Choose the right Telephone System. This task should not be difficult or confusing. Just follow the steps below to see how quick and easy it can be.

1. Know how much Telephone Systems Cost.

Choose your budget. Telephone systems vary widely in cost based on the number of phones, applications and complexities required. The most basic of systems (we are talking about professional business telephone systems that are installed and programmed by a vendor) can cost as little as little as $350 per phone. The most sophisticated Telephone Systems can cost as much as $2500 per phone. However a good rule of thumb is $750 to $1250 per phone. So to estimate the cost, just take the number of phones you need and multiply by $750 - $1250. This estimate will include the system, phones, applications, installation, software, 1 year of warranty and sales tax. The estimate excludes voice & data cabling if they are needed.

If you are moving into an office space where there was an existing business that had a telephone system, you probably won't need much voice or data cabling. This is because you probably can re-use all or a substantial portion of the existing cabling. If you are moving into a brand new office space or a new building, you will need to install Voice & Data Cabling. A good rule of thumb estimate for Voice & Data Cabling is $100 - $150 per location.

2. Choose a Telephone System Vendor

The best way to select the choose a telephone system is to choose several experienced telephone system vendors. My recommendation is to use the expertise of the Telephone System Vendors because it is simple, quick and above all...FREE. An experienced sales representative (ask for one with at least 2 years experience) will be able (and very happy) to help explain all of the possibilities and options. Choose a vendor who:

a. Has been in business for a minimum of 10 years.
b. Is a licensed state contractor (just ask to see their licenses and then check to make sure they don't have a history of complaints)
c. Occupies their own professional business office space (you'd be surprised how many work out of their garage or van).
d. Employs a minimum of 5 full-time certified technicians (ask to see their certifications. If they have only 1 or 2 what kind of service can you expect if they suddenly loose one?)
e. Sell a product that is proven in the field. (Do you want to risk your business on a "new" product that has only been around a few years?)

3. Go see a Live Product Demo at the Vendor Office

Choose a Vendor who can provide a live demo at their office. It is important to GO TO THEIR OFFICE TO SEE THE DEMO. Why? a. Less established vendors will not have a professional office and will suggest they provide a mobile demo at your office. b. It will allow you to compare the more established vendors by touring their facility. A vendor's office will tell you a lot about their business philosophy and success. Is their office neat, clean, organized, large, small, bustling with people or a ghost town? c. If you go to their office it will allow you to spend some quality time learning about the vendor and the product they will recommend. I recommend you participate in 2 or 3 Live Demos.

Ask the vendor to explain the basics of the system they will recommend and provide a short overview of all of the applications (software enhancements) that the system can provide. Then ask to see a live demo of the system working with the applications that you believe will best meet your business needs. The whole process will only take about an hour of your time. Choose to be involved at this point, an hour is a small investment considering the phone system you choose will be with your business an average of 7 - 15 years.

4. Get the best price. Start negotiating.

After you decide on the features of the system, ask the vendors you have chosen to provide written quotes. (Do this even if you already know what vendor and what system you want to buy). Two or three quotes (make sure the quotes are "apples to apples") will give you a really good idea of how much your system should cost. Don't get more than 3 quotes because it is generally a waste of time and vendors will not want to waste their time giving you a quote if they know they will have to compete with 10 other vendors. Then go to the vendor you want to do business with and ask for a discount because the first quote is almost never the best price. Depending on how aggressively priced the initial quote was, you can expect to get another 5% or more. To get the best discount, choose to wait until you are ready to buy and tell the vendor you are willing to immediately sign the agreement and give a deposit check if they reduce the price by $$$.

San Diego Telephone Systems Mitel , InterTel , VOIP