Tips for Great Audio Recordings During Your Conference Call

Poor audio quality on conference calls can seriously impact the quality and the cost of your transcription. Here are several tips to keep in mind when hosting a conference call that will result in the best possible audio for transcription:

1. Electronic devices (such as iPhones, Blackberries, cell phones, other hands-free devices and laptops) can interfere with line quality by adding static if located too close to the phone. Make sure that you place such items at some distance away from the phone you are using for the conference call.
2. If you are conducting a call using a conference room phone, microphone or speakerphone, be aware of its location at all times and speak directly into the device to ensure the best audio quality. When making an operator-assisted conference call using these devices, be sure to test the volume and line clarity with the operator prior to starting the call.
   
3. For optimum clarity, use a headset or telephone handset. Avoid using a speakerphone. Speakerphones should only be used in very quiet locations.
   
4. Be sure to avoid background sounds like music, coughing, eating typing or shuffling papers by using your mute button.
5. If you must leave your conference for a short duration, be sure to mute your line instead of placing it on hold. Any hold music or messages will play into your call if you place it on hold.
6. Avoid using three-way calling to add other participants to the bridge for it degrades line quality.
7. Be sure to ask your participants using mobile phones in airports, computer rooms or other noisy environments to mute their phones to stem background noise.
8. Use the "presenter mode" for larger calls to automatically mute all participants to ensure audio clarity.
9. For small conference calls (25 participants or less), simply ask that all participants mute their phones to improve audio quality.
10. Be sure to turn off call-waiting on your cell phone or home phone to avoid beeps or blaring signals from being recorded.

Parents: Kids and the Swine Flu, Your Job Need Not Suffer Too

According to a recent AP article on swine flu school closings, more than 187 school dismissals have been related to the H1N1 swine flu, affecting almost 80,000 students. 80,000 students staying home means many parents having to stay at home from work. Staying home from work might mean missing that critical meeting or sales call.

Alas, all is not lost: with a plethora of technologies like web meetings and phone conferencing available to you, now you can keep those meetings on your schedule and stay on top of your job. And to make things even easier for you, do not worry about taking notes during your meeting. Just send the recorded audio to TTE and we will have a professional, publication-ready transcript in MS Word format sent directly to your in-box. You can then cut and paste the information to your heart's desire and put it in a report that will keep your boss happy, while retaining the original transcript in your records.

So, relax and stay home with your kids and don't let the swine flu get the best of you, or your job. Use technology to your benefit by conferencing in your meeting participants and having the audio transcribed by TTE.

(image credit: www.cdc.gov)

Transcription: Making Neat Piles of Snow

Tom Freese, the best-selling author of "Secrets of Question Based Selling", makes a profound statement in his latest book, "Selling Yourself in Today's Competitive Marketplace":

We have essentially been ‘snow-globed.’ We’ve been turned upside down and shaken to the point where the tranquil scenes of our daily existence have been shrouded by a flurry of uncertainty that has suddenly clouded our view, and little pieces of reality now seem to be raining down in all directions.

What Tom is referring to is the state of our economy, which has put the business world in a tailspin and is affecting each and every one of us daily. It is driving each one of us to look at our jobs in a new light, putting our creative energy to use and taking the initiative to innovate in our respective fields and to streamline operations.

One of the ways many companies are choosing to streamline these days is to cut back on corporate travel and to hold meetings via conference calls and collaboration calls either over the telephone or on the web. While this presents a great cost savings over travel, it can inundate us with more information, creating even more flurries of snow flakes to cloud our view.

Keep the snow flakes in neat piles by transcribing your online events and conference calls. Just be sure to record your call and then send us the audio file. Or, make us one of the attendees and you can record the call directly to our servers. We will return a neatly typed transcript to your in-box so that you can track all of the details of what was said and keep the piles of your business neatly organized.

Skype It, Record It, Transcribe It

For the users of Skype, there is an easy way to get your telephone or video conversations recorded and transcribed. Prior to making a conference call on Skype, be sure to set up an account with us at TTE Transcripts. Then, dial our toll-free number first, key in your PIN, and you are ready to go. Just dial the other parties and let them know your conversation is being recorded. Our secure servers will record your call and then alert our staff that your file is ready to be transcribed. Once the transcription is complete, we will send you a MS Word .doc directly to your email. It is that easy to get a hard copy of your Skype conversation!