Follow the Cues

As a voice and accent trainer, I have been working with my trainees on body language.

What is body language? Body language is an important part of communication which can constitute 50% or more of what we are communicating. If you wish to communicate well, then it makes sense to understand how you can (and cannot) use your body to say what you mean.

Because I’m part of a management team, I participate in interviewing candidates on a regular basis. I’m very aware of the role body language plays in communicating with people. I’ve found that it is really important to be aware that there’s far more going on than the discussion between you and the candidate. To make the best hiring decisions for your business, you need to pay attention to each applicant’s nonverbal cues.

What can you watch for or observe from candidates? Some of the points below can definitely help you filter them. If you are interviewing potential employees who are remote, video conferencing is the ideal way to make the meeting more like a face-to-face one so you can watch for those nonverbal cues. Many video conferencing providers, including InterCall, can help you find video rooms available to rent, so not having equipment isn’t a barrier.

Here are the tips from a blog, How Reading Body Language Can Help You Make Better Hiring Decisions, by Lee Polevoi.

Appearance counts. This is common sense, but worth a second look. The candidate should be well-dressed and properly groomed, which communicates professionalism and good self-esteem. In many companies, the panel of judges (I‘m included in this group) expect the candidates to come in proper professional attire.

Handshakes should be firm, but not too firm. A limp handshake is a warning sign of poor self-esteem, so naturally the opposite is preferable. A firm, dry handshake suggests self-confidence and the desire to impress. But not too firm, experts say. An inappropriately strong handshake may indicate aggressiveness.

At the same time, culture can dictate the proper way to shake hands with a man or woman. For instance, when a man shakes another man’s hand, a full handshake signifies that the person is strong and confident. When a man shakes a woman’s hand, the man holds only the four fingers of women’s hand and gently shakes, which indicates respect for the woman.

Good posture is a good sign. A promising job-seeker sits upright in the chair, but still communicates a sense of being at ease. Slouching indicates sloppiness, which is never an ideal employee trait. A candidate who slumps or leans back in his chair comes across as too relaxed, while a person who leans forward (and into your personal space) conveys aggressive tendencies. A person who sits crossing her leg and shakes the legs indicates casual behaviour. Fiddling with nails, twirling hair and tapping legs are also some indicators that the person is either disinterested or nervous.

Eye contact is a must, but not staring. Observe how well an applicant listens to and interacts with you. Does he seem engaged or aloof? Ideally, the candidate will maintain steady eye contact, rather than looking around the room while you’re talking (which suggests either a lack of confidence or disinterest in the conversation). That said, make sure he blinks occasionally, too: Prolonged or uncomfortable eye contact can be another sign of aggression. Maintaining eye contact with all the members of the panel is another point to be observed; if the candidate is responding to only one person and not maintaining eye contact with the other panel of judges, that indicates ignorance and disrespect.

Do you take interviews? Have you met any candidates whose body language gave insight into their personalities? Do you find that video conferencing improves the interview process with remote candidates? Share your experiences with me.

Anusha Karnad is a post call services lead at InterCall in Bangalore. She’s been with InterCall since 2009, working in customer service, training for new hires and account management where she helped customers with billing and service related questions. Anasha's background is in training voice, accent and soft skills for customer service agents.

Two Is Better Than One

This week I got to thinking about famous partners like Batman and Robin, Cagney and Lacey, Inspector Gadget and Penny, although now that I think of it, Penny always solved the mystery on her own. Managing video conferencing systems and services can be a mystery that needs a good partner to help navigate it all.

According to ABI Research the global market for managed video conferencing and telepresence services will grow to $1.2 billion by 2016 from its current $512.5 million. Why so much growth? Well, as companies embrace video technology more and more, there is a service and support component to it all that sometimes isn’t part of the initial plan.

