Choosing a conference call service

Transcription

1 From the Conference Guru A step-by-step guide to Choosing a conference call service

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Letter from the Conference Guru 2. Things to look out for: Cost Quality Security Support Features 3. Download a FREE template

3 Letter from the Conference Guru Dear Reader, So you ve decided you need to conference with people around the country or around the globe? You could travel to meet them, but this can be very expensive and time-consuming, especially if you need to conference with people internationally. A much more time-effective, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly option is to hold a conference call. A conference call allows you to talk with people around the world from the comfort of your office or home as long as you have a phone you can dial into a conference! Once you ve agreed a conference call is the way to go, you will need to work out which conferencing provider to choose. There are many providers out there and not all are created equal, so you want to be sure you make the right decision for your situation when choosing. There are many things to consider when choosing a conference call provider including price, line quality and customer service. We have provided some information on each of these considerations in this ebook to help you know what to look for when choosing your service. Happy hitch-free conferencing! Conference Guru

4 Things to look out for: 1. Cost While some providers appear to be very cheap or even free, there's really no such thing as a free conference call. Most free teleconferencing services incur hidden expenses that you may not have considered, such as the cost of dialling long distance numbers. Express Virtual Meetings charges are transparent and easy to calculate. There are no contracts and no hidden fees. We offer capital city numbers, national and international toll free numbers, as well as operator-connected calls both in Australia and overseas. Review the pricing provided to you by the conference call provider that you re considering and compare all the features that you need. There s a free template at the end of this ebook for you to download.

5 Talk to us, we d love to help. Call sales@expressvirtualmeetings.com.au Pricing Self-managed conference calls Local Capital City: $0.24 per minute National Toll Free: $0.39 per minute International Toll Free: $0.95 per minute Operator-assisted conference calls Australia: $0.39 per minute International: $1.44 per minute Connection Fee: $4.00 Operator-assisted HR Interviews Australia: $0.39 per minute International: $1.44 per minute $10 per 6 mins or $100 per hour Fully assisted conference call events Australia: $0.39 per minute International: $1.44 per minute $10 per 6 mins or $100 per hour + additional services

6 Things to look out for: 2. Quality Many providers use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to deliver their service, and their network routers handle traffic on a first-come, first-served basis. This means that communication over IP networks is significantly less reliable than on a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the sound quality of these calls is often substandard. Express only uses PTSN lines, ensuring that your meetings are conducted with high quality sound and with minimal chance of anybody dropping out of the conference. If network routers are experiencing high volumes of traffic, you may experience 'call drop-outs' while conferencing. We've often heard of customers complaining about dropping out of conference calls in the middle of very important meetings while using "free" services. Express is able to control the amount of people conferencing by owning our own conferencing bridge (the technology that links telephone lines). We ensure that our bridge is not overloaded, so that there are no drop-outs or bad lines. Our technology can accommodate hundreds of individual participants.

7 Things to look out for: 3. Security Security can be a huge concern when conferencing, especially if your meeting agenda involves sensitive topics or confidential talks with celebrities. When conferencing with an internet provider your meeting could be hacked, resulting in your sensitive information being heard by other people. Express provides peace of mind when conducting confidential conferences. We offer the ability to lock your conference once all guests are present. Additionally, guest names are announced as participants enter the conference. Once everyone is in the meeting, the conference is locked so nobody else can enter.

8 Things to look out for: 4. Support Sometimes you may find you have questions or concerns about your conference call, and having a support line available to address your needs can prove invaluable. Many providers don t offer any support, and those that do often make you wait on hold for a long time before you can talk to anyone. Express support staff are available 24/7 on any day of the year by phone. You will always be answered by one of our Australia-based support staff. So when comparing providers, don't forget to check if your call will be answered by a real person in a timely manner - because you never know when you'll need help!

9 Things to look out for: 5. Features Most free teleconferencing services will not offer the same features as paid providers, such as the ability to record your conference calls. With Express Virtual Meetings, your conference recording can be self-initiated or operator initiated, and can be ed to you after the meeting. You can also download this from our website for minute-taking or for future reference. Other features we offer are Q & A sessions, voting sessions, blast dial outs, roll calls, locked conferences and your own customised welcome greeting or dedicated national toll free number. Ensure that you list out all the features you will need from your conference call provider so you can get the most value from your conference calls.

10 Before you decide to use the cheapest provider to conference with business partners or colleagues, think again. While you might save on infrastructure costs, you could lose a lot more if your conference goes badly because you re using substandard conferencing technology. Don t risk it; use a reliable conference provider. Talk to us, we d love to help. Start a 7 Day Free Trial

11 DOWNLOAD FREE COMPARISON TEMPLATE Here is a sample table you can use to compare conferencing providers Provider 1 Cost Line Quality Security Support Features Provider 2 Provider 3 SIGN UP