SpeakSpace

Audio Conferencing

When you want to have a meeting between several different departments or locations, or make a presentation to a client or customer off-site, audio conferencing may be your best choice. This is a service where everyone invited dials in to a common phone number and then joins a type of conference call over the phone.

Using audio conferencing has many advantages. One is that you don't need an office assistant or staff hunting down everyone in time for the conference. They all dial in when they're ready so no one calls them. This also eliminates some of the waiting when you're trying to call each person individually. When people call in, they may do so at once so no one waits while an office assistant dials number after number. This means that audio conferencing starts quickly and gets underway just as quickly; since everyone's time is valuable, this can be a great advantage.

A professional company for your audio conferencing needs also means not worrying about technical issue with your equipment. This is more important than you may realize, since of course your presentation or meeting will be pointless if some can't hear you or get disconnected. You may not have anyone on staff that can handle technical issues with the phone or other equipment, so a professional audio conferencing company can be very helpful for this reason.

So how do you choose the best audio conferencing company? Once you go online to search, you may be surprised at your choices. One thing to consider is the price; in some cases you can use free services but they may be very limited in what they offer. This may be a limitation as to how many people can dial in and how long your conference can last. If you are arranging a quick meeting between some coworkers, this type of audio conferencing can be okay, but for others, you may need to choose something with additional benefits for you.

Note the prices of those audio conferencing companies that offer you unlimited access or unlimited minutes. You need to note if the price is different when it's based on minutes or if you can use the service for as long as you want for a flat fee. Be sure you check any hidden costs such as an additional charge for more participants or if you go overtime. If you don't see these prices outlined with an audio conferencing company, don't hesitate to speak up and ask.

In some cases you may want additional services with your audio conferencing. This may mean a tape or recording of your conference; ask about these services before you begin rather than assuming they're included. Be sure you compare prices for all these services before you make your decision, however, don't let price alone be the determining factor. You want an audio conferencing service that works well and that has good customer service; this is worth the few extra dollars you may pay.