For example in some companies, their IT department resources are stretched while their end users are looking to support the investments made in communication systems. The IT staff needs to keep pace with emerging technology, which is not always their focus nor in their budget. A video managed services partner is prepared to take the extra load off the IT staff and provide the following:

• 24x7 monitoring
• Remote management of endpoints and infrastructure
• Monitoring and scheduling service
• Bridging and gateway services
• Recording and archiving
• Event management
• Help desk services
• Maintenance of hardware and software upgrades
• Design, installation, integration and training services

So how about a partner? Our video managed services provide an end-to-end managed video solution that incorporates the list above and:

• Full suite of video systems
• Infrastructure for multiple environments
• Centralized management tools
• Integration with external devices and productivity tools

Do you have internal support for video conferencing and telepresence systems or are you thinking about a partner?

Sarah Murphy is a marketing manager at InterCall. With over ten years of experience in the conferencing industry, Sarah has worked with customers and products that cover all segments of conferencing, including traditional operator attended services, video and online meeting solutions.

Turning Taxes into Something Snappy

I met with my tax guy today; although he was successful in getting me a refund, I left the meeting feeling sick about the enormity of tax burden that the U.S. government has put on my family this year with TAX, TAX, TAX. Uncle Sam gets me every time I buy anything, make a paycheck, invest in real estate or create some capital gains. EVERYWHERE he is hitting me for more of my personal income. Who is this man named IRS? I am starting to feel like I am being robbed by a faceless person. I’m not trying to sound anti-American, but I have to ask where is this money going?

At least I can be comforted in the fact that the business at InterCall is benefiting in some respects because of the heavy hand of Uncle Sam. A new government mandate is forcing the healthcare industry to adopt an electronic medical records keeping system. Physicians and healthcare professionals are now required by law to stop writing and start keying/scanning in their patient data. Developing this technology system is not free. The industry is describing it as an initiative to improve the flow of information, create accuracy and reduce medical costs over time.

It is called telemedicine. Simply defined, telemedicine refers to the delivery of medical care using telecommunications, including: phone, email, Internet and other channels. In short, the government wants to mandate that all hospital records are captured electronically for easy access and movement.

One other advantage of telemedicine is to provide rural areas with access to preferred medical staff. Hot-shot urban docs can join patient consultations via video conference into areas that typically don’t receive the best medical advice or care. In a well-run, well-managed video infrastructure, anyone can have access to any medical specialist. With the advent of electronic medical records, a physician in New York City could access the medical history, tests, charts, data, etc., of a patient in rural West Virginia and, via video conference, diagnose and provide care without either party having to travel. Some may question the sacrifice of losing face-to-face interaction and bedside care with your doctor. I have become a very regular user of video conferencing, and it’s my personal opinion that this is a very reasonable opportunity.

Anyway, if my hard-earned dollars that I may normally use for a new sharp jacket or an opportunity to upgrade from my eight-year- old car are used to support these kinds of improvements, then I have lost some angst with our system and good old Uncle Sam.

Technology creates speed and precision—even for my tax guy. My small tax refund was arranged entirely without paper. Hopefully in a couple of weeks, I’ll notice an activity line in my checking account signaling that the IRS has electronically deposited my refund. Now that’s kinda snappy.

Marty Dunne is executive vice president of sales for InterCall. His commitment to working and playing hard results in his ability to lead a fast-paced, energetic, goal-achieving environment with over 325 field sales members in 26 offices in North America. Because Marty has worked for InterCall since 1994, he has been involved in virtually every development of conferencing’s life cycle. People often attribute Marty as the guidepost of InterCall’s street reputation, inspiring the most passionate and high-energy sales team in the industry.

All Rise! Court's in Session!

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about video conferencing and the role it plays in telemedicine. This week telejustice made the news in an article from the Northern Ohio court system.

The use of video conferencing in the courts is not “new” news, but with recent economic challenges, many cities and towns have had to evaluate public safety budgets. Once again video conferencing technology has been recognized as a way to do more with less while ensuring public safety. Specifically, post-arrest video arraignments provide:

• Increased safety as the accused stays in the confines of a jail.
• Cost savings as the accused doesn’t have to be transported. With the price of gas creeping towards $4.00 per gallon, trips to and from the courthouse can eat into any budget.
• Efficient use of time as the focus is 100% on the accused and not any courtroom distractions or delays.

Our partner, Polycom, helps court systems take it one step further with streamlining the issuing of arrest warrants and post-arraignment paperwork. Read more from their case study where a single city in Virginia reported a savings of $1.2M using video in one year alone!

