telephone conferencing

All posts tagged telephone conferencing

camylla-battani-AoqgGAqrLpU-unsplash-scaled-e1614681751722.jpg

How to encourage conference call participation

With telecommuting become part and parcel of daily life, the need to encourage conference call participation is on all our radars. Whether you are a developer, manager, director or client, you will probably understand the challenges that conference call participation can pose. Meeting dynamics often solidify rather quickly, as extraverted participants take centre stage and readily express their opinions. Bolder characters may be excellent for producing new ideas. Unfortunately, though, it can cause participants who are more reserved to fade into the background. If you want to enhance your team’s productivity and unity, implementing some of the following solutions can work wonders. After all, we all want to learn how to have more effective conference calls.

Both the call’s leader and its participants can make a huge difference in encouraging conference call participation. Read on to discover some tips and tactics to improve your team’s conference call participation.

Read more »
AdminHow to encourage conference call participation
robert-bye-BY34glOW7wA-unsplash-scaled-e1603794099372.jpg

10 ways to avoid working from home distractions

Many people are currently combating working from home distractions. Of course, working from home can be a godsend for parents looking to spend more time with the family, those with extremely long commutes or even people who simply work better in their own space. Gone are the times when people believed it essential to be in an office setting to get work done. 

However, worker productivity when at home is still under scrutiny, and not all employers are convinced that it’s a positive thing. One contributing factor may be those pesky working from home distractions which affect the best of us. Instead of pushing through in a chaotic work environment, read on to learn a few tips and tricks on how to create a feng shui zone for your distraction-free home office.

Read more »
Admin10 ways to avoid working from home distractions
micheile-henderson-ZVprbBmT8QA-unsplash-scaled-e1588066010354.jpg

Could your business save £100k a year on conference calls?

Saving money can never really be a bad idea, can it? Particularly when you can save without compromising on quality or functionality. And that’s exactly what many happy users have found with WHYPAY?. If your business teleconferences frequently, you too could make savings of £100,000 or more in the next year by switching to WHYPAY?. That would leave you with a very nice sum to put towards crucial components of your business budget.

Read more »
AdminCould your business save £100k a year on conference calls?
brooke-cagle-uHVRvDr7pg-unsplash-scaled-e1582463408965.jpg

Setting up face-to-face meetings with a dial-in option

Lots of people are interested in setting up face to face meetings with a dial-in option. And we really aren’t surprised. Here at WHYPAY?, we know how wonderful team work is. There are plenty of worn-out clichés to back us up. ‘Two heads are better than one’, you know. And ‘the more the merrier’. Plus, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. Forget the one about the broth – ours is always top notch. That’s why we believe finding ways to bring brilliant minds together should be a top priority. When it comes to creating your dream team, you shouldn’t have to compromise.

Read more »
AdminSetting up face-to-face meetings with a dial-in option
chris-leipelt-4UgUpo3YdKk-unsplash-e1565971485653.jpg

How to moderate a conference call – an easy guide

Given the universally acknowledged usefulness of conference calls for businesses, you probably participate in one on an almost daily basis. In fact, it seems nearly half of all workplace meetings happen via teleconference, according to a Voxbone study. But, as we all know to be true at social events, attending and hosting are often very different experiences. If it’s your first time running the show, it’s natural that you might be unsure about how to moderate a conference call. Luckily, there’s help at hand. Arm yourself with both brilliant tips for planning conference calls and powerful moderation tools, and your participants will be coming to you for advice on how to moderate a conference call.

Read more »
AdminHow to moderate a conference call – an easy guide
louis-hansel-OgDrj7Q8EAw-unsplash-e1564303414658.jpg

Conference call etiquette: the ultimate guide

In today’s world, conference call etiquette is a vital part of your professional toolbelt. In fact, because of the many uses of group phone calls, knowing the expectations for hosts and participants is becoming a basic inter-personal skill. At the same time, though, planning a conference call requires you to consider some factors that don’t come into play in a business meeting.

And maybe the practice isn’t all that familiar to you. There are certain industries where adoption of new technology has been slower. Look at the charitable sector, for example. Despite how much charities can gain by embracing technology, and how useful conference calls are for non-profits, it’s a field notorious for struggling to keep abreast of developments.

Read more »
AdminConference call etiquette: the ultimate guide
robert-anasch-ZFYg5jTvB4A-unsplash-e1563121292561.jpg

Are there viable alternatives to PowWowNow?

