How To Correctly And Easily Setup A Conference Call

Some business ventures require new ideas and techniques to inform customers and employees of things that are going on. Many times, a group meeting is called or something to that nature. The group of people meets and discusses the topics and issues then disperses. Well, sometimes it is not that simple, and everyone can not make it to the discussion on time or at all. Most people would agree that it doesn't take much time to pick up a phone, dial a number, and then participate in the conversation. This is the reason more businesses are starting to set up conference calls.

The person calling in to participate in the call does not need to do a lot. First, they dial the number that they were given to enter the conference call. After that, you will most likely be asked for your PIN code to ensure that you are in the right place and are directed to the right call area. Although the job of the caller is simple, the task of host requires more time, and in most cases money. A conference call is not a 10 minute process. Luckily for some people, there are guides on how to set up a conference call, which can be found easily on the internet. There are certain steps the host must perform in order for this call to go smoothly. First he has to notify customers, consumers, or employees that a conference call is going to take place. This can be done in a multitude of ways, whether it be by office announcements, emails, letters, bulletin boards, etc. Once people are aware of the what day and what time it is going to take place, the person setting up the call has to get to work. The host, or leader, will have to go through a hosting company in order to have the call. It may be possible to do this at his/her home, but that would require much technical assistance.

The creator of the call has to decide on one of three type of conference calls. Reservation-less, operator assisted, and operator dialed are the 3 types and each has its own unique set-up, and differ in price. The reservation-less is the most common and cheapest of the three. You simply dial the number and enter in your code and are connected. Operator assisted calls have an operator standing by for special needs, such as recording, using moderator commands, and monitoring the conference. The third, which is an operator dialed call, calls the numbers that is on a list and then manually adds them to the call. The operator then stands by for any required services, like translation, recording, or other added features.

Setting up a conference call can be time consuming. If your new to that sort of thing, you may need to do a bit of research before jumping on in and making mistakes. The price will vary from company to company, and will depend on how many people participate and for how long. However, if you are interested in setting up a conference call, then you have made a smart decision and many will appreciate the added effort to share information.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of BestConferenceCallingServices.com. He provides more information on how to correctly setup a conference call, plus video, audio and web conference calling specials that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

The Conference Call is Nothing But a Waste of Time!

Sometimes I wish I could go back to being a stressless stamp licker at my office, because my well earned promotion into junior management has me involved in some very wearing tasks, one of them being the introduction of the conference call.

Now, I can fully see the benefits of well organized conference calls, but everyone seems to think that what they have to say is more important than the next man (or woman), and as a consequence, these calls often end up sounding like barroom banter as all voices talks over one another. I actually lost the plot one Monday morning and told a dominant sales executive at our head office that god gave us 2 ears and only one mouth, so perhaps it was more important to listen than to speak. Well, you can just imaging how that went down.

We?ve since had training in conference calling and conference etiquette so we can have more productive and orderly meetings via this system. To be fair, the dreaded conference calls are nowhere near as bad as they were to begin with, but they still get a little overheated from time to time. I think the hardest job has to be that of the secretary, who diligently attempts to take the minutes of these meetings. Sometimes her face resembles a British bulldog chewing a feisty wasp as her pulsating ears endeavor to decipher the executive squabble.

Along with the success of our company comes the latest technology (not always for the better, I hasten to add!) and at last weeks conference meeting the company director announced we are to invest in a video conferencing system. Now this should be really interesting. Let the dog see the rabbit so to speak. I?m only guessing here, but I would imagine that when you can actually see the folks in conference, their behavior will improve drastically.

In my honest opinion, I think conference calls are a huge waste of time. A one on one meeting I can understand, and even a small group of 3 or 4 people would probably work, but when there?s 8 or 12 individuals spread around the country, as is the case with us, it?s nothing less than chaos. In fact, we probably waste more time than we save. Usually, after these meetings, most of us return to our desks and spend the rest of the morning sending emails back and forth as we try to make sense of the dialogue we?ve just had. Oh, the wonders of technology!

Gary Tooth is a proficient writer and webmaster for Modishphones dot com where he writes on issues such as the pre paid cell phone and cell phone plans. He also has many other related pieces on the site.

