Before you can choose a service you must determine what your teleclass will look like. Will you only need a phone line or will you be using PowerPoint slides, video, etc.
When I worked as a program manager for a healthcare consulting company I had to plan weekly staff meetings and training. In selecting the right meeting room I had to consider the number of people on our team, whether we needed to use the whiteboard, the podium, would there be food and so on. These factors helped in selecting the right location for our sessions.
When considering a teleclass service think about what essentials you'll need for your presentation.
How many people do you estimate will register for your event? Teleclass services usually have a limit on how many phone lines can dial-in to your call and how many web attendess can logon to your presentation. It's good to also know the companies policy on upgrading your package in the event you need more phone lines and web access than estimated.
Can the recording of your event be downloaded or accessed easily? Teleseminars will offer more flexibility in regards to how it can be downloaded and where it can be played. Webinars on the other hand will have to be viewed on a computer so be sure to select the right type of teleclass for your event. If you're not using any visual aids choose the teleseminar structure for your teleclass.
Be mindful, some systems advertise as free and then charge you for the recording. Find a service that includes everything either free or paid.
Does the service offer unlimited calls per month? When first starting with teleclasses you may think you're only going to conduct one every few months, however you want to leave room for growth opportunities. As you get familiar with the service you may find other uses for the conference line including meetings, brainstorming sessions, or any other calls in which you'd like the information recorded.
If the service is paid, do they offer a trial so you can test all it has to offer before making a monthly commitment? If you're planning a teleclass and searching for a service try a paid one and conduct your teleclass during the trial period. This gives you a live opportunity to test all the bells and whistles. Your attendees may also be contributors in determining whether you go with the paid service or discontinue the trial.
It also a gives you a chance to see how comfortable you are with the phone controls and see if those participating are able to maneuver easily in the system namely for webinars.
Beware when using free calling services some phone systems such as Magic Jack, Google Voice and other VoIP systems have blocked calls to these free conference lines. In servicing one of my clients we recently got some complaints because callers in Canada were unable to dial in to the free conference line.*
Here are some services to check out in your search for the best service for your teleclass:
Free:
FreeConferenceCalling.com
FreeConferenceCall.com
Freebinar.com
Paid:
InstantTeleseminar.com
Webex.com
GoToMeeting.com
*Resource – Why 'Free Conference Calls' are like Russian Roulette
