How to make Effective Conferencing Calls

As you host and join more and more conference calls, it is important that you
keep them professional and productive at the same time. When you hang up
from your conference call, you want to feel that you accomplished your
objectives and didn't just waste 30 minutes of your time. Read these useful
suggestions to help make your conference calls a success.

Before the Call
Stay organized and be prepared for your conference call.
*Notify your participants of the date and time of the call