What if you could help save $1.2M for your organization? Saving on travel doesn’t have to be at the global level—just cutting trips across town can definitely add up. Do you know how your hometown is using conferencing technology save time and money?

Sarah Murphy is a marketing manager at InterCall. With over ten years of experience in the conferencing industry, Sarah has worked with customers and products that cover all segments of conferencing, including traditional operator attended services, video and online meeting solutions.

Seeing the Light Yet?

As a conferencing company, it’s in our nature to promote the benefits of being able meet with people located all over the world without leaving your desk. You can see from several of our other blog posts that we’re not big on travel and truly embrace the benefits of being able to stay home (the whole work/life balance thing).

CareerBuilder recently conducted a survey to find out what kind of travel plans companies had in 2010. They found that three-in-ten (30 percent) companies said they cut back on business travel last year, and of those companies, more than one-third (37 percent) said it negatively affected their business.

When asked how fewer business trips affected their bottom lines, companies reported the following:

• Less effective internal communication – 12 percent
• Fewer sales – 11 percent
• Less effective execution on internal business initiatives – 10 percent
• Less customer loyalty – 8 percent

Many companies, though, are starting to see the light. Using audio conference calls, web conferencing and video conferencing are some ways companies are reining in their travel budgets. Forty-two percent of companies said they rely more on phone/web conferencing now to conduct business with clients, with 31 percent saying they get just as much out of virtual meetings as face-to-face meetings.

And here’s the part I love: The most unusual experiences when traveling reported by the respondents.

• Woman next to me asked me for a drink from my water bottle.
• Our plane was stormed by the Columbian military who thought there was a drug lord on board.
• A client mooned the plane.
• A naked guy tried getting in my cab in Indonesia.
• A drunken passenger next to me insisted my headphones were a bomb.
• U.S. marshals arrested a passenger when the plane landed.
• A guy next to me had a carry-on bag filled with candy, which he kept offering me over and over and over again.
• A woman gave birth on the flight.
• After waking up, I accidentally walked into the hotel’s hallway instead of the restroom in my underwear. Got locked out and could be viewed by the elevator which was all glass windows.
• Manager punched a co-worker on the plane.
• Fell asleep in the airplane restroom.

What does your company have planned for travel in 2011? Do you find that reduced travel has the same effects as those reported by the respondents? Has your company adopted more conferencing in order to battle the budget crunch?

Jill Huselton is a senior marketing manager at InterCall. She's been in the conferencing industry for nearly 15 years, working in operations, account management and marketing, mainly based in Colorado. Before leaving the Mile-High City, she hiked a 14er, one of her top accomplishments. Now she's traded the mountains for the beach and works from a home office in North Carolina.

The Doctor Will See You Now . . .Online.

Living in the “burbs” outside Boston, I sometimes take for granted the access I have to  some of the top medical institutions and specialists in the country. Some of them were the focus of an eight hour documentary series last summer called Boston Med. For me, they are only 45 minutes away. But for some, traveling to Boston for healthcare isn’t an option.

What got me thinking about this was a recent announcement from the USDA who has awarded 44 rural healthcare organizations telemedicine grants. Now at times I wish I could sit in the comfort of my own home, say “Ahh” into the webcam and get the prescription I need, however telemedicine means so much more than that for these rural healthcare organizations.

Not only will patients in these areas be able to access specialty care without worrying about time and travel, but health care providers in their area will be able to receive additional and specialized education and training though video conferencing. One specific grantee will use the funds for telestroke services that connect patients with physicians, continuing medical education for healthcare professionals at the hospital sites and a stroke recognition program to train students to recognize the warning signs of stroke and help save lives in their communities.

As you can see video technology and conferencing equipment have come a long way out of the dedicated conference room to play a critical role in healthcare. Check out our Polycom Partner Showcase to learn more about healthcare solutions that help reduce costs while delivering the technological freedom needed to maximize healthcare delivery when in person consultations aren’t possible.

Long gone are the days of house calls.  What’s your opinion of the telemedicine concept?

