How to Select a Conference Call Provider

Instructions

1. • 1
     Document your current conference call needs and project future use. Have each person or department keep a basic log of how many minutes are spent in conference calls, keeping track of the type of call (video, audio, VoIP or data). When you select a provider, you must make sure you choose a plan that includes enough minutes or bandwidth, so you don't pay overage charges.
   • 2
     Look for providers that provide personal customer service and use the latest technology. Since you will be signing a contract with this company, you want to make sure that the quality of your conference calls remains clear and without problems.
   • 3
     Ask potential providers to allow you to hold a conference call using the service. While many will offer a demo, those circumstances are always ideal, so you want to see a real-life sample of the service before you agree to anything.
   • 4
     Research different plans, keeping an eye out for hidden charges and ease in upgrading (or downgrading) your service. The best plans have flat monthly charges for a set number of users and unlimited minutes. This keeps your employees from having to count minutes when on the phone.
   • 5
     Select a provider with a global reach. While many providers say they are international, make sure they actually provide phone numbers and long distance service in the countries you actually work with.
   • 6
     Choose one of the larger telephone companies to provide your conference calling for reliable service. Verizon and Sprint both offer conferencing solutions for business customers (see Resources below).
   • 7
     Select Bell for a wide variety of plans with or without operator assistance (see Resources below). With 70 years of experience, Bell works with small businesses and corporations to provide clear, easy-to-use service.
   • 8
     Check out VoIP Conference Live for inexpensive voice over IP conference calls with unlimited users and minutes (see Resources below). This is a great choice for small businesses and home offices working on a budget.
   • 9
     Avoid contracts with low per-minute rates with SmartConference from Accessline (see Resources below). Accessline provides conference calling services for many recognizable resellers like Office Depot. Go straight to the source to save a few cents.