How to Setup an Internet Conference Call

It seems with the invention of the internet, everything is changing. The way we send information has been changed dramatically. People use to write a letter, stick it in an envelope, place the stamp on it, and mail it away. Now that letter has been turned into an instant telegram, compliments of your computer and the internet. Photos that took an hour or 2 to get developed, can now be transfered to you computer, digitally enhanced, and then printed with high quality, in a matter of minutes. It is no surprise that conference calls that were done over the phone, can now be done online.

An internet conference call is done via your computer. Luckily for you, you do not need a college "how to setup an internet conference call" course. Then again, you can't jump right in and be a professional at it either. First you are going to need software that allows you to conduct a conference call over the internet. This part is not very hard considering that there are a number of companies that have software that let you host a conference call at little or no cost to you. The software you have setup will have a different overall view, and may be more complicated or less complicated then others.

Here is a basic example of creating a conference call on the Skype software.

Bring up the skype user window and find the tools area and click on it.

Find "Create Conference"

Click on it a new box will open.

A new box has just appeared, titled "Start a Skype Conference Call" Type in the topic of the Call, in the box.

Select up to 4 people who you wish to participate in the conference call.

After having them selected click the add button.

Once all names are listed in the "conference Participants" box click the start button. The participants will join in a few seconds.

Discuss what ever you need to during the call.

If finished press end call button.

Confirm that you want to end the call.

As you can see, it is quite simple to set a call up over the internet. During the call you can share information, files, video, and audio. Each program is different. Some may restrict the amount of information you send, while others may have no barriers on such things. It is true that these types of programs are similar to chat rooms and such, but they offer many more features and the ability to share sound and video. The best thing to do is try a few, before settling down with a specific type. Although you may be happy with your current internet conference call setup, one may be just around the corner that could be even better.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of BestConferenceCallingServices.com He provides more information on how to setup an internet conference call, plus video, audio and web conference calling specials that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Pointers on Looking for a Good Conference Call Provider

If you want to find the best conference call provider to suit your needs, you have to know how to do some research. Online is of course a good place to start. Look for a viable conference call provider online, because chances are this outfit will also use the Internet to route and market its product.

Providers of VoIP - or voice over Internet protocol - are often sought for their conferencing software. VoIP technology offers a much cheaper alternative to traditional phone conferencing, which has to deal with bad reception, long distance charges, and other major inconveniences. Chances are even after you've done your research, you'll still find that the most affordable and viable conference call provider for you is a VoIP-enabled one.

VoIP technology is quite similar to traditional phone calls, actually - only it uses Internet lines to send sound packets instantaneously from one computer terminal to another. As with phone calls, distance may affect the integrity of the signal, and if the provider is not quite reliable, you may find the personal information you used to sign up for VoIP services distributed over the Web.

VoIP is largely untapped territory in the global telecom industry, and in a free trade environment, your options are virtually limitless. Regulation of VoIP use is still ongoing in all developed countries. You can opt for the free (or conditionally free) Web-based communication services like Skype, Tapioca or GoogleTalk... but since many of such services are built on open source codes, you may be in danger of having your transactions hacked into, interrupted or downright blocked. Some free services, such as amiciPhone, claim to be secure, however.

And as for "conditionally free," we mean services that have been around for some time, such as Skype and Vonage, have already started charging for their services in certain parts of the globe. If you want audio chat services that are bound to stay free for a while, GoogleTalk, Yahoo Messenger, AIM and other chat messenger software provide reasonable audio communication options. However, communication may suffer in quality, and users are normally restricted to just one-on-one chatting.

For more reliable alternatives, it would be best to look into paid, closed source alternatives. What you're paying for is not only convenience, but flexibility, ease of use, and absolute security. If you're lucky, you can find a good paid conference call provider who can customize an audio conferencing software package for reasonable rates.

Multipartycall.com provides you with information on conference call provider and much more. Come take a look!

