Conference calls are an essential part of business life today. They have proven to be a simple yet effective way of conveying large amounts of information to multiple individuals at once. Conference calls can be as small as three people or as large as dozens. Due to their importance, in the following article we will discuss conference call etiquette that is applicable to all businesses, markets, employees, and employers. Some of the tips will serve as a reminder, but others are rarely followed. Read on to learn more.
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Keep Track of Conference Call Dates and Times
Keeping track of the exact time and date a conference call will take place is essential to overall productivity. Missing a call due to forgetfulness can be very embarrassing for both yourself, and your employer.
Call in a Few Minutes Early
If possible, call in a few minutes early for each conference call. If you are not the individual setting up the call, then notify the call lead that you are ready to receive the call via email or text. This is doubly important if you are expected to contribute during the call, as you will likely hold the entire call up if you are late, wasting the time of everyone.
Mute Your Phone When Not Speaking
One of the largest complaints of conference calls is that there is always needless background noise. Either someone is yawning, moaning, eating their food or talking in the background and it is extremely distracting to everyone on the call. Often times an individual does not realize that what they are doing is being broadcast to everyone, simple background noises like the clicking of a pen or creaking of an office chair often seem quite, but they are quite obvious over the phone. As such, it is best practice to simply mute your phone when you are not speaking.
State Name Before Speaking
If you are in a conference call and do not know everyone who may be listening, it is best practice to state your name before speaking. This is especially important in larger phone calls of five or more people where it gets much harder to track who is who. Letting everyone know who is speaking without them having to ask is simply good manners.
Prepare Beforehand
If you know the topic of the conference call in advance, it is best to research and have all information that you would be reasonably expected to know on hand and ready to talk about. Also, prepare any questions that you may have about the topic beforehand. This allows the call to flow much quicker, with no pauses for participants to look up or think about information.
Designate a Call Leader
One of the most important ways to keep a call flowing and on track is to have a designated leader that has the agenda for the call. The leader will have the responsibility to start and end certain topics, indicate when the group should move on, bring the conversation back in line with the matter-at-hand and tell the different participants when to speak.
Benefits of Proper Call Etiquette
Exercising proper conference call etiquette allows a business to portray a better sense of professionalism. Clients/customers will be impressed with the efficiency and preparation put into the call and fellow employees will benefit via the increased productivity that is gained from a more effective call.
Learn More About Network Telecom
Network Telecom has been in operation since 1979. Our decades of experience working with all aspects of business telecommunication technology throughout all of the innovations and changes of the information age have allowed us to become the best possible solution for your business telecom needs. Our goal is to provide purchase support and technical service that is unmatched. Network Telecom operates in the Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph region. Click here to contact Network Telecom today.
The entire project was orchestrated with minimal telephone system down time, and the ongoing support we have received from them has been reliable and efficient.