Conference call: Tips on preparation, costs, moderation

Content

• What is a conference call?
• How does the conference call work?
• Conference call provider
• Different pricing models for conference calls
• What does a conference call really cost?
• What do you need for a conference call?
• Typical problems with conference calls
• How can you avoid mistakes in telco?
• Tasks and function of the moderator
• How does a conference call with a cell phone work?

A conference call is the perfect tool to easily, quickly and inexpensively discuss professional matters with more than two people - be it projects or presentations. Too great a technical effort is not required for this. A simple telephone or cell phone is sufficient for the modern "Telco". However, there are a few important rules for conference calls that you should pay attention to beforehand. Our checklists show you which ...

What is a conference call?

Telephone conferences or so-called conference calls are meetings where you can only hear but not see each other. The term telephone conference - also known by its abbreviation Telko or TK - is usually used for telephone calls with more than two participants. With three to four participants, one speaks of a three-way conference or a four-way conference. Everything that goes beyond that in terms of participants is just a telco. In addition, a distinction is made in telephone conferences according to the type of connection:

• Dial-in procedure
  The participants dial into the conference independently - equipped with the appropriate access data - and have to authenticate themselves with a PIN.
• Dial-out procedure
  The participants are called by the operator of the telco provider or by the organizer and the conference is "fetched". Although the process is more convenient, it is also more expensive for the organizer, since he also bears all connection fees.

How does the conference call work?

A conference call can be set up and implemented quickly. In the meantime, there are numerous - some free - telecom providers on the Internet (more on this in the next section). Great prerequisites do not have to be met.

A modern telephone system is not required. A simple phone or cell phone is all that is needed for a tele-meeting. So if you want to start a conference call with three or more participants, you only need three simple steps:

• Register a conference call
  To initiate the conference call, you must register the conference call with the selected provider. This registration is usually only required once and is usually already possible on the website of the telecommunications provider. To do this, you usually only need a name and an e-mail address (free providers can use these commercially) - or a billing address (for paid telecommunications providers).
• Communicate access data
  You will usually be assigned a so-called conference call room. All participants can later dial into this virtual room. For this purpose, the conference call room has a two-part access data key - a telephone number (dial-in number) and a conference PIN code (dial-in code, dial-in PIN or conference PIN). With the data, anyone can dial in from anywhere with their phone, iPhone or other smartphone.
• Start a conference call
  If all participants have a number and PIN, you can start. Arrange a time, dial in and start a conference call. Usually it takes at least two participants to enter the room. Some telecommunications providers have a so-called conference leader - mostly for security reasons. He has his own conference leader PIN and is then also the one who enables the conference call for everyone. Until then, the rest of the participants often only hear music on hold.

Conference call provider

A call from your home or office phone only connects you to one other person. For a conference call with more than two participants, you must therefore use a specific provider or software.

Which one you choose depends on the one hand on your expectations or requirements of the provider - on the other hand, of course, on the price of the offer. We will introduce you to various providers with whom you can hold a conference call:

• German conference call
  The provider deutsche-telefonkonferenz.de advertises with a “100% free conference call”. So you don't have to pay any additional fees, you only have to pay for a landline call. After registering, you will receive the access data by email and can get started right away. The number of participants and the duration of the conference are unlimited.
• SmartConference
  Do you use a lot of conference calls, for regular appointments, for meetings with customers or for work in a team? Then you can take out a monthly subscription for 9.90 with the provider SmartConference. Up to 5 participants can join the Telko at this fixed price. For larger groups there are more expensive tariffs for up to 25 participants.
• Whatsapp
  Not only short messages, but also telephone conferences via Whatsapp are possible. In the app, you can easily create a group call and add up to seven of your contacts. Easy, quick and free. Ideal for private users, but for some companies this variant is not professional enough. In addition, you must of course be connected to all participants via Whatsapp.
• Skype
  The Microsoft service Skype also offers a function for group calls. To do this, you have to add the desired participants to a group using your contacts or the search. Once this has been created, you can start the group call. If all participants use the Skype software, this type of conference call is free of charge.
• Telekom Business Conference
  Deutsche Telekom offers its own telephone conference service, which enables both simple telco and web conferencing. In addition to the conversation, documents can also be shared or presentations shown. When billed according to usage, the costs are around 10 cents per minute and participant. A conference call of 30 minutes with 5 participants would cost around 15 euros. But there are also flat rate models for different numbers of participants.
• Meebl
  Meeble advertises several points: free of charge, no registration, no advertising and no spam. All you have to do is enter your e-mail address and a displayed code - the room for the conference call is set up and can be used. You will receive free dial-in numbers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. If you want to support the service, you can choose a chargeable number voluntarily.

