Conference Calling: How To Make Better Conference Calls
Conference calls are not the most exciting of activities to participate in. Normal face to face meetings are usually boring as they are and when you have to join a meeting where you have to deal with only voices on the other end of a telephone, things can become dull. Even video conferencing can be mind-numbing.
However, there are ways to make sure that the conference calling goes on without having half the participants yawning within the first few minutes. The idea is to keep the conference well-organized and take control of the situation.
* Noise levels need to be lowered.
Any sound is amplified over the speaker phone. A fan can soundg like a raging wind, and the sound of paper shuffling can be painful to the ear. Problems related to noise can be minimized by making sure that all participants are reminded to keep their noise levels down. Advise all participants to keep their line on mute unless it is their turn to speak.
* Speak slowly.
During conference calls, everyone needs to speak slightly slower than normal. This is especially useful during video or web-based conferences. There are times when the audio is slightly off with the video and speaking slower than normal can help people understand what the speaker is saying better.
* Do not interrupt.
There is nothing more frustrating during conference calls than to have people cutting each other off. People having their own conversations while someone else is speaking can also be irritating. Make sure that there is a moderator who has the leadership role and can stop any side conversations as they start.
* Stick to the agenda.
The moderator needs to control the situation. When a discussion is going off topic, the participants need to be notified. Nobody wants to be stuck in a call that lasts hours and hours. It is important that everyone sticks to the agenda, speaks briefly and to the point, and any topics that come up on the fly need to be nipped in the bud.
* Take conference calls seriously.
Call conferencing is as important as any face to face meeting and needs to be regarded as such. Because participants are not physically face to face, some may tend to find excuses not to be present or join in late. It is important that all participants are reminded of the need for the calls. It is also important to keep things on schedule so that no one loses interest on the next call. If participants know that the call will start and end on time, they will be more likely to participate with enthusiasm.
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