Conference calling made simple

Conference Call Tips

 

Easily prepare for your next conference call by following these helpful suggestions.

 

Before The Conference Call

 

  • Inform your attendees of the date and time of your conference in advance.
  • Make sure you are in a quiet setting where you will not be interrupted.
  • Prepare any materials needed for the conference before the call.
  • Create an agenda for the conference call.
  • If possible, send an agenda to all meeting participants.
  • Send out a reminder message to participants for calls planned far in advance.

 

Begin The Conference Call

 

  • Be punctual! The moderator should dial into the conference a few minutes before the scheduled conference call time. This avoids confusion if participants dial-in early.
  • Perform a roll call to find out who has joined your conference call.
  • Instruct everyone to state their names when speaking to avoid any misunderstanding. For example, "This is Monica, and I'd like to see instructions on how to..."
  • Advise attendees to refrain from putting the call on hold, as some companies have hold music that would interrupt the conference.

 

During The Conference Call

 

  • Promptly deal with any noise or distractions
  • Request feedback from individual participants, instead of from the entire group.
  • Reschedule any discussions that are not applicable to the conference for another date and time.
  • Summarise the issues discussed and review any action items resulting from the call.
  • Clearly declare when you are concluding the conference call. Sometimes a participant can be left on the line not realising that the conference has finished.