If you want to record:

- a client call you are recording to submit for certification
- a teleclass you are leading
- an interview you are conducting
- anything else

You need to be able to:

- Easily turn on the recording system on and off
- get the finished recording in an MP3 format so that you and others can listen to it

Step one: GET A FREE BRIDGE LINE

Go to this site (http://www.freeaudioconferencing.com) and sign up for a free bridge line (this is a fully functional bridge line with your own private PIN number)

Step two: CHOOSE RECORDING SERVICE

I've done a lot of research on this subject and tried out many systems. In my experience the best two services for ease of use, customer support and value for your dollar are:

1) http://www.freeaudioconferencing.com ($10 per recording - use if you make one or two recordings a month). This service provides only recording from the telephone.

2) http://www.coach.audioacrobat.com ($19.95 month for unlimited recordings - use if you make more than 2 recordings a month). This service has more more features than the one above. In particular, you can record from your telephone or directly into your computer.

Step three: HOW TO DO IT

Using Option #1 – (http://www.freeaudioconferencing.com)

1) you and your caller(s) phone into your bridge line as usual (it has to be a freeaudioconferencing.com bridge line)

2) when you are ready to begin recording, press *2 on your phone and it will ask you for a recording file number. Just name the file whatever you will remember using your touch-tone phone (example: if you punch in 4545, this will be your recorded file number for this recording).

3) When you would like the recording to end, just press *2 again.

- press the "Flash" button on your phone
- when you hear the dialtone you dial the AudioAcrobat phone number and enter your PIN
- after you have entered your PIN, you will hear some phone prompts. To start the conference call recording you will be pressing the "3" on your phone keypad.
- as soon as you hear the prompt say "Patch this line into your conference call now" hit the "Flash" button to return to your conference call participants.
- you will hear two audible tones when the recording starts.
- to stop the recording process, simply hit the "Flash" button again or hang up.

3) Once you hang up, AudioAcrobat makes your MP3 file which will appear in the "Show My Audios" section of your account. The longer the recording, the longer it will take to show up. A one hour conference call takes about 10 minutes to appear.

Copyright © 2005 Barbra Sundquist

About Barbra: Barbra Sundquist is a Certified Mentor Coach and a certifying examiner for both the IAC and Coachville. Barbra is known as "the coach who makes things simple" and she absolutely loves taking complex information and making it understandable for learners. To receive more useful "how-to" tips, go to http://www.BecomeACertifiedCoach.com and subscribe to Certified Coach News.