Conference calls can be a quick way to hold meetings, and conferences, no matter where attendees may be. But, whether your are the host or an attendee, certain behaviors can make the call unbearable, inefficient, and unproductive. Here are a few things to do, or avoid, while on a conference call.
- Make sure you have a good connection. Conference attendees won’t find it funny that you have to call back every few minutes. Most conference systems play a tone or announcement every time a caller connects, even if it is the 5th time.
- Announce yourself. When you first enter the conference, and every time you speak thereafter, be sure that everyone knows who you. Even your best friend might not recognize your voice on the telephone.
- Eliminate background noise. If you are not muted, others can hear everything you do. Talking to other people, eating, burping, yelling. And if you have something not so nice to say, be sure to check that mute button twice.
- Don’t put the call on hold. Many phone systems have on-hold music, or beeps, or something to denote the call is still alive. These can be very distracting. On-hold music can actually grind the conference call to a halt until you return since nobody can talk over it, and many hosts will just boot you from the call to maintain their schedule. DON’T DO IT!
- Speak loudly and clear. This may be a no brainer, but every conference call I’ve participated in, someone always forgets. Also, if you are using a speaker phone, including those nice conference room phones, remember, the farther away you are from the phone, the louder you need to speak.
- If you don’t have anything to add, don’t add anything. Silence is golden, especially if someone else has something to say/ask.
If you are the conference host, make sure you follow the rules of being a good host:
- Have a good agenda before hand. Be sure that everything you need to cover in the conference is listed on the agenda before it is sent out to attendees. It is imperative because every listed item may bring questions or comments. A lot of questions asked after the conference has ended pertain to nearly the whole group, and should have been handled in the conference.
- Send out the agenda, connection information, and pass codes in advance. Numerous mailings are always good to make sure all who need to attend receive the information.
- Start the call on time. A conference call was made to be efficient, and to make it easier for attendees to schedule around. If you are late, and not timely, it quickly negates all the nice things about a conference call.
- Keep track of the agenda. Make sure you follow your schedule, and don’t allow the meeting to get sidetracked. These also can make the meeting longer than needed.
- Introduce yourself & other team members. Just like you were starting an in-person speech, don’t just assume every one knows who you are.
- Clearly state when the call ends. Conference lines are tricky that way, and attendees can actually sit on the line well until after the call ends. Some conference systems bill by the minute, and a user left in the room leaves the room open, generating a hefty bill.
For further tips & tricks on telecommunications, checkout some of our previous articles:
http://st-aubin.com/index.php/category/communication/
Following these recommendations can lead to a better experience for all. Here’s to a productive conference call!