Why a Good Conference Call Service May Be Your Key to Success

Technology truly is a wondrous thing. In the old days, you need to walk on water to coordinate an important corporate meeting that will have to take place between investors in different time zones. Frequently, people had to spend thousands of dollars just to fly in for a two-hour stock briefing. Now, they can attend conferences in the privacy of their own homes, and the absolute comfort of their private studies. The Internet has made things easy; as a coordinator in this new and more convenient age, your responsibility is simply to make sure that conference calls proceed seamlessly. If you want your important meetings to push through without a hitch, you have to look for a reliable conference call service.

If you're after a Web conferencing provider, location is not a problem. For the most part, people who are about to engage in Web conferencing only need to download and install software that will allow them to connect to a 100 percent safe and secure section of cyberspace, where they can conduct their business without fear of things like computer virus infiltration and information leaks. A conference call service is one of the most convenient and hassle-free ways to get your people connected.

Web conferencing software is becoming more and more popular as more and more business owners see the cost and operational advantages of using the Internet for teleconferencing. For one thing, you'll be able to keep a record of all the presentations, information exchanges and transactions made during the meeting. For another, an increasing number of features added by the world's most popular Web conferencing software is fast making it the next best thing to meeting face to face!

Web conferencing ideally comes with a plethora of multimedia features, things like audio conferencing, chat, and even video conferencing - all in real time! Private messaging is also a plus - better than whispering in the boardroom any day. Advanced Web conferencing software allows everyone in the group to set access levels to selected folders in their individual hard drives, so that other people in the group can execute and view presentation files at will!

Pricing is of course important in selecting a good conference call service. And most of the time, the more expensive a software package is, the more features it has. Look through the available features carefully and ask yourself if you really need all of the functions bundled up into the primary software.

Multipartycall.com provides you with information on conference call service and much more. Come take a look!

Conference Call Providers

Conference call providers are the ones who enable the basic service for conference calls, either on web conferencing software or on a comparative low cost audio conferencing solution for online conference call meetings. They provide advanced teleconferencing platforms for customers to place international phone calls to anywhere in the world. With these features and calling flexibility, the telecom costs can be easily reduced by 90% over the traditional phone companies. This helps businesses to save money on international phone bills.

An organization can have up to 50 people connected on a single call through a conference caller, and be billed the same rate as a regular phone call. They don?t have to pay those high per-minute rates from other telecom companies. Conference call providers use the latest digital routing and switching equipment. Nowadays, conference call providers use full fiber-optic cabling throughout the network, providing callers with the finest quality service available, with a good bandwidth and less noise and transmission errors. There are multiple options to connect to a conference call provider. You can dial into a local toll-free access number, enter your conference code and get connected.

For conference call providers, with Conference Caller Web Dial Out, the calls are initiated via the Internet, are able to be received at any time of the day, 7 days a week. The fully automated system acts as a 24-hour operator, connecting organizations to their international partners and clients.

A lot of these providers are full-service conference call companies offering quality service and low-cost options. These companies provide personalized service for all of your conferencing needs. Affordable conference call provider rates, obviously, are preferred by most businesses. Reasonable pricing is the growing trend in the conferencing industry. Conference call providers are battling for their share of the marketplace. One must be sure to discuss and negotiate the best deals from their providers.

One should note that many providers offer a limited selection of conferencing services. Most of the companies specialize in one or two services, like audio, video, web, or data. Web collaboration software, video equipment, and conferencing phones are also offered by some companies.

Conference Call provides detailed information on Conference Call, Conference Call Services, Audio Conference Call, Conference Call Providers and more. Conference Call is affiliated with Cheap Conference Calling.

Audio Conference Call

Audio conferencing allows people in different locations to connect simultaneously through conventional telephone services. Any number of participants can communicate without being in the same place. It is used to hold group meetings or live presentations through audio channels. Audio conferencing can be conducted over telephones, but usually an audio conferencing system or service is used. Often, along with audio exchange, audio conferencing involves video conferencing, so that people can see each other and communicate better.

Accessing audio conferencing is as simple as dialing a phone number and entering an access code. It is widely used in fields such as education, commerce and business to allow participants to connect when they are physically unable to be present. Audio conference calling helps in maximizing business communication efficiency and reducing wasted resources. It?s the answer to reducing wasted travel, expenses and time away the business. It can be used to arrange meetings, training, interviews, professional development, consultation, and specialized or expert advice.

