Reliable phone conference equipment is vital to provide clear communication effectively in business, and is essential to build good working relationships, maintain current clients and to gain new customers.

Sellers of conference phones can provide conferencing phones with the features you need for your business. Suppliers of conference phones should offer conference telephones in a range of styles with various features at competitive prices. When you shop for business conference phones, you should:

1. Choose audio conference phones that fit your budget.

2. Use a reputable supplier of conference telephones with a solid service record to ensure a lengthy, solid working relationship.

3. Pick business conference phones with the right features to meet the needs of your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Compare conference phone features and prices online

Use the Internet to compare and contrast conferencing phones for your business. Select the brands, features and accessories you need and find the best price that fits your budget.

I recommend: Use the Buyer Zone website to compare telephones for conference calling. Simply fill out a basic form with questions about your budget, immediate conference phone needs and the features you'd like for a conference phone comparison and free price quotes. CNET has user reviews of conference phones. Polycom SoundStation2, Polycom SoundStation Premier and ClearOne Max Wireless are among the conference telephones on the market that get high marks from users.

Use a well-known retailer to purchase telephones for conference calling

A retailer with national brand recognition can offer cost-effective deals and perks if you choose to purchase phone conference equipment through them. National retailers also offer dependable service, experienced customer service representatives and high standards to forge long-lasting business relationships.

I recommend: Use Staples for your business telephone conferencing needs. Staples sells a variety of reputable conference phones at competitive prices. They also offer weekly coupons that could lower the price more and the Staples Business Advantage program is customized for large and small businesses. The program offers customized customer service, rewards and account management. Buy telephones for conference calling at Office Depot, one of the suppliers of conference phones from Polycom.

Choose conference phones for audio and video conferencing needs

Use a supplier of conference phones that offers a variety of audio and video conference telephones to meet the needs of your business. While audio business conference phones are standard, video conferencing is a popular feature to connect businesses around the globe, a critical need for growing companies.

I recommend: Clary Business Machines offers audio and video conference phones in a wide price range to fit the budget of any size business. With a variety of models that offer standard and extra features, it's easy to find the right conference phone for your business.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Look for specials and promotions when you shop for phone conference equipment. Retailers often offer rebates on certain models, free trial periods to test conference phones and free conferencing telephone accessories when you upgrade to a new system.