We want to remind our readers about the Dallas Demo this month -- there's still time to register.

The conference offers four specialized tracks, networking and a demo hall full of the latest technologies. There are also tons of free opportunities with a demo hall pass at Call Center Demo & Conference Dallas.

The FREE Demo Hall pass offers admission to the demo hall, solutions showcase presentations, keynote addresses, the cartoon exhibit and much more!

We're in town May 21-24, 2007 at the Hotel Intercontinental.

Register for the Dallas Show at www.ccdemo.com

If you're new to call centers, one of the first things you've had to pick up quickly is the lingo. Every discipline, including call center management, has its own terminology. But try using this terminology when speaking with your colleagues within your company's human resources, marketing or finance departments, and you'll lose your audience.

Your network of colleagues includes but also extends beyond call center managers. How you work alongside colleagues who are experts in marketing, finance, IT and human resources, among other areas, determines how well your call center can serve customers.

If you're not new to call centers, then you've likely experienced or read about companies that treat call centers as costs of doing business. In theory, an operation that serves customers should be valuable to the business it represents. The reality is that a call center is costly when it operates in isolation from the rest of the business.

You can change that, and we can help. Starting next year, Call Center Magazine will look at what call centers do in partnership with other operations within their companies. For example, we'll describe how call centers can assist your company's marketing efforts through cross-selling and up-selling. We'll outline what types of tools can help your call center identify prospective employees who, rather than only filling seats, want to dedicate their careers to customer service.

We'll also look at how your call center can collaborate better with your IT team. The demands that call centers and IT teams place upon each other are becoming more complex. These demands aren't limited to adapting computer networks to handle calls; they also involve the ways that call centers present information about customers, as well as answers to customers' questions, on agents' computers.

Like call center managers, IT managers sometimes use arcane terminology to refer to processes that fall under their respective domains. For both types of managers to work in tandem, they need to speak the same language. Call center managers can also learn from the different perspectives that IT managers contribute – and vice versa – about how to approach ongoing challenges, such as determining which calls lend themselves best to automation.

The good news for call center managers today is that you're not alone. You have far more resources available than ever. To cite one of these resources, when you visit callcentermagazine.com, you'll see that in addition to live video feeds from recent call center conferences, Webcasts and articles, you can also find out about training – in-person and on-line – specifically for call center managers.

The training covers subjects such as how to implement new technologies like IP telephony in your call center, and how to enable your center to up- and cross-sell effectively. What's more, you can learn about or brush up on key operational aspects of managing call centers, such as how to forecast how many agents you need and when you need them.

Besides training, callcentermagazine.com can connect you with consulting services, research and certification programs for call center managers.

Of course, if you aim to increase your call center's influence within your company, the first place to start is within your company. Look at the areas where your call center already has the most significant impact, such as in marketing, human resources and IT. These are the areas of the company to which you can contribute the most, and that can assist you the most.

But don't be shy about seeking guidance outside your company, too. Another pair of eyes and ears can broaden your outlook. You shouldn't have to solve all your call center's problems, or think of new ways your call center can benefit your company, all by yourself. Help is available – if you know where to look for it.