Driven by today's financial climate, many firms are attempting to cut cost. One way is to arrange meetings using conferencing services. Not only will participants avoid costly travel, they will also be able to enhance their time efficiency since they will not be driving or sitting in an airport. Conference calls can be an excellent meeting format for employees and clients, but they do take some work to make them valuable and engaging for all participants.
Tip 1: Eliminate background noise. One of the most important strategies to implement during any conference call is to eliminate any and all background noise. Participants should turn off all other phones, pagers, etc. just as if they were in a face-to-face meeting. Preferably they should be in a quiet room that will be without any distractions or interruptions. This will allow the members to fully focus on the meeting.
Tip 2: Set the ground rules. A decision should be made in advance as to whether or not participants will have the right to use their computers during the call. A pro of having access is that attachments can be emailed to/from the group during the meeting. A major con is that attendees may try to multi-task and do other work while on the conference call, thus their attention will not wholly be on the discussion. For this reason, the decision needs to be made prior to the meeting and the expectation communicated to all parties involved.
Tip 3: Communicate the agenda. Another important strategy is to have an agenda for the meeting and to distribute it to all participants prior to the meeting start. This agenda should have the start time, call in number, and any preparation needed by the members for the call. Additionally, any materials that will be reviewed during the call should be attached. The agenda should state the expectations of the participants during the conference.
Tip 4: Identify a Facilitator. There should always be a facilitator for the conference call. This person will ensure that all participants have a chance to be heard as well as keeping the group on task with the agenda. This person does not need to be the boss, but rather someone who can ensure order during the call. This person can also be responsible for recording the call. Many free conference call services provide recording functionality. After the call is over, the tape can be transcribed for all members and everyone will know the decisions that were made and the assignments that were given. Furthermore, the facilitator can keep track of ideas or topics that participants bring up that were not on the agenda. These extra topics can be discussed at the end of the conference call if time is available or they can be tabled for the next conference call. When the call is concluding, the facilitator should recap the decisions and assignments made to ensure they were correctly captured. All participants should agree on the time allowed for the tape of the meeting to be transcribed. Usually, this can be completed and distributed within a few days, or a week at the latest.
Tip 5: Have participants identify themselves. Each time a conference call participant speaks, he or she needs to identify who they are.. Since the group is not in a room all together, it will sometimes be difficult to determine who is saying what. If the speaker always identifies who the are before speaking, this will help ensure everyone knows who is speaking. Moreover, this will assist the facilitator in knowing who has not chimed in and who they may need to draw out into the conference call conversation.
Tip 6: Review what worked and what did not work. Lastly, a discussion should occur about what worked and what didn't during the conference call. Adjustments to the meeting can be made for the next conference call. After this discussion has concluded, schedule the next conference call meeting. Leveraging these ideas will ensure you have an effective and engaging conference for all your participants.
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Technology advisor Andy Denis has led many organizational efforts involving
free conference systems to augment company efficiency.