It’s a simple (and important question). Why even look at alternatives to PowWowNow if making the change won’t reap any rewards?

But each conference call provider is different, despite most offering the same basic functionality. There is huge variation in important factors like ease of use, call quality and call charges for your participants. PowWowNow’s costs are fairly reasonable as long as you’re savvy about which dial-in number you use, but there are so many other factors to consider too.
 

Things to consider

What do customers say about the service?
Look for testinomials and Check review sites like Trustpilot to get a more objective view of the service.

Is the service easy to use?
This is one of the most important traits for your conference participants.

Whats the call quality like, especially on larger conference calls?
Do customer reviews mention any interference or connection problems?

Would you like custom branded conference calls for a professional feel?
A small number of providers (including WHYPAY?) offer this, and for less than you might think!

Does it offer all the features you require, such as call recording?

 

Is WHYPAY? a great alternative to PowWowNow?

At WHYPAY?, we believe our free conference calls are a great alternative to PowWowNow. Here’s why…

 

Dial-in numbers count

A really important aspect of browsing alternatives to PowWowNow is considering different providers’ dial-in numbers. These can be key determinants in how much you and your participants pay. They’re just the telephone numbers you dial to join the call. Therefore, they can have service charges and connection fees.

PowWowNow recently introduced an 03 number for dialling into conferences from the UK, which we’ve been championing for years! Kudos! But watch out for the additional shared cost numbers which can confuse things a little, and may lead to unnecessary call charges if you don’t know what you’re doing.

At WHYPAY? we keep things simple – with an 03 number for all UK mobile and landline callers, and an 02 or 01 number for international participants. This makes call charges much easier to understand, and you can rest assured that (unlike with PowWowNow’s service numbers) there are never going to be any charges added by WHYPAY? for the call. More information on call charges here.

 

Custom branding

As an alternative to PowWowNow, WHYPAY? also boasts some extras in its paid plans. Custom branding lets you tailor your callers’ experience to reflect your company. You can upload a custom welcome greeting, which can be professionally recorded for a one-off £85 fee. Of course, you choose from a range of tracks for your waiting music too. You can also customise the conference invitations you send from your account by uploading your company logo and colour scheme.

More on custom branding

 

Call recording

Our Pro and Plus plans feature an alternative to the popular PowWowNow recording feature. When you choose to host your conference calls with WHYPAY?, you’ll have the ability to record any conference and download the call within 14 days for complete convenience.

For more information, visit our conference call features page.
 

WHYPAY?

Trying out WHYPAY? as your new conference call provider doesn’t require any kind of sacrifice. Whether you want simple, hassle-free and zero cost conference calls, or have larger-scale teleconferencing needs, WHYPAY? has you covered. And with a stellar Trustpilot profile, the idea of taking a risk disappears… We have thousands of happy customers who can’t believe how simple, reliable, clear and affordable WHYPAY? truly is. We want to restore your faith that exciting things needn’t always be too good to be true.
 

Don’t just listen to us, listen to our customers

Take a look at these 5-star reviews from our users.

Kathy is keen to emphasise our reliability and trustworthiness, and how great the service is for charities and non-profits:

Delivers exactly what is promised. Great, reliable service, deliver exactly what they claim. Great for our not-for-profit business and sector.

Mike loves the reliability, too, as well as how easy WHYPAY? is to use:

Simple to set up and delivers a very reliable service.

Are you ready to take the plunge into the world of WHYPAY? You’ve got nothing to lose. Creating your first conference call with us is easy – simply sign up today and we’ll take care of the rest.

 

Browse our lastest, unfiltered reviews

 


 
Create your first WHYPAY? teleconference today by clicking the button below. Or click onto our homepage, or the plans section to browse our offerings.
 
Create a FREE Teleconference  

Could the grass be greener on the other side?

It’s often said that big risk brings big rewards. The business world is one in which courage and innovation are particularly valued. Stories are rife about entrepreneurs who pushed boundaries, staged Jerry Maguire-esque walk-outs or resolutely ignored all advice and conventions. In fact, such stories often relate to some of the biggest names out there. There are even Harvard scientists who say being a rebel is a key characteristic of leaders, while so-called ‘troublemakers’ are deemed prime candidates to become entrepreneurs in adult life. You could easily move outside your comfort zone today by considering the alternatives to PowWowNow.
 

