Host a Group Conference Call

Group conference calls are almost standard in today's internet business market.

If you haven't heard of this, a group conference call is where you can present yourself as an expert in your industry by hosting live calls for a large group of people. The calls can sometimes hold 100 people or more and can be free or paid attendance. It's not a bad idea to start with some free teleseminars so you can get the feel of how they will go before beginning to charge for them.

Some people view hosting these types of calls as something that only the true professionals do but this just isn't true. Everyone has information and expertise that they can share with others, and there are people who are interested in what you can teach. While there is no reason why you shouldn't begin hosting your own conference calls NOW, there are a few tools that are pretty much essential to your production of a professional call. Here are some of the tools you really need to consider having for your first conference call:

Conference Line

You can find many companies that offer free conference lines and they are often used to host these types of calls. Do some research (or ask your virtual assistant to) to find these free lines or ask other business owners you know who've hosted their own calls. If your VA has done teleseminars before she will likely be able to recommend a good service. Paid conference services are also available if you have any concerns about using the free service.

Autoresponder System

If you are going to host more than one call or have more than a handful of guests you need a system for updating them on your calls and following up after. An autoresponder allows you to plug in your message and send it to as many subscribers as you want. This is important because once people have registered for your call you need to keep consistent contact so they remember to attend. Send you list a reminder or two in the weeks before the call, one the day of the call and then create a series of messages to follow-up after to convert them into customers or return shoppers.

Audio Recording System

If you want to do a lot of recordings you are better off to get yourself subscribed to an audio recording system. Many conference call services do allow you to record but it can get costly as they charge you for each recording as opposed to paying one monthly fee with other systems. With a system like Audio Acrobat you can record as many calls as you like within a given month. Many of these programs come with a feature where you can place a player on a web page where your visitor can listen through streaming audio. This tool isn't an absolute must but people have come to expect that a recording will be available after the call. It is a nice bonus to have this available after the call and it's something you could either give for free or charge for and make some extra profits.

Conference calls can be fun! Just make sure you take the time to prepare yourself and the tools you need so that everything goes smoothly and you are presented as a leader in your profession.