A conference call is a phone conference where multiple people can listen and talk to each other simultaneously. Conference calls are helpful for meetings that involve more than two participants, such as in-person or online meetings. Many apps are available on both iPhone and Android devices that will allow you to set up your appointment with different settings like joining numbers, tone settings, and even music playing during the conversation. Setting up a conference call in outlook is not tricky.
There are many methods to set up a conference call using this software. These include using the dial-in number, entering a PIN code, or creating an audio bridge. In addition, working from home or as part of a remote team is becoming more common in the workplace. Unsurprisingly, due to this growth, we’ve noticed a spike in demand for a cost-effective and straightforward approach to keep communication lines open.
This is where conference calls are helpful.
- Monthly rates begin at $19.95.
- Enterprise-level plans at a reasonable price
- Calls are unrestricted.
- Local and toll-free numbers are also available for free.
They are the most cost-effective, simple, and straightforward method to gather a group of individuals to talk business. Without depending on the internet, conference calling enables you to communicate with your complete team. It’s straightforward to set up conference calls, and it’ll only take an hour of your time. So, today, we’ll assume you through the entire procedure. The procedure of setting up a conference call is quite simple. Choosing a conference call service and registering for an account takes the most time.
If you follow our instructions and complete the entire procedure in one sitting, it will take you around an hour to get to the point where you can have your conference call.
The following are some of the steps you’ll take to get there:
- Create a RingCentral account.
- Set up and activate your account.
- Make arrangements for your conference call.
- Third, make arrangements for the conference call.
- Finally, begin and maintain the conference call.
The Good
Holding the conference call is the most specific component of this procedure, even if it seems scary if you’ve never done it before. You need to phone in once the setup is complete–no extra actions or equipment are necessary. A significant benefit of phone conferencing is the ease with which you may call into the conference utilizing a single phone number from any phone. There is no need for people to be confused by technology. Therefore, there is less likelihood of technical issues. Finally, setting up a conference call is simple. Many online conferences calling services work nicely with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, enabling you to give guests a simple calendar invite with built-in meeting reminders.
The Bad
The disadvantage of phone conferences is that miscommunications might occur during the conversations. Most individuals, you see, struggle with simply verbal communication. Nonverbal indicators like body language, eye contact, and head movement may convey more information. As a result, without the visual component of video conferencing, you can end yourself dealing with some missed messages or miscommunications. Content sharing is another thing that can’t be done simply through a phone conference. Although you may send the plan or any papers to be reviewed before the meeting, the ability to share your screen or upload documents in real-time is a significant advantage of using video conferencing. If you don’t have access to video conferencing technologies or phone conferencing is more convenient for your group, there’s still a lot to gain from a good phone conversation.
- Monthly rates begin at $19.95.
- Enterprise-level plans at a reasonable price
- Calls are unrestricted.
- Local and toll-free numbers are also available for free.
Setting up a conference call:
Step 1: Sign up for a RingCentral account.
Several excellent companies provide VoIP phone services as well as online conference calling. If you’re interested in knowing more about the finest eight conference call services for 2021, you should read this page. However, for the sake of this article, we’ll choose RingCentral, our number one recommendation.
They are a VoIP service company that provides online phone and video conferencing. RingCentral offers a variety of price options to accommodate everyone, from small companies to large corporations. If you want to hold both audio and video conferencing, you’ll need to upgrade to the Premium plan at the very least. Today, we’ll concentrate on RingCentral’s phone conferencing service rather than its video conferencing service, although it’s nice to know that this firm can accommodate both.
- To get a free trial, fill out the form below.
When you’ve determined which plan is best for you, go to the price section and click Try Free.
Begin by inputting your contact and company information. After you’ve finished, click Get Your Number. As soon as the page loads, you’ll be given the option of selecting one free local business phone number. When you type your city into the search box, the system will recommend available phone numbers in your region.
Tick this box if you wish to preserve your current business phone number. Keep your existing business phone number. Click Next after you’ve finished this section.
- Adding People to Your Account
If you’d want the rest of your team to take advantage of RingCentral’s free trial, you can do so here as well. However, keep in mind that the free trial only allows you to add up to five individuals, so pick carefully. You’ll see a little box in this column that states, “My team members will need phones.” Do not check this option if you want to utilize your current hardware or mobile phones. You must, however, check this option if you wish RingCentral to supply you with new gear.
- Fill in the Payment Information
You must provide your payment information in the last stage of the sign-up procedure. You may choose whether to pay monthly or yearly, and the system will show you the price difference. It’s worth noting that, although you’ll need to input your credit card information, you may cancel your subscription at any point during the free trial period. Click Start Using Phone System when you’re ready. RingCentral should send you an email verifying your account and requesting you to activate it.
Step 2: Set Up and Activate Your New Account.
You’re halfway to being ready to start setting up conference calls at this point. However, you must first activate your account before proceeding with the rest of the account setup.
