Thursday, January 12, 2017

11 tips for a better conference call


Whether you’re hosting a conference call or taking part, these tips will help you make the most of your virtual meeting.
  1. Dial in on time or a few minutes early, if you are the organiser. A lot of conference calls waste the first 5 minutes with constant beeps and interruptions from latecomers. Try InstantMeeting from Plantronics.
  2. Think about your background noise. If you can’t take the call from a quiet place, use a noise-cancelling headset for when you are speaking and put it on mute when you are not.
  3. The power of your voice. Stand up for important discussions, this will help to project your voice.
  4. Don’t ever put your phone on hold. You will probably subject the rest of the call to your hold music or beeping.
  5. Remember to un-mute your headset when you want to talk!
  6. Send a pre-call email to all participants outlining the agenda, dial in details and any material they need to read.
  7. Keep to the agenda and on time as much as possible
  8. Participants should keep contributions as concise as possible. No one appreciates a rambling monologue!
  9. If you want everyone to follow the same presentation – try screen sharing.
  10. Focus on the conference call. It is easy to be distracted with emails/Facebook/online shopping, etc.
  11. Close the call with a clear summing up of next steps and follow up with an email with action items for participants.
Photo credit: wildxplorer

Now it's time to make it the most productive and comfortable space you've ever worked in: 

source: worksnug.com