There is a bad side to the goodness that is a large conference call. It's good to get a large group of people together to bond or collaborate, but it can be very difficult sometimes to get that large group of people together. Good organization and planning helps a lot in these situations. Researching and picking the perfect date for the most amount of attendees goes a long way. No matter what you do though, some people won't make it. More often than not, it is because of something small; like they couldn't find the number.
There is a feature of conference calls that is quite impressive, especially if you have ever tried to get a hundred people on the phone before. Blast dial is a "one-button" process that automatically dials all of the participants on a list at the same time. It tells them why it is calling and prompts them to push a button to join. If no one answers, the system calls again after a few minutes.
One of the best uses of conference calls in an office setting is the "instant" meeting. This is the one where a quick conference is needed and instead of tracking down and rounding up everyone, you get them on a conference call. The one flaw is that you have to let the necessary participants know there is an impromptu and instant meeting in the works. With blast dial, all you do is start the call, select the appropriate blast dial list, and push the go button. Within a minute, people all over your office – and not in your office – are picking up the phone and joining your instant meeting.
This is but one use of blast dial. The point is, with this feature, you can take the conference call to the people – the many, many people if you choose -- instead of making them come to you.