Thinking ouside the box pays – but cockiness doesn’t

Thinking outside the box, daring to rethink the rules, and having the courage in your convictions to follow through even when you’re told ‘no’ are clearly valuable qualities. Humility has its place too, though. That same Harvard professor’s explanations also draw from the Zen Buddhist philosophy ‘sho shin’, which refers to the idea of having a beginner’s mind. It’s been usefully laid out by Suzuki Roshi, a monk, in the iconic text Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. Considering yourself an expert can actually be damaging to how you conduct business. People get comfortable and complacent. Their thinking ceases to be fresh, they stop pushing boundaries, they don’t look for new opportunities or resources because ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’.

And this is can be a truly fatal pitfall. It can have dire consequences for you, your business, and your customers. That’s not to say this philosophy only applies to business: even within the charitable sector, many are all too ready to remain in the comfortably familiar. This has led to the sector’s infamous failure to keep up with technological developments.

 

What’s this got to do with alternatives to PowWowNow?

You might be asking yourself what any of this has to do with PowWowNow or conference calls. But we use lots of tools for communication and there are lots of providers out there. The pitfalls of sticking with what you know rather than branching out to a potentially better option apply to conference call solutions too.

There are a small number of extremely popular conference call services in the UK, and many businesses stick with the same service (such as PowWowNow) for years. Given how integral conference calling is to businesses, this is both logical and absurd.

On the one hand, it makes sense to fall into a safe pattern with something that you’re doing every day – and for many, teleconferencing is a daily occurrence, particularly if they work remotely or travel for work.

On the other, surely something that is so pivotal to your company needs to be the best it can. So why just accept the standard option rather than researching the best conference call providers? Why not consider customer reviews, for example, and see if your current provider stacks up to the competition. Choosing the default option isn’t always the best route for your business.

If you’ve been using a provider other than WHYPAY? and experienced issues with call quality or ease of use, you may find that your calls run much more smoothly with us. We’re consistently praised by our users for these qualities, and you’ve got nothing to lose by swapping a few of your usual conference calls to WHYPAY? to test things out yourself.

 
Create a FREE Teleconference  

Read more »
AdminAre there viable alternatives to PowWowNow?
you-x-ventures-1439463-unsplash-e1560669970796.jpg

Project management tips for beginners: A simple, effective guide

An interesting distinction exists between ‘job’ and ‘project’. According to marketing expert Seth Godin, the latter is more open, dynamic and less about obligation. In fact, a lot of us have projects totally unrelated to our professional lives. It might be to learn how to cook Thai cuisine, run a 10k, or practice meditation every evening. But many of us do get assigned projects as part of our working lives. If it’s the first time you’ve headed up a team and task, it can feel a little daunting. But with these project management tips for beginners, you’ll be feeling like a natural-born leader and trailblazer in no time!

Read more »
AdminProject management tips for beginners: A simple, effective guide
richard-brutyo-Sg3XwuEpybU-unsplash-5.jpg

Reservationless conference calling: Your best friend, in business & leisure

A good teleconferencing system is at your beck and call 24/7. Always ready and waiting.

Much like a loyal pooch, your WHYPAY? telephone conference room is at your service with the click of your fingers (or a few taps of your smartphone). It asks for nothing in return for the service (it’s free to set up and use), and it’s always ready and waiting for you to dial-in with colleagues or friends on-demand.

Once you’ve created a WHYPAY? conference room it’s permanently yours. All you need to start a conference is…

  • Your dial-in number
  • Your room number
  • Your PIN
Read more »
AdminReservationless conference calling: Your best friend, in business & leisure
Screen-Shot-2019-05-27-at-18.17.57-e1558977518787.png

Conference call phones reviewed: What to look for when buying

We all know teleconferencing is a great business tool. But for some people, making the most of it can mean investing in a bit of hardware – specifically, a conference call phone. And given the fact that there are so many uses for conference calls outside of business and telecommunications, not everybody in the market for a conference call phone is an expert in these matters. After all, teachers and tutors, musicians, even medical staff and non-profit staff, might not keep up with the latest trends in telecommunication technology. That’s why we’ve put together a little guide on how to choose the right conference call phone for you.

Read more »
AdminConference call phones reviewed: What to look for when buying