Conference Calls Connect Worldwide Attendees

Technology has shrunk the world, creating a global village where people are no longer isolated by mountain ranges, oceans, deserts, jungles, and long distances. Though the technology has been in place for decades, only recently have global conference calls become affordable internationally. Now that calling rates have declined to affordable levels, connecting a worldwide audience via phone bridge technologies opens the door of opportunity around the world.

Teleconferences, Workshops, and Classes
Using international conference calls to host conferences, workshops, and classes is becoming a popular way to educate, inform, and network with likeminded professionals. Not only are global conference calls a cost effective alternative to holding physical conferences, the call recordings can be used for other purposes. For example, companies often host live teleclasses with participants calling in from around the world. Later, the call recordings are then repackaged and sold.

Because it's less expensive to host a teleconference via international conference calls than it is to coordinate a live physical conference, participants can also expect lower registration fees and other expenses. For example, attending physical conferences in Hong Kong, London, Australia, the U.S., or any other country typically requires travel, lodging, local transportation, and conference registration fees. Global conference calls completely eliminate travel and lodging expenses. As far as registration fees go, a two-day conference costing hundreds or thousands of dollars in person typically costs a fraction of that when presented as a teleconference.

Physical attendance at international conferences also impacts productivity with attendees having to devote several days just getting to and from their destinations. The only time spent on teleconferences is the time actually conferencing with others.

International Team Building
International conference calls can also be used to connect employees located around the world. While often used to coordinate projects and update one another with the latest sales figures and status reports, global conference calls are important in building a culture of teamwork. Being able to interact with the group, hear voice inflections, and build rapport helps employees who might otherwise feel disenfranchised engage with the team on a more personal level.

International Sales Presentations
Whether your organization has an international customer base or team of sales representatives stationed around the globe, international conference calls can plan an important role in sales. You can use global conference calls to host question and answer sessions, new product launches, and press conferences as well as conduct sales training to your team of overseas salespeople.

International Conference Calling Considerations
Depending on the purpose for your conference call, you'll want to select the right calling plan. For example, toll free international conference calls are appropriate when you do not want attendees to have to pay for their time on the call such as when hosting a conference call for potential customers to learn more about buying your product. On the other hand, if your conference call is answering questions from contractors soliciting work, set up the international conference calls so that each caller pays his own tolls.

How International Conference Calling Works
Setting up the teleconference is a simple matter of scheduling the call via the calling plan's interface, inviting attendees, and providing attendees with instructions such as the call's time (expressed in each attendee's local time and date format), call number, and access code. Because international conference calling rates and phone numbers vary by country, you may need to dial some attendees directly as doing so may be less expensive or the only option. Fortunately, this step can be preprogrammed with most global conference calling plans. Once the time and date of the event arrives, all attendees dial in, enter the conference access code, and begin connecting.

International conference calling is cheaper than ever, with numerous possibilities. From holding conferences and workshops to building international teams and communicating with geographically diverse customers, connecting worldwide attendees over the phone lines makes the world a smaller place.

aitelephone.com provides cost-effective solutions for hosting global conference call with plans designed to meet all of your international and domestic conference calling needs. Choose from toll free international conference calls, pay-as-you-go plans, prepaid plans, and unlimited conference calling plans.