent and be heard. Freed from the burden of unexpressed emotions they become available to generate and evaluate solutions.
Listen actively. Habit 5 of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is “[S]eek first to understand, then to be understood.” This means to listen with the intent to understand not respond. Communication is key to managing conflict and resolving problems. Feeling heard, your adversary can now take the next step toward reconciliation.
Document the resolution and the plan of action and provide copies to both sides. Documentation is important for a lot of reasons. One is that it provides each party with an agreed roadmap for implementation. It can also be crucial if the dispute later becomes a legal case.
Follow through then move on.
About the Author
Marsha A. Ostrer is a mediator, conflict resolution trainer and lawyer who practices privately through Family Mediation of Cape Cod. Her conflict resolution specialty is successfully entering and defusing highly charged conflicts using a targeted mix of training and consulting.
She is also the founder and developer of http://www.all-things-conflict-resolution-and-adr.com website from which this article was developed see http://www.all-things-conflict-resolution-and-adr.com/Workplace-Conflict-Resolution.html for more tips. Her website’s mission is to provide resources and information, so that organizations and individuals will be able to make informed choices in accessing conflict resolution skills, training, and services to manage and stabilize the conflicts in which they are involved.
5 Phrases You Never Say to an Angry Person at Work (or anywhere else)
Conflict at work has always been a problem, but with the recently added stresses of the national recession and the mortgage crises the problem is sky-rocketing. In fact, the Center for Disease Control has classified workplace violence as a national epidemic.
Whether you are concerned about violence in the workplace, want to help reduce tension and improve morale at work or just don’t want to be part of the problem, learning to avoid these 5 phrases when people are angry can help resolve problems before they escalate.
Phrase 1 “Calm Down”
We’ve all said it, someone is angry, or upset, they’re in a heightened emotional state and before we can even think about, the words just naturally slide out: “Calm Down!” As natural as this phrase may seem when dealing with an employee (or anyone) who is upset and emotional, it is not, I repeat, is not an appropriate phrase for helping the individual to calm down. Why? Has it ever worked? Of course not, in fact it seems to have the opposite effect, instead of calming down they often become more upset. This happens because the phrase calm down, insinuates that the person has no real legitimate reason to be upset or emotional. Now they spend more time defending their reason for being upset in the first place which just amplifies their frustration or anger. Instead try phrases like “I see you’re upset, is there anything I can do to help”. Remember, conflicts are never resolved when the person is still upset.
Phrase 2 “What Do You Want Me To Do About It?”
First, this is one of the biggest cop outs there is. It immediately says, “I’m not going to help you” and “it’s not my problem.” But there is another part to this; it communicates “I don’t care” or even worse, you’re being unreasonable in expecting me to help you. That’s a huge problem, especially if it is something that was your responsibility. It immediately discredits you both as a responsible person and as an ally. Instead, try phrases like “How can I help?” or “Is there anything I can do to help?” Help them solve the problem and if you are in any way to blame for what happened, apologize. Just don’t sound like a telephone customer service rep “I’m sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused you….”
Phrase 3 “Grow Up!” or “Be Rational”
“Grow up” and “Be rational” have the same effect as saying “Stop acting so childish” and “You’re an idiot” (regardless of whether you think its true or not, it will do nothing to help resolve the matter at hand). This is like an invitation for more conflict. You must remember that at that moment, the person feels justified in his or her response and calling them childish will just inflame the situation even more. Plus, what’s the chance of this person responding by saying, “I know, I’m acting like a complete moron but I was wronged!” Instead, try saying (in a concerned voice) “Are you OK, is there anything I can do to help?” or “What’s wrong”. These phrases will help pacify the person’s emotions allowing them to settle down.
Phrase 4 “What’s Your Problem?”
This phrase, usually accompanied with an offensive tone, a facial expression that screams “disdain” towards the other person, and an emphasis on the word your, immediately sets up a “me vs. you” dynamic instead of the mutual concern/”we’re in this together” feel needed to calm the individual. The other problem is that this phrase points to the person as the source of what ever is wrong which almost always leads to that person feeling the need to defend his or her self. Instead try using “What’s wrong” or “What’s the matter?” These phrases communicate empathy and concern and will help the person begin to deal with the problem without provoking them. Just be careful not to get pulled into their frustration with them.
Phrase 5 “But”
For the love of all that is good, don’t follow any of the above mentioned phrases with “but”. “But negates the previous statement, causing people to both disregard the previous statement and to interpret whatever is coming next as negative. Substituting “and” for “but” will make you much more effective.
If you can learn to use these phrases while looking people in the eyes with a calm expression and a disarming tone AND you can keep your “but” out of harms way, you can effectively cool people down when things get hot.
About the Author
As an internationally recognized corporate relationship expert, Tony Chatman trains companies and organizations of all sizes on leadership development, team building, communication skills and conflict resolution. Tony’s expertise is also seen as he is frequently requested to give workshops, seminars and keynote speeches around the globe, on building and maintaining great relationships and self improvement as well as various corporate topics.
Call Center Outsourcing Service – Pros And Cons
Many medium to large sized businesses are shifting towards outsourcing customer service operations. As a result, many call centers are known as ‘customer care centers’ ‘contact centers’ or ‘service bureaus’. Due to the increasing popularity of call center customer services, call centers are becoming huge business enterprises in themselves. Typically, the call center works 24/7, with employees coming in shifts to carry out their designated duties.
In the West though, there is a raging controversy about the benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing work to call centers. So, what are the pros and cons of call center outsourcing service?
Pros:
Availability: Businesses with a global presence are required to provide round the clock service to their customers. For the average business owner, matching business hours with clients located in different parts of the globe is a challenge. Round the clock availability is often vital to customer allegiance. By employing a call center for customer service, it becomes possible for the business to offer immediate service to customers, any time of the day and night.
Time: When a business makes use of call center outsourcing service, it frees up precious resources for more useful activities like developing core competency or sales and so on. Thus, the company can dedicate its trained resources to business developmental activities.
Cost: One of the most important reasons for the development of call center outsourcing service is the cost savings. If a company were to employ their own trained personnel for the job, they would have to invest in new equipment or scheduled upgrades in equipment over and above the cost of hiring, training and retaining employees. If round the clock service is required, the cost may go up even more. On the other hand, call center customer services are much more affordable as the outsourcing partner generally charges competitive rates for the same.
Cons:
Communication problems: One of the main concerns that some companies have when outsourcing work is the problem of communication. Serious problems could arise if terms of service are not laid down properly and if requirements are not laid down accurately at the time of engagement.
Security: Reputed outsourcing partners generally employ powerful information security tools to encode data and thus prevent the theft of data. That said, data transfer can never be 100% foolproof. That is why it is vital that you shop around for an outsourcing company that has established credentials in the market.
Regulations: Since most companies employ offshore outsourcing, laws and regulations pertaining to these may vary from country to country. Terms of service may be subject to regulations and policies, and these need to be considered carefully.
As you can see, the cons of outsourcing may largely be avoided by working with a reputed company.
About the Author
ProvidenceBPO provides the full range of call centre customer services. For information about how call centre outsourcing service or any other call centre services which may be beneficial to expanding your business please visit http://www.providencebpo.com