Other (partly chargeable) providers in alphabetical order without rating: Arkadin Anytime, Cofonico, CSNConference, dtmsConference, EasyAudio, EcoTalk, Freetelco, FreeConferenceCall, Konferenz.eu, Globafy, Meetgreen, MeetYoo, MyTelco, Phonesty, PowWowNow, TalkYoo, Telefonkonferenz.de, TeleMeet , Vodafone Conferencing, VoiceMeeting, Woopla.

Different pricing models for conference calls

Despite a large selection of different providers, the pricing models can be divided into just two categories. When choosing a suitable solution, you can choose between these (and an associated provider):

• Billing based on usage
  Payment is made here per minute and per participant. Providers measure exactly how many participants were dialed into the conference call and for what length of time. Multiplied by the tariff mentioned, this results in the invoice amount.
• Flat rate with subscription
  A fixed price to spend in conference calls as often and as long as you want. The amount of the subscription price is based on the number of participants. Around 10 euros per month for calls with up to 7 users.

It is best to work out which option is worthwhile for you. Frequent telephone conferences with a long duration and many participants are significantly more expensive in the first variant. On the other hand, if you only rarely invite you to telco in small groups, you may be paying too much with the flat rate.

What does a conference call really cost?

Many providers advertise that their conference calls are free - on closer inspection this is often not entirely true: Either there are restrictions on the number of participants or the first step - registration - is free. Even if there are no binding contracts or monthly costs, there are usually low charges per minute for the talk time during the conference call.

Which costs arise, also depends on where the respective subscribers dial their way into the network from. As a rule, each participant pays the connection costs to the German landline network. These depend on the respective telephone provider: If you have a flat rate in the German landline network, you will not have to pay any separate fees, for the telco is really absolutely free.

However, participants from abroad who do not have special conditions for the German landline network are also conceivable. Depending on the provider, there is also the option of the conference leader assuming the telephone conference fees for everyone. In such cases, a corresponding subscription is then taken out.

What do you need for a conference call?

Before you select the right conference call provider, you should make a few formal thoughts about the conference call itself. These criteria have an impact on the choice of provider and thus on the costs of the conference call:

• Number of participants: How many participants take part in the telco?
• Origin: Do callers from abroad dial in?
• Costs: Who pays any conference call fees?
• Additional functions: Do you need services such as web control (for parallel presentations) or a recording function?

As a rule, the standardized conference calls and providers are sufficient for up to ten participants. Nevertheless, you should pay particular attention to the internationality of the callers and a limitation of the number of participants, otherwise it can quickly become expensive.

Typical problems with conference calls

Despite the simple technology, things can go wrong with the conference call. Common problems include:

• Dialing difficulties
  In conference calls there is often at least one person who does not manage to dial in - either because the access data is incorrect (or was noted down incorrectly) or because the software used (for example with Skype) is out of date.
• connection
  Nobody can do anything about it, but it is annoying when participants repeatedly fly out of the conference call and have to dial in again due to a poor (radio) connection, for example.
• Background noise
  If participants are listening to music in the background, the window is open or the participants have simply forgotten to press the mute button while they are talking to another person in the office, it is extremely annoying.
• Speech discipline
  Because nobody sees each other, there is no non-verbal communication that signals, for example, who will have the floor next. Effect: It is difficult to coordinate who speaks when. Either all answer a question at the same time or none.

How can you avoid mistakes in telco?

Below we also provide you with a PDF document that you can download free of charge, which contains many tips for preparing and holding telephone conferences. This will avoid annoying mishaps and contribute to the success of the conference call.

Download to avoid errors

Tasks and function of the moderator

As the moderator, you have a special role to play during the conference call. They bring order to talk. You are responsible for the following tasks:

• opening
  You greet everyone present. They explain why the telco is taking place and what it will be about in the further course.
• introduction of participants
  If it is not a regular conference call or if there are new participants, you should introduce everyone to each other in order to create a pleasant atmosphere for discussion.
• coordination
  Your main task is to coordinate the individual speeches and to steer the discussion. The easiest thing to do is to give (and withdraw) the floor to the participants.
• time
  Keep an eye on the clock so that the conference call time is not exceeded. Make sure that the agenda is also worked through.
• Summary
  The moderator closes the conference call. At the end, you should summarize the results, outline the next steps and indicate when the next meeting will take place.

How does a conference call with a cell phone work?

In principle, conference calls with a cell phone or iPhone do not work any differently than others. Above all, you have to make sure that your cell phone has enough battery life - longer calls on the smartphone are often downright energy guzzlers. You should also ensure in advance that your mobile phone contract includes a flat rate to the landline network. This is the only way to keep the conference call really free for you.

During a conference call with a cell phone Apps such as the Whatsapp messenger service are particularly recommended. Both users of an iPhone and owners of an Android smartphone can just as easily do without additional apps, since their mobile phone usually already includes this function. The principle is identical: First you have to call someone who has to take your call in order to be able to add further participants via a telephone symbol with a plus sign. Please note: the participants must all be saved in their mobile phones. In addition, the conference call is disconnected the moment you hang up.