Choosing a Bridge Line Provider for Your Teleclass

Teleclasses (classes you offer over the phone) are one of the fastest and easiest ways to get started in infopreneuring.

The only technical requirement for running a teleclass is that you know how to use a phone. And the only equipment you need is what's called a bridge line. A bridge line is just another term for a conference line where many people can call in and hear each other.

Typically you pay a flat hourly fee to rent a bridge line. The bridge line supplier will give you a phone number for your participants to call. The area code could be anywhere in Canada or the United States, depending on the supplier you use. In most cases, you will also be issued a PIN code that participants have to punch in to join the call.

Participants generally cover their own long distance charges. There are bridge line providers that can give you a toll-free line if desired but think carefully about whether you want to use this option. At average rates of about $0.15 per minute per participant, you'll be shelling out $9 for every registrant on an hour-long call, which can quickly eat into your profits.

Here are some criteria you should consider when choosing a bridge line provider:

-- Size of the line: Bridge line providers offer different line sizes, that is, different limits on how many people can participate on your call. The more people participate the more you pay, so be sure to look for a package that suits your needs. If you're just starting out, a line that can hold 25 or 30 participants should be plenty big enough, but investigate whether you can upgrade your package if you get a flurry of registrations.

-- Muting capability: Background noise from your participants such as crying babies, loud traffic and coughing are the bane of every teleclass leader. You want the sound quality to be as clear as possible, especially if you're recording the call. Look for bridge lines that give you the capability to mute out all participants with one button. Also look for providers that allow participants to mute themselves out individually.

-- Recording capability: Record your live teleclasses and presto! You've got an audio product to sell for months and years to come. Make sure your bridge line provider can record your call and turn it into an audio file such as an MP3 or WAV file. You pay a bit extra for this service but it's well worth it if you don't have a way to record the call yourself.

-- Attendance check: If you're worried about people who haven't registered or paid for your class getting onto your call for free, some bridge line providers offer an attendance service. When participants call in, they reach a live operator who checks their name against the registration list you provide. If they're not on the list, they don't get in.

However, attendance checks aren't necessary in most cases. Sure, the odd person may give out your bridge number and PIN to others who haven't registered but most won't. And it's hardly worth worrying about a straggler or two who may join every now and again. Besides, you might upsell them on other services while they're there.

Below are four bridge line providers offering a variety of services at varying prices. To find others, you can also try a Google search using terms such as "telephone bridge services" or "conference call services."

TelephoneBridgeServices.com
http://www.telephonebridgeservices.com

• Reasonable hourly prices for lines holding 25, 50 or 100 participants. Also offers "superbridges" that will hold up to 1,000 participants if your classes really take off.
• Option to rent a dedicated bridge line that's yours 24/7. It makes economic sense if you're running more than 4 classes a month.
• Toll-free bridge lines also available
• Offers full muting capabilities, as well as recording

• Hourly line rentals for 30, 60 and 150 participants. You can also buy your time in bulk to save money.
• Offers full muting capabilities, as well as recording

• It's free but there are many service limitations
• No mute or recording capabilities
• Maximum of 30 people
• Available only to US callers
• Given the lack of features, this supplier may only be suitable for the occasional test call