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5 Ways to Save Money on Telecom

Saving money on telecom requires a mixture of strategy and ongoing management. Without a smart plan to cut costs and continuous telecom management to ensure that you're still getting the best deal around, you will likely end up paying more than you need to. So what can you do to reduce your telecommunication costs? Keep reading to learn five ways to save money on voice and internet services.

1. Weigh your options - Whether you already have a telecom carrier or you're looking for your first one, it pays to do your homework and research various options. Different providers offer different rates and promotions, so you can save money by comparing their offerings. And even though you may have found a good deal in the past, rates change frequently in the telecom industry and what might have been a good deal a few years ago could actually be expensive now compared to new pricing. Staying on top of rates and promotions and knowing what other carriers are charging ensures that you're always getting the best deal possible. The best way to do this is to work with a third party, non-bias service like Telecom Efficient who can help you find the best priced options for what you want.

2. Negotiate to win - Just as in car shopping, you often have room for telecom contract negotiations. Negotiation is a fine art, as many times the telecom providers won't inform you of discounts or promotions that are available unless requested. Skilled negotiation enables you to: *Negotiate prices and promotions with a new carrier *Get special clauses added to your contract such as mid-contract review clauses and technology upgrade clauses *Re-negotiate your current contract *Leave your current contract without termination penalties

3. Let carriers compete for your business - As the potential customer in an industry where several carriers are competing for your business, this gives you tremendous leverage when it comes to pricing. To find out how low each company is willing to go, it pays to submit a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quote (RFQ) to several companies. These documents enable you to outline exactly what you need, and to have the companies quote you a price. RFPs and RFQs let the carriers know that you're considering multiple options, which encourages them to quote you a competitive price.

4. Reduce telecom voice and data implementation time - Time equals money for your business, so having excessive down time during implementation of a telecom solution isn't an option. Ensuring fast and efficient implementation requires close communication with voice and data vendors. Expert project management during telecom installation is a key step toward minimizing costs associated with implementation.

5. Manage your account wisely - Once you have selected a telecom provider, it is necessary to continuously manage your account to ensure billing accuracy, resolve repair issues quickly and easily, and receive high-quality support. Proactive account management saves you time that is better spent on your core business functions.

These five solutions can save you and your company a significant amount of money. The best way to take advantage of these savings is to find a telecom management company who can help you with a rel=nofollow [http://telecomefficient.com/]telecommunications audit & analysis.

Looking to save money on your telecom solutions? Contact one of our knowledgeable telecommunications consultants today at http://telecomefficient.com - or call us at 877-384-7343 to request your NO COST Telecom Audit & Analysis

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Ways-to-Save-Money-on-Telecom&id=6163541] 5 Ways to Save Money on Telecom

Increase Your Productivity With Evernote

Whether you're writing an RFP response or studying for a certification test, you probably spend more time gathering the pieces of information you need than actually working. Getting all of your meeting notes together, hunting for quotes, and tracking down technical information takes at least as long as the work you need to do! Make this a group project and it all gets more complicated. Sharing information and collaborating on the production of a document is even more difficult without the proper tools. The Evernote application is the antidote to clutter and is available on your computer, tablet, and smartphone. I turned to Evernote over a year ago to organize my work notes, collaborate with others, capture visual and audio references, and capture handwritten notes as text. My desk full of dog-eared, coffee stained notebooks has turned into a searchable database that is available on almost any device with internet access and goes with me everywhere.

I make a notebook for every project (or example: RFP response). I then add information to that notebook, using information from the web, photographs, PDF documents, hand written notes, typed notes, word and excel files, and audio. I tag this information within the notebook itself with descriptive tags like "final quote", "timeline", or "architecture." Then I add data from more sources to the notebook. A snippet of a web page, an email, a scanned receipt or even a business card turns into fully searchable text. Evernote has OCR capability and will recognize text in any source including business cards and photographs. If I am in a meeting taking notes I usually combine text, recorded audio (up to 90 minutes) and a whiteboard snapshot all in a single note. Finding your notes later is easy and fast. I can search with a keyword or I can organize my notes geographically using the map view.

The application itself is great and gets even better when you explore some of the other features it offers. I like the Evernote trunk and open it when I need a tool or an idea to enhance a project, turn voice notes to text, or make note taking easier. There are literally hundreds of other tools and applications in the trunk that you can use to enhance your Evernote experience. Looking through the trunk is s great way to find just the right tool..... an electronic pen that saves everything in Evernote, a tiny scanner, or even other smartphone apps that directly integrate into Evernote. The trunk is also filled with free notebooks to get you started in your Evernote journey. I have used this app for over a year and never found a flaw or missed feature. If you find one, let me know!

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Increase-Your-Productivity-With-Evernote&id=6077166] Increase Your Productivity With Evernote