subject: Reviewing Conference Calling Alternatives [print this page] There are many ways to communicate these days in the business world, but not all modes of communication get the job done effectively. This is especially true regarding situations in which communication is between more than two individuals. Conference calling is often used for these types of situations and, for good reason, considering multiple people can communicate simultaneously.
As with anything, everyone has preferences in methods of communication even if that preference is not always based on the real pros and cons. To make the best decision for your business when it comes to communicating in larger groups, it is beneficial to know a little bit about some alternatives to conference calling. Four alternatives to conference calling are commonly used, as you probably know, but the pros and cons may not be something you have considered before.
Face-to-Face Meetings-The most common method of communication in large groups in a business setting is the face-to-face meeting which you have likely been to many of. Communicating face to face is often ideal but not necessarily always practical as the need for a meeting can pop up any time in business. To be sure, there are many instances in which meeting face to face will be conceivable, but a smart business person needs to have a backup plan such as a conference call option.
Email-While you may not have the option of communicating simultaneously with email, you can send out multiple messages at the same time. There is no doubt this is beneficial as writing only one email and sending it to numerous contacts definitely saves time. But often in business there is the need for feedback from multiple individuals fast, and this is something that email does not allow for.
Phone Call-Much like sending an email making a simple phone call is useful but also has limits. Getting a point across to one person may not require anything more than a phone call or an email, but in situations involving a large number of people a phone call may not be the best method of communication. Although you do have the option of using speaker phone for more individuals in your office to listen in, this is hardly the same as a conference call.
Instant Messaging Conference-Instant messaging conferences are more of a new thing but definitely being used more and more, particularly in remote business situations. These types of programs allow for a free method for multiple individuals to communicate, but the quality of such programs is often subpar. For less formal meetings, instant messaging may be beneficial but beyond that not so much.
After analyzing the many different methods of communication for your business, you will likely see conference calling is often the best solution for meetings. Fortunately it is also a very affordable solution because free conference calling programs online are plentiful. And in business it does not get much better than free when it comes to solutions.