A new breakthrough in audio conferencing is Need Reservationless Conferencing. It is an entirely automated audio conferencing service which enables you to quickly and easily communicate with up to 125 participants at a time. Simply dial your toll-free number and enter your unique conference ID and PIN to instantly start a conference without a reservation or operator assistance. It comes with many value-added features like pre-call notification, audioconference recording, transcription services, translation services, and participant lists.

Audio conferencing is a very safe in terms of privacy and confidentiality. Utilizing conference IDs, tracking capabilities, entry tones, PIN entry, conference call lock features and encrypted software for web conference applications, conferencing hosts can be assured of call privacy. Also, by giving employees their own unique conference ID and PIN, a good amount of time can be saved, which was previously spent on scheduling the conferences. This streamlines internal and client communications.

Conference Call provides detailed information on Conference Call, Conference Call Services, Audio Conference Call, Conference Call Providers and more. Conference Call is affiliated with Cheap Conference Calling.

Conference Call

A conference is an arranged meeting, consultation or discussion. A conference call is a call wherein three or more parties interact simultaneously. Modes of communication not only include telephones, but also video and web communication. Conference calls are widely used by companies to facilitate meetings or to distribute information. It?s a cost-effective way to reduce travel expenses and stay connected to one?s counterparts all over the globe.

There are two basic types of conferencing: MeetMe conferencing, in which each participant dials one number, and Ad Hoc conferencing, in which a moderator calls each participant. In recent times, conference calls have become very advanced and user-friendly. The conference call can be designed to allow the dialed party to talk during the call, or the call may be set up so that the called party can listen into the call but cannot speak.

Conference calls connect people through a conference bridge, which is basically a server that acts like a telephone and can answer multiple calls at the same time. Companies using Voice over IP (VoIP) telephones can also host conference calls themselves if the VoIP software supports them.

Businesses use conference calls the most. Banks and brokerages frequently use conference calls for the mass distribution of status reports. Conference calls are used by many businesses to facilitate communication between coworkers. Conference calls are also used to report quarterly results.

Conference calls can also be used for entertainment or recreational purposes, such as the party line in which people can call in to a specified telephone number to talk to others and perhaps subsequently meet new people.

Thus, conference calls not only help businesses network without any constraints, but are also cost-effective. Conference calling is now utilized regularly by millions of businesses for a variety of reasons. It?s made life easier by enabling meetings without the constraints of distance and time.

Conference Call provides detailed information on Conference Call, Conference Call Services, Audio Conference Call, Conference Call Providers and more. Conference Call is affiliated with Cheap Conference Calling.

Directory For Cheap Conference Calling - Cutting Through The Hype

One other potential obstacle that you can face is what I like to call the marketing hype syndrome. Effectively, what happens is, while you're shopping around for the latest and greatest, or at least a decent technology for your company, You will invariably get plenty of sales promotions.

And you will have to learn to separate the wheat from the chaff or another words, you'll have to find out what is fact and what is fiction. There are ways to cut down on the amounts of BS that you'll have to cut through, the one thing you can do is read industry standard magazines, which provide independent and quality assessment on the latest technologies for business. Perhaps there is something that you read in a magazine last week that talked about a great entry-level costing teleconference system that may be perfect for you.

Over time, you will notice the same names and manufacturers or service providers come up at the tip of the big kahunas mouths - over and over again. This is the sign that these are probably the more prominent and trustworthy solutions that are available to anyone at any given time.

This is not to say that the underdogs of the market do not necessarily have the "goods", but may possess lesser advertising dollars, or marketing muscle in general. But in the fast-paced economy, you want make sure that you get to the meat, as soon as possible and stop wasting time with the little details.

One factor although not explicitly stated outright is definitely the size of your organization. A smaller organization will rely on different needs, as opposed to a larger organization which has more resources, larger staff, and perhaps have a more scattered staff around the world. It's important to be aware of these little nuances as you move from organization to organization.

http://www.totalteleconference.com contains a directory for cheap conference calling that you can refer to in addition to your other research for a good service.