- Account Activation
Find the email labeled “Establish RingCentral Address” in the email account you used to create your RingCentral account. Then, please sign in to your RingCentral account and activate it. Your account must be activated within 48 hours.
Ideally, you’ll allow enough time while creating your account to finish the account setup as well. However, if you don’t have time to do so, make sure you open this email and click Activate Account before the 48-hour period expires.
- Create a User Account
When the website loads, you’ll be prompted to complete your account by generating a password, selecting a voicemail login pin, and answering a security question. You should get a success message that states Your account is now operational and ready for setup once you’ve input these credentials.
Work your way through each stage at your own pace. You’ll be expected to do tasks such as:
- Users may be added.
- Create a corporate greeting and record it.
- Call forwarding should be set up (only applicable if you ordered hardware)
- Create a voicemail message for the office.
- To access RingCentral from anywhere, download the desktop or mobile app.
It’s entirely up to you what you do with each of these steps. However, it is pretty self-explanatory since there are several tutorials and prompts along the process. If you’re unsure, click skip this step. When you go to your account dashboard, you can always go back and change these settings. You’ll get a screen that reads Congratulations! after you’ve completed the setup. Then choose My Account from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: Arrange for a conference call.
You’ll be sent to your account admin area once the page has loaded. When you wish to alter account settings, add new users, add numbers, adjust corporate data, and so on, here is where you’ll go. Click the arrow on the Admin portal icon in the upper right-hand corner to display your customized extension. My addon will appear in the drop-down menu. This is your phone extension with your settings.
Spend some time looking over your whole dashboard. Even while it isn’t difficult by any means, with new software, figuring out where everything is stored might take some time. You may skip the following step and go directly to step 4 if you want to start your conference call right away. If not, keep reading because the next stages are for you.
- Decide on a time and date for your conference call.
You may connect your current calendar to RingCentral for easier scheduling using Microsoft Office or Google Calendars. This functionality will be helpful if you want to have video conferences in the future. But, for now, it’s simpler to utilize your current calendar configuration for an introductory phone conference call. So, open your regular office calendar and generate a conference call invite for the date and time you’ve set.
- Invite people to a conference call
Make careful to provide as many facts as possible in your conference call invitation when arranging and mailing it. You should, for example, give the call’s agenda, papers to review before the conference, and tasks for participants to perform before the meeting if necessary. You want your conference call participants to be as prepared as possible. Include a message in the invitation stating the call’s login information will be sent five to ten minutes before the call’s planned start time.
Step 4: Setting Up the Conference Call.
We’d strongly suggest having a test run of this following step before the call itself, depending on how much time you have between extending the invitation to your participants and holding your conference call. The last thing you want is for everyone to be waiting for you while you are experiencing technical issues.
- Details of the conference call should be sent.
To begin, it’s critical to remember to communicate this information to guests around five to ten minutes before the conference starts. Next, log in to your RingCentral account page and click the third symbol from the right–a circle with three smaller dots around it–to transmit the conference call data. This is the button for calling a conference.
Select the areas from which members will need to call in and click Invite via email.
This link will generate a new email in your email app for you with all the information needed for participants to join. Click send after entering the relevant email addresses.
- Join the conference by dialing in.
Dial into the conference using the appropriate phone number for your location. Your nine-digit login code, followed by the pound key, will be automatically requested by the system. Remember to input the host number from the conference call information indicated in the image above as the host. Next, you’ll be able to customize the call using the conference instructions listed below.
In this case, a practice run of the conference call would be beneficial. You’ll give yourself time to double-check that you know how to mute and unmute callers, as well as how to begin recording if you want to.
Step 5: Begin and Maintain the Conference Call.
Your guests will begin to dial in precisely on time if you’ve followed the preceding instructions to the letter. You have the option of greeting everyone individually and then muting them once they respond, or you can wait until everyone has phoned in before softening them all at once.
- Why Should You Mute the Guests?
We keep mentioning the process of muting attendees because it improves call quality. Every sound, from one participant sipping their coffee to another’s dog barking in the background, will be picked up by the microphones on phones and PCs. This is both inconvenient for the caller and sad to listen to afterward. The majority of participants will understand why, and you may instruct them on how to unmute themselves when they wish to speak out (by pressing * # 6 on their keypad).
- Declare your intention to record the conversation.
Finally, before you get down to business, you must inform the group that the conference call will be recorded. It’s unlikely that this will be a problem if you have the ring with your team. However, whether you’re conducting this call with customers, clients, or random guests, it’s crucial to let them know ahead of time if they don’t want to be recorded so they may keep silent.
After that, you’re all set to start working on your call!
- Monthly rates begin at $19.95.
- Enterprise-level plans at a reasonable price
- Calls are unrestricted.
- Local and toll-free numbers are also available for free.
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