MediaJoltz

Here is a full disclosure that this, nor any of the products I write about on my blog are advertisements in any way. I do not get any compensation or prize or gift or ANYTHING for writing about these products. I use them all in my companies and find them useful and want to share my experiences with them to help you out as well.

Back in 2003 a company called Skype came rolling out with VOIP (or voice over internet protocol). What that means to mean is I make phone calls from my computer using the internet. It is a very easy application to install and very easy to learn how to use. I do recommend buying some type of microphone-you can buy one right from the Skype website called Plantronics PC2000 Headset for only $10.

From Skype I am able to make phone calls to any phone in the world. If I am calling from Skype to another person who has Skype, the call is free, just like mobile to mobile minutes. Here is a list of things Skype offers for free:

As you can see you can not only make regular calls on Skype but also do video chat with others across the world. This has been very helpful for me in personal life, being able to see family living on the other side of the nation has been tons of fun. It is also helpful in business with clients who are not local we are still able to talk and see each other and that has helped in communication.

Skype also offers the conference call for free which is very beneficial to any company who needs to make sure everyone is on the same page. I use Skype for my interview podcasts where I can have several people on at once.

There are other features that Skype offers that have fees, but very minimal for what you get:

I use the Skype Unlimited to call clients and not use up minutes on my cell phone. For just $29.95- I am able to make ALL my calls for the year-not bad huh! My husband has several friends in South Africa and United Kingdom who he talks to on a regular basis. The friend in South Africa also has Skype so they talk all the time for free. Those in the United Kingdom do not but for him to call them is only $.02 a minute. His sister has friends in Japan who she is able to talk to for only $.02 to a landline and only $.015 for a mobile phone.

So how does this help me as a business owner. Well you can hop on over to the ColdCallingPodcast where Greg and Mike talk about “How to Use Skype to Fatten Your Pipe.” In this podcast they talk about the benefits of using Skype to make calls if you are doing sales. I mentioned above how it has helped with keeping in touch with those not local as well as conference calls with more than one person. Plus, it is very cost effective in long distance calling, and I can be on the computer making notes, going through windows and have everything at my fingertips without trying to balance a phone on my shoulder!