Flat Rate Conference Call Services - The Hot Zone

Although it isn't necessary to buy the latest and greatest system, in general you really do not want to buy something based solely on one factor such as the price. Because if you had any experience at all in this free-market economy price does not always indicate quality.

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but you get the idea. This tidbit is especially true if you're planning to implement this teleconferencing system within a hot zone. Or in other words, if you're planning to use it with real clients, supply chain partners, and stakeholders.

Then you have a vested interest to provide the best presence as well as sense of professionalism in front of these constituents. Otherwise it may be OK to go with a lesser costing system, if you're only planning to use it with some of your employees and those that you're managing within the organization. Anything used on an ad hoc or informal nature can be used on a free teleconferencing or cheap conferencing solution.

From that starting point you will at least have a point of reference to decide where you want to steer your communications strategy- by upgrading certain components on a needed basis. This gives you maximum flexibility.

Flat rate conference call services will get you up to speed quickly. http://www.totalteleconference.com has more information for you.

Directory For Cheap Conference Calling: Don't Be Greedy!

The most basic form of the teleconference, and one that is probably shared by at least 90% no more of all the teleconferencing services on the market today incorporate some degree of audio and the main delineation would probably be the quality of the audio.

The quality of the audio as well as the capacity for how many numbers of individuals It can support at any given time is dependent on the quality of the connection settings of the conference call members. For instance, if someone has a T1 line, versus someone who uses a 28.8 baud modem- there will be inconsistencies in the quality relative to each of the conference calling members.

However with the latest developments in the telecommunications industry, and more specifically with and teleconferencing supplies and equipment, this issue is being addressed more and more so that there can be more uniformity as well as an overall increase in noticeable audio quality across all the conference services.

Okay so now that you have a bit of background on the types of basic teleconferencing technologies available. Let's play with some scenarios. Okay, so let's say that you have made a decision to go with something more audio or graphic in nature. In that case, you might want to decide and check out to see if you have the appropriate third-party software such as PowerPoint and other types of word processing and document processing software packages.

Once you've determined whether you have that you must decide whether your employees or your executives will actually spend the time to actually use audio graphic presentations in the lions share of their teleconference sessions because if you think about it if you aren't going to use a lot of the audio graphic type tools like PowerPoint, and things of that nature than what's the point really if all you want to do is just touch base once in a while just to check on progress?

A directory for cheap conference calling will help you shop around (http://www.totalteleconference.com/) and find out what features you need and what you can save up on.

Latest Conference Calling Technology News: Don't Just Reach Out, Connect

Let's slip away from the verbal aspects of teleconferencing. Let us not forget that you can actually gain virtual access to entire resources from document repositories, including PowerPoint presentations, drawings or mind maps, Excel spreadsheets, and whatever else you can think of, you can do essentially through teleconferencing. It's really that simple.

Also, students who are on remedial leave for whatever reasons can actually play back on demand, lesson plans from their professors or from other professors and learn from the comfort of their own dorms and apartments. They can even catch up on old homework assignments from a remote location without missing out on the fun!

You don't even need any specialized equipment, the type of equipment that you'll need for the most basic of teleconferencing features are simply an Internet connection through a Mac or PC, as well as the basic setup of a keyboard and mouse and a nice quality monitor. Also you might want to have speakers and a microphone in case you want to enliven the experience of it with other types of communications.

Consider joining a party of more than five individuals on a teleconferencing line at any given time. The work load to the teleconferencing systems will be proportional to how many people and how active individuals are during the conferences. After you make sure that you have all the basic requirements as far as the system set up is concerned. You want to make sure that you have the appropriate software in general- every service for teleconferencing, uses their own proprietary connection software that allows you to connect to their specialized network.

The latest conference calling technology news will help you keep abreast of the new changes and applications within the teleconferencing industry to allow you to reach out to more customers with more of a human touch. This benefits your bottom line directly. For more please go to http://www.totalteleconference.com/ .

Conference Call Services For Today's Business

Today?s business world is very diverse and many companies have employees as well as customers located all over the world. As you can imagine meeting with coworkers and clients can be time consuming and expensive if you are not located in the same area. Luckily, there are several types of conference call services options that you can use in order to effectively communicate without having to jump on a plane every time you want to meet.