Sarah Murphy is a marketing manager at InterCall. With over ten years of experience in the conferencing industry, Sarah has worked with customers and products that cover all segments of conferencing, including traditional operator attended services, video and online meeting solutions.

Be Considerate of Your Fellow Conferencers

We get questions all the time from customers wanting to know etiquette and best practices for audio conference calls, web conferences and video conferences. This week, Twitter was a flurry of tweets from people talking about a recent article from Inc. Magazine, 11 Do's & Don'ts of Video Conferencing Etiquette. I thought they were right on and wanted to share them.

While these tips specifically address video conferencing, may apply to audio conference calls or online meetings using web cams. I’ve listed them below, but you might want to also check out the pictures that go along with each point—they give you a little context and a chuckle (my favorite is the picture that goes with tip #5 that shows people making shadow puppets from the projector light).

Do be courteous to other participants
Be punctual and introduce yourself before speaking so that everyone knows who’s talking and can address you by name. Take note of the other speakers so that you can also address them by name. Lastly, turn off the sounds on your smart phone and absolutely no texting.

Don't make distracting sounds
Your focus should always be on the person or people at the other end of your video conference. Avoid typing on your keyboard, turn off all sounds on your phone, and close yourself into a room with no or minimal background noise.

Do speak clearly
An audio check should be done before the virtual meeting begins to ensure that everyone can hear you. Know your material – uncertainty will cause you to mumble. Speak naturally but slowly and annunciate each word.

Don't shout
Avoid screaming. If someone can’t hear you, then adjust the level on the microphone and make sure it’s not covered by your clothing or something else. Yelling will cause viewers to turn down their volume and potentially miss what you have to say.

Do keep body movements minimal
If you’re someone that talks with your hands, practice keeping them put. Hand movements can distract your audience. Also, keep head movements to a minimum as well as jerky movements forward or back.

Don't interrupt other speakers
Wait for an opening in the conversation before putting in your two cents. Cutting other speakers off is rude. Another option is posting pending questions by instant message so that every comment is addressed.

Do maintain eye contact by looking into the camera
Keep your focus on the camera. The worst thing is having your audience look at the top of your head because you’re typing or looking down at notes – or worse – at your Blackberry.

Don't carry on side conversations
Chances are if you wouldn’t do it in a face-to-face meeting, then you shouldn’t do it in a virtual one. That includes tuning out of the present conversation to talk to someone else sitting next to you, on the phone, in an IM chat, anywhere and anybody not in the current meeting.

Do dress appropriately
Striped shirts or shirts with intricate patterns do not transmit well on camera, because they are visually distracting. Red, white and black are also poor choices. Go for a pastel or other light colored shirt.

Don't wear noisy jewelry
Jewelry should be small and simple. Big jewelry can be distracting to those tuning-in and it can also bump against your microphone. Also, stay away from dangling ear rings and shiny eyeglass frames.

Do be yourself and have fun!
Relax and have a good time. Be lively, break the ice with a joke, and make viewers laugh. It’s uber easy to tune out in a face-to-face meeting, so imagine how easy it is in a virtual one. The more fun you interject, the more people will stay focused and interested in what you have to say.

Think this covers it? What else would you add to the list?

Jill Huselton is a senior marketing manager at InterCall. She's been in the conferencing industry for nearly 15 years, working in operations, account management and marketing, mainly based in Colorado. Before leaving the Mile-High City, she hiked a 14er, one of her top accomplishments. Now she's traded the mountains for the beach and works from a home office in North Carolina.

What Are You Afraid Of?

The thing I’m most afraid of is the dark. Yes, there I said it. All grown up and still afraid of the dark. A lot of people will say their biggest fear is public speaking, even if they aren’t in the room with their audience!

In a recent survey of video conferencing usage, 39% of respondents said they don’t use video conferencing because of concerns about their appearance and another 10% avoid it because it feels like public speaking. Yet with all this worry, a significant percentage of respondents “believe they are more likely to take action following a conversation in a video conference than after receiving an email containing the same instructions or information.”

So how can InterCall Video Conferencing help ease these fears and strengthen your conversations? There are a lot of options and factors to consider when diving into the world of video conferencing. With that in mind, we take the time to consult with customers to find out what their needs are for video conferencing.

