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Saturday, June 23, 2007

Conference Call Services - Best Way to Conduct Business When Face to Face Meeting isn't Possible

In the fast paced business world where time is money sometimes a face to face meeting is just not possible. It may be due to the location of each individual, family emergencies, or just inconvenient timing. Whatever the case, conference calls are always a great option for people who can't always come show up at a moments notice to discuss business ideas and/or problems. Conference calls allow many people to communicate at the same time using just a simple telephone. There aren’t just your general conference call services either; there are many different services available to someone hosting a conference call. The different options you want to have available during the call are entirely up to you.

The two basic options for conference calls are audio only and web only, however, some may choose a combination of the two. The audio only option is exactly that, just audio no visual of any kind. Each individual is given a phone number to call, usually given by the person hosting the conference call. The phone number will either be specifically set up for a conference, or the person will have to give a certain entry code when calling, which will grant them access to the call. Of course, with this option, you can't exactly show your ideas; you may only convey them through words and hope the listeners get the overall idea.

The web conference calls allow the user to show and share files & documents online so that viewers/listeners can see what the person is talking, or typing, about. Some of theses web conferences may allow the viewers to save files to their own computer and alter them at will, as others will just show the documents as read-only files. When audio and video are thrown into the conference, it’s just like having a meeting in an actual conference room.

Having a conference call eliminates all the problems of planning dates, traveling expenses, and uncomfortable atmospheres, as you can have the conference while in your home. If something comes up and people can't even make it to the conference call or web conference, they can always listen to a recording of the call, or just watch a recording of the web conference.

A large downside to this method is that conference calls will usually cost money, unlike an actual in-person business meeting. There are some free web conference websites out there, but they are few and far between. The conference calls conducted solely on phones lines will need to be set up through hosting companies. Although it would be nice if their service was free, its not, so be prepared to pay. The person who hosts the call will decide the payment terms. He will either pay the bill himself or see that it is split up amongst the individual callers’ phone bills.

Communicating over great distance is rarely a problem these days and with audio conference calls and web conferences, it just makes things easier. You might have some prospective clients you wish to inform, or maybe you just have some business partners that need to be updated. Either way, a conference call is an excellent option, and you should give it some serious thought.

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