Audio conferencing has been widely used for quite some time and is a cost effective way to hold a meeting with folks from around the globe. This type of conference call service uses the telephone and enables all the attendees of a meeting to hear each other in real time. People dial in to an open line and have a meeting much like they wood if they were physically located in the same room.

Video conferencing has been around for over a decade but has been mostly used by big companies due to the costs of the equipment. Today, however, costs have come down and this type of conferencing is available to even small business owners. A step up from audio conferencing, video conferencing involves the use of a camera and large television or monitor so not only can you hear each other, you can see each other as well. This works well for sharing visual info via a white board and is nice as it gives the team a more cohesive feel if they can see one another. Years ago I worked for a company that had two offices located about 1 hours drive away. We were in one office and our ?sister? team in another. We had weekly meetings via video conference and it was a huge time saver not to have to drive for two hours just to attend a 1 hour meeting!

Web conferencing is a newer technology and makes use of the internet. People simply surf to a web site and the conference is held online. This is a great way to share files or visual aids and can be used in a power point presentation type of style. It can work well for training as well as for troubleshooting problems in software. Web conferencing has audio as well as visual and another technology that the others don?t have - text messaging. In a web conference, attendees have the ability to send a text message - be it a question or comment and you can hold the text for later rather than interrupt your presentation.

While these new technologies open up doors for different ways of meeting, the age old business etiquette of holding a meeting still holds true - with a few new requirements. Here?s some tips on how to hold a successful teleconference.

1. With teleconferencing, you need to be aware that your attendees might not all be in the same time zone. Therefore, you want to schedule the meeting for a time that is convenient for all. Whether you are holding an audio conference, video conference or web conference, you will need to schedule the media for the time you want the conference held. it?s a good idea to give yourself some leeway and schedule extra time before and after the meeting. This gives you time to iron out any technical issues before hand and allows for some wiggle room if the meeting runs overtime.

2. Once you have scheduled the room, be sure to send an invite to the attendees with the appropriate information. For a video conference it might be the channel or just the room if you have a video conference room. For an audio conference you will need the phone number and password. For a web conference, you will need the web url and password and, depending on the type of conference call service you are using, perhaps a phone number to dial in to as well.

3. Be sure to try out the call ahead of time. Dial or surf in to be sure everything is working. You want to be there first so you can ?greet? your attendees and make sure everyone is online before you start the meeting.

4. Audio conferences and web conferences have another factor - the noise factor. With people dialing in from all over the place you can get a lot of background noise. It?s a good idea to ask everyone to mute the phone so the noise does not detract from the meeting. When it is their turn to speak, the can turn off the mute button.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.conference-call.minding-your-business.com where you can learn more about making a conference call and conference call etiquette.

Conference Calls: Building Remote Sales Teams

Scheduled Conference Calls

Telephone conference calls are rated by sales team members as being almost as effective as face-to-face sales team meetings, but are much more convenient. Conference calls can not only let you disseminate information, they can be used to coach and develop people. They can serve as a virtual water cooler for building the team vs. training a group of remote individuals. Use telephone conference calls to share information, develop skills and strategies, and build your team.

To help maximize conference calls:

 Set a consistent/agreed-upon time.

 Use an agenda. Ask team members for their ideas before the meeting as to topics on the agenda.

 Dont over pack the agenda. Assign a time to each item and use the agenda to move things along.

 Begin by quickly reviewing the agenda and checking for agreement.

 Distribute any materials to all participants before the call.

 In advance, assign topics to team members. Better yet, ask for volunteers.

 Rotate responsibility for five-minute presentations among team members as a way to create peer coaching and recognize achievement.

 Include Best Practices as an agenda item of every meeting and use it to spotlight exceptional performance and share ideas.

 Make the conference call interactive. Ask vs. tell. Ask how others feel about what a team member volunteers before giving your view, adding value, or tying it all together.

 Make sure there is an action step with clear accountability and a time frame for every agenda item so that the meetings are not viewed as a waste of time.

