5 Ways Conference Services Can Improve Your Conference Calls

Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Effective Communication with Virtual Teams (23-slide PowerPoint presentation). The number of people working remotely has been increasing progressively across the globe. An employee benefits report narrates that around 60% companies in the US offer telecommuting opportunities. According to Upwork, freelancers and contractors have increased by 81% from 2014 to 2017. [read more]

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Hosting conference calls can be exhausting. No one likes sitting on the phone for hours on end, and with landlines, you’ll often run into connection issues, extra fees for long-distance and multi-caller options, and other problems. The solution? Switching to online conference calling services.

Hosting a conference call on cell phone or laptop can make things simpler, more accessible, and give the host (you) more control over the call itself. Shed the burden, the cost, and the lack of customization that landlines offer for a more modern solution to your conference calling needs.

Here are five ways that conference services can improve your conference calls and save your company time and money!

1. Controlling Your Calls

Have you ever wanted to disconnect someone from your call who was being obnoxious, distracting, or had far too much background noise? What about muting certain callers until it’s their time to talk? With a landline conference call, you’re pretty much limited to the features that your landline phone offers. These are usually limited to muting yourself or disconnecting.

You can certainly purchase more expensive landline hardware with more features, but you’ll still never get the full customization and control that comes with online conferencing tools. With these tools, you can control who joins the call, who’s able to talk, and even disconnect anyone who has become a distraction.

The ability to control your calls will save you time and help prevent your calls from derailing due to disruptive callers. Can your landline do that?

2. Integration With Calendar Software

It happened again…you forgot you had a conference call this Wednesday at 12. You were late for the third time because your schedule is so full you can’t seem to remember what days you have calls and what days you don’t. Luckily, online conferencing software offers another feature you might find useful: calendar integration.

Many online conferencing services integrate seamlessly with programs like Google Calendar. You’ll get a reminder when your call is approaching, and some conference calling services will even give you a courtesy call so you don’t forget.

Don’t let another meeting slip by! Your landline can’t remind you when you have a call to attend or host, but online services certainly can. They can usually integrate with other software as well, so you’ll never forget another meeting, goal, or deadline.

3. Video Conferencing

Did you know that a large percentage of communication is nonverbal? Body language, including facial expressions, posture, and movement, can say a lot during a conversation; information that would otherwise be lost in an audio-only call. Video conferencing is slowly overtaking the traditional method of audio calling in the business world.

Why is that? Because video conferencing is more personal! When you see someone’s face, you’re establishing more of a connection to the person. With something like a new client or business partner, it’s important to get to know them better, and audio calls can only do so much.

With HD-quality video calling, you can host up to 500 participants in some cases, so you can host business meetings, seminars, and sales pitches. You certainly won’t get this feature with a landline!

4. Affordability

Ultimately, you’re getting greater value from a conference calling service than you would from a landline plan. With limited features, extra fees, and costly hardware, landlines are quickly becoming obsolete. Online conference calling software allows you to connect to anyone anywhere in the world, host hundreds of participants, record and store your phone calls, video chat, and so much more; all for one monthly premium (for each host).

You’ll be saving money for the business while bringing in a modernized tool to help improve your calls and your efficiency. Don’t let the weight of a landline bring down your organization! It’s time to move into the modern era and adopt digital communication as your main method for setting up conference calls.

5. Accessibility

One of the great things about conferencing services is that they’re more accessible than landlines. You can call in using a phone (a toll-free number is provided) or you can connect via your laptop/smartphone/other internet-based device and use that device’s microphone. This makes calls more accessible and versatile for people who don’t have a landline connection.

With internet-based calls, you won’t have to worry about excess fees for long-distance calling. Stay in touch with your partners, clients, and team members across state lines or international borders without bankrupting the business!

The Bottom Line

Online conference calls are cheaper, more efficient, more versatile, and offer dozens more features than a landline connection. It’s time to leave behind the relic of the past that is a landline connection and connect your business to the modern era with a conference calling service. Your wallet and your team/customers will thank you for a more secure and accessible connection!

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