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The explosion in teleconferencing services has made life much easier for businesses but arguably harder for people needing to choose between all the new services and features available from the average conference call provider. Reservationless or operator-assisted? Subconferencing? Call monitoring? You don’t want to pay for services you don’t need. But what if you do need them? What if not splurging for the Roll Call Monitor made it impossible for you to report back on attendance? In choosing a teleconference provider a little bit of research is a good idea. But you won’t need much. Teleconferencing, these days, is as easy as making a call to a friend.
Some things to consider: do you anticipate having operator-assisted "event calls" on a regular basis? Or, are you more likely to make spontaneous, reservationless conference calls? Most teleconference providers offer both but some don’t. It’s good to know who offers what. If you’re planning on regular use make sure to ask about volume discounts. And be sure to compare costs. While per-minute costs have come down dramatically, they’re often made up for by added fees, minimum usage requirements, and the like. Another question: will it help to add a visual component to your conference? If so, make sure you can get web conferencing from the same provider. A reliable teleconferencing services provider should be able to handle all your conferencing requirements. In teleconferencing, mix and match is a bad way to go. Here are some things to look for:
- One-time account setup
- Reservationless accessReservationless access
- Recording capabilities
- Broadcast mode
- Listen Only
- Entry and Exit announcements
- Pass code security
- Roll call capability
- Sub conferencing
- Dedicated "backdoor" communicating
- Question & Answer services
- Polling services
It may sound obvious, but also make sure the teleconferencing services provider you’re considering has the capacity to handle the number of participants likely to attend one of your calls. Most can accommodate from three to three thousand. But some can’t. Good to know if you’re hosting an earnings call with thousands of participants.
These days, when conference calls are being used for everything from reducing lead acquisition costs to encouraging group participation, providers of teleconferencing services are sharpening their products and services as fast as technology allows. To find out more about our teleconferencing services, contact us today!
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