 Ask one team member to take notes on the decisions, action steps, who is accountable, and time frame for every agenda item, and read those notes at the end of the meeting.

 Keep your name off the list. Your job is to follow up.

 Rotate who takes decision minutes.

 At the end of the meeting

 ask for ideas for topics to include in the next agenda

 ask for feedback from the team on strengths and areas for improvement for future conference call meetings

 Follow up on decision minutes.

Conference calls cant replace face-to-face contact, but they are a convenient and practical way to connect with team members and connect the team.

The only downside is the need to coordinate schedules and the emergencies that arise that can cause people to miss the phone calls. The way to maximize the benefits and manage the downside is for you to be the role model  be prepared, do not cancel, start and end on time, use every minute to help your people succeed, and ask for feedback on how to make the conference call team meeting even better.

Phone meetings are a helpful, effective way to connect people and share best practices. Moreover, they are likely to turn a group of remote salespeople into a team.

Linda Richardson is President and founder of http://www.richardson.com, a leading sales training and consulting firm. She is a recognized leader in the sales training industry and is credited with the movement to consultative selling, which is the corner stone of Richardson's methodology. Ms. Richardson has written 9 books on selling including her most recent, The Sales Success Handbook. She has been published extensively in industry.

The Conference Call - A Great Way To Communicate

The telephone was one of the greatest inventions of all time. Originally created for 2 users, who would talk to each other over a certain period of time, usually 10-20 minutes. This device lets people communicate, through a switch board, over great distances. More and more new features have been added to telephones over the past years, and more features will continue to be developed. A conference call is done with a telephone that connects 2 or more users together to have a discussion and share information.

If you run or participate in a business that actively does conference calls, it's important that you know how to make one. Usually, your superior, or a co-worker, will guide you through it. That is not always the case though. If your doing this for personal use, odds are you aren't going to have a conference call specialist sitting next to you. The good thing about this task is that no special equipment is required. You don't need fancy gizmos or a high tech phone, just a regular phone connected to a phone line.

To participate in a conference call, you will have to be invited or be hosting it. Usually an invite can be given in person, through the mail, by e-mail, or even by phone. You would dial the number that had been given to you, which will connect you to the host, or the operator who is assisting the call. Most of the time, you are also given a participant PIN code. This is in order to get the people who were truly invited to the call, without the troublemakers. Although, it is possible for the people, who were invited, to be the troublemakers. Anyways, during the conference call there may be a set of guidelines set up. This will depend on the individual call, but usually consists of not talking while others are talking, treating others with respect, etc. A lot of the time this isn't an issue because there are measures that can be taken to mute all others and allow one person to speak. Once everyone is connected, the host of the call will begin the presentation, discussion, debate, etc on the topic that was given. Most of the time, the call, to the callers and not the host, is toll free. On the other hand, the host, which is the company or person who set up the call, usually has to pay by the hour and per person.

Over the years many companies and people alike have found that this method works well. It brings in the people who would like some more information on what they are, or will be, doing. The call then sheds light on the subject giving people the comfort they need to push forward with whatever it is that they are doing. People agree that it is just much more comforting discussing something rather then just reading it. If you are asked to participate in one of these calls, you should at least try it and get the feel for it. Make sure you know all the details which include cost, what you will be discussing, etc. before you make the call.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of BestConferenceCallingServices.com He provides more information on how to correctly setup a conference call, plus audio, web and video conference calling specials that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

Why Conference Calls Are Ideal For Business

Conference calls come in handy for most businesses and in this day and age they are not overly expensive either! So could conference calling be for you?

The Benefits of a Conference Call

The main benefit of a conference call is that you can talk to colleagues no matter how far away you are. This comes in ideal if you regularly go away on business meetings as you can keep in touch with what is going on and any important developments which may have occurred in your absence. There are three main types of conference calls including:

* Audio
* Video
* Web

Web conference calling is most popular as it is more convenient and you can often get free conference web calling too so you are saving money. However, not everybody actually has access to a computer, so sometimes Audio calling is preferred.

