TwoWay Teleconferencing:

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Two-Way Teleconferencing
Using Teleforums to engage the community
Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) Annual
Conference 2009
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Panelists

• Diantha McKeelAlbemarle County School Board
• Brian WheelerAlbemarle County School Board
• Maury Brown Communications CoordinatorAlbemarle
  County Public Schools

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Teleforums
An introduction to Teleforums in Albemarle County
as reported bypublic radio and local television
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• This slide included
• Audio of NPR coverage
• Video of local news coverage

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Outline

• What is a Teleforum?
• Why you may want to try one
• How do they work?
• How should you prepare?
• Lessons learned
• Q A with audience (20 minutes)

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What is a Teleforum?

• A Teleforum is simply a large telephone
  conference call
• Thousands of people can participate (voters,
  parents, staff

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What is a Teleforum?

• You share overview information
• The people on call get engaged by asking
  questions of you, hearing responses, and
  participating in polls
• Your team moderates the call and screens audience
  questions

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How can they be used?

• Budget preparation. Host a Teleforum to gather
  feedback on the communitys budget priorities
• Budget feedback. Host a Teleforum to gather
  feedback on the Superintendents budget (in
  addition to a public hearing).

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How can they be used?

• Targeted Communication
• Issue input. Host a Teleforum to get input on an
  important issue before the School Board (e.g.
  school consolidation).
• Other ideas

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Features

• Pre-event invitation calls to maximize
  participation (RoboCalls)
• Participants can be called or dial-in to join
• Real-time polling
• Real-time metrics, at-a-glance and detailed per
  participant reporting
• Post-Event voice mails enables all participants
  to be heard
• Event is recorded for podcast/review
• Easy-to-use web interface (see next slide)

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Albemarles Teleforums
24,000 called
29,000 called
29,000 called
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Metrics for recent Teleforum

• 95 minute issue Teleforum
• 534 participants at peak
• 60 callers in queue with questions
• 37 callers asked questions
• 24 callers left post-event voicemails
• Avg. time on Teleforum 30 minutes

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Why use a Teleforum?

• It is a very cost effective way to reach your
  stakeholders.
• Cheaper than mailing a letter!
• Your constituents will enjoy the opportunity for
  a two-way conversation.
• You will engage many more people in a manner they
  find more convenient than coming to your meetings.

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Why use a Teleforum?

• You only pay for the technology when you want to
  use it. There is no annual fee.
• The attention span of listeners on the call is
  much greater than a viewer of your website.
• It is relatively easy to use.
• Many constituents enjoy listening anonymously
  from comfort of home or asking a question as
  John from hometown as opposed to speaking at a
  public meeting.

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Why use a Teleforum?

• The WOW factor. You are modeling the use of
  innovative cost-effective technology to improve
  your schools.

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How does a Teleforum work?

• Identify a service provider - Broadnethttp//www.
  broadnetconnects.com/
• Use the provider to generate or compile a list of
  household phone numbers (staff, parents, voters)
• Advertise your meeting to the public (like other
  public meetings)
• Facilitate media participation/coverage

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How does a Teleforum work?

• Provider uses its computer system to place calls
  and join audience to conversation
• Moderator screeners use web-based software to
  manage and monitor call

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How does a Teleforum work?

• The moderator panelists
• Prepare a conference room with a speaker phone,
  computer with projector (or large display)
• Call screeners
• Have at least two staff screening callers and
  placing them in the queue to join call

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Preparations

• Conduct a dress rehearsal with entire team
  (moderator, screeners, panelists)
• Develop informational scripts for information to
  be shared
• Frame your message
• Advertise a hotline for people needing help
  joining the call (in case they are not called or
  drop out)

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Preparations

• Prepare poll questions and when they will be
  asked
• Media may report totals as scientific fact
• In reality, polls give you the pulse of just the
  people on call, but that may be a more
  representative group than those at your meetings
  or sending you e-mails
• Ad-hoc questions can be created

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Costs Broadnet

• Pricing is structured using a flat rate relative
  to list size, in blocks of 10,000 names, and
  customized based on unique client needs
• Price breaks for frequent use (the larger the
  list and more frequent Teleforums, the more cost
  effective)
• Base pricing (for single 60-minute Teleforum)
• List size 0-10,000 names 2,250
• List size 40,000-50,000 names 4,350
• List size 90,000-100,000 names 7,800

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Lessons learned

• Keep answers short
• Try to avoid having panelists piggyback on
  others answers
• Keep people engaged by answering more questions
  vs. panelists talking
• Group related questions and follow up questions

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Lessons learned

• Rigorously maintain your opt-out or Black List
  and White List (adds)
• Compile answers to major questions, particularly
  those left in voicemail and not addressed, in a
  document on website
• Share audio podcast of entire event
• Consider 3rd party moderator

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Questions?

• Diantha McKeel
• Brian Wheeler
• Maury Brown