• Who do they conference with on a daily, weekly, monthly basis?
• What type of video system would best meet their requirements? Desktop, mobile, telepresence?
• What type of network is in place to ensure quality of service?

Next we make it easy to schedule video conferences online through our web-based scheduling system. And lastly, our expert video network operations center team can take on the day-to-day to management of video endpoints and bridging for simple point-to-point and multipoint conferences.

You could say that InterCall acts like a security blanket or the proverbial 'naked audience' that people tell you to imagine so you are less nervous when speaking in public. Regardless, when it comes to video conferencing, you can feel better knowing all you have to do is walk in the room and we’ll do the rest. So what are you afraid of?

Sarah Murphy is a marketing manager at InterCall. With over ten years of experience in the conferencing industry, Sarah has worked with customers and products that cover all segments of conferencing, including traditional operator attended services, video and online meeting solutions.

The New Airline Seating: Sky Rider and Convertible Class

The airline industry introduced a fabulous new seating arrangement today...the ‘Sky Rider'. Instead of sitting in a seat on the plane, you sit/stand straight up, like a cowboy, in a ‘saddle'. Dominique Menoud, the spokesperson said, “Cowboys ride eight hours a day on their horses and still feel comfortable in the saddle.” Instead of seats being 32 inches away from the guy behind you, he’s now in his saddle breathing down your back 23 inches away.

Boy, that sounds like a fun plane ride.

I’ve got an idea for the industry to save even more space and cram more people on a flight. Let’s skip carry-on luggage altogether. God only knows how many people you could shove in those overhead racks. There's more than enough room in there for people.

Ok, you can probably sense the sarcasm, but there's no denying the airline industry, in the quest for higher margins and preferred revenue outcomes, has resorted to extra fees and increased inconveniences for the airline traveler. Today, I am flabbergasted with the business world’s willingness to accept these conditions when alternatives exist for communication tools and meeting with people.

When technology like telepresence, video conferencing or easy-to-use webcams exist today for business people, I am surprised that their adoption has not been more explosive. There are hours of time-wasting, brain-numbing airport meandering that most travelers experience at some point during every trip. Perhaps I am alone in thinking that the inconveniences of airline travel are enough to get business travelers to attempt using technology for their meetings more regularly. But, who knows? Perhaps the airline industry is thinking of another exciting opportunity for business travel, like ‘Convertible Class’ seating? There’s gotta be a way you could strap a bunch of people on the wings.

What's your worst airplane-crunching, seat-in-the-knees, no-overhead-space story?

Marty Dunne is executive vice president of sales for InterCall. His commitment to working and playing hard results in his ability to lead a fast-paced, energetic, goal-achieving environment with over 325 field sales members in 26 offices in North America. Because Marty has worked for InterCall since 1994, he has been involved in virtually every development of conferencing’s life cycle. People often attribute Marty as the guidepost of InterCall’s street reputation, inspiring the most passionate and high-energy sales team in the industry.

Less Travel…More Time This Holiday Season!

The holiday season is fast approaching and if you are like me, you are already feeling the stress of the mile long to-do list to make this season better than the last—turkey, pumpkin pie, decorating the house, shopping, mailing greeting cards, wrapping gifts, family visits, parties…the list goes on and on. This doesn’t leave a lot of time for those special extras you would like to include, like adding more lights to your outside display, going to a holiday play or baking your own cookies to serve instead of store-bought ones.

Unfortunately, work can get in the way of your dreams for the perfect holiday season, especially if it requires travel to another state or country. This holiday season, why not cancel your business travel plans and hold virtual meetings instead. With InterCall’s conferencing services you can accomplish many of your business objectives right from your desk!

Give it a try! What would you do with your extra time if no business travel was needed from now until 2011? A drive with the family to look at holiday lights? A play date with your kids and their new toys? Maybe just some sleep?

Christina Todisco is a marketing manager at InterCall and has been in the conferencing industry since 2002. Christina currently provides product marketing support for InterCall’s audio services, reporting and invoice solutions and InterCall Online. When not working, Christina enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, family and friends.