Audio calling mainly has three different phone lines which are bridged together, and often a speaker phone is utilized in order to let a various number of people around a table, listen into the call. This really helps to cut costs and is a great communication tool for your business.

Video conferencing usually helps to add a little extra touch of professionalism to the call. Various different people are abridged through phone lines which provide both audio and image. Video conferring can be a nightmare, as it does require that both you and the people you are calling have special support and specialized systems.

Overall web conference calls are the best ones to go for in this day and age. Not only can conference calling give you better communication with your colleagues at different locations, but it can also help you keep in touch with business clients. It is an essential service which you should consider using, and it can only benefit your business in the long run.
www.conferencestalk.com is a website packed with information on web based conferencing and audio conferencing software

Long Distance Conference Calls Can Be A Turn Off

The ubiquity of technology has caused many of our business manners to fall by the wayside. For instance, have you noticed how most conference calls you are asked to dial into these days use a long distance number? Gone are the days of endless 800 number conferencing calls where the company footed the bill. In those days companies were really trying to roll out the red carpet for their customers or prospects, or make sure that their employees could call in from anywhere.

In an economy of layoffs and cost cuts, many companies have switched to conferencing services that require the caller to pay long distance charges as the calls are routed through low cost, less populated cities. Using these numbers the company selling the conference call time reduces their costs but the people calling into the number all have to pay long distance fees. This doesn't exactly promote a customer friendly image for the company.

Company image is a combination of a few big things and a lot of little things. Sometime it is the small touches that make a big difference. Sanders McConnell, President of Simple2 communicate, an Atlanta-area conferencing company, says that many small businesses don't even realize the message they are sending to their customers or prospective base by forcing them to dial into a long distance number. Many of their customers have started using local numbers for their conference calls and have reported enthusiastic reviews. "You would be surprised at how many of the people that call into these lines have remarked that they like that they're dialing a local number rather than long distance," said McConnell. While many people have free long distance on their cell phone, more people are trying to limit their cell phone usage due to hidden charges and possible health risks associated with excessive use of a cell.

To increase business etiquette, companies should consider the benefits of providing teleconferencing to clients for free by purchasing a local number to moderate the calls through and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the calls while promoting a positive company image. For more information about how your business can benefit by using a 404 conference line, visit Simple2communicate.com or call 770-635-3540.

Leanna Adams provides account support and services to a number of clients. Her background includes emphasis in writing, media relations, community relations and special events. Adams graduated from Emory University with a B.A. in political science

Web Conference Call Services Saves You Time And Money

Web conference call, as obvious from the name, is a process of holding meetings or live presentations using Internet as the platform. It should be noted that web conference calling is different from the discussion boards, as it involves the idea of real-time and live presentations; whereas, in discussion groups, only text messages are allowed. Though very recently, with the use of video cameras and other techniques, web conference calling is adopting almost whole of the video teleconferencing process, and sometimes experts refer to them as the same thing.

Any web conference calling requires some initial setup for each of the participants involved in it. Each one must have a computer, and every computer should be connected to other participants through a reliable Internet connection. A Web conference call involves the features of audio and video. The presenter or the calling party shares the screen of its computer with other participants so as to enable them to see what is on its screen. The audio part is accompanied to this screen through telephone equipments or VOIP. Though it is not mandatory to use audio part in web conferencing, and some parties do like to use text versions to convey their messages.

Sometimes conventional corporate professionals and people who are not versed in the advanced technologies find it very difficult to adapt to the new system of conferencing, which is gaining firm hold in the business world. The use of web conferencing is breaking the boundaries of corporate sector and entering new arenas also. Web conference calling provides economic arrangement of meetings, and eliminates the need of travelling for conventional face-to-face meetings. Web conference calling is quick in its operation and saves a lot of time, apart from the fact that web conference calls can be recorded for playback option at later times.

Web conference calls are also helpful in business sectors that are more dependent of IT tools and computers. Application and file sharing features of web conference calls make it a must for all IT-based businesses. So, we can well-judge that web conference calling offers new vistas for the technology-based business, and at the same time, saves a lot of time and money for the other types of business.

Max Stephen is the author of this Web Conference Calling article and the webmaster of http://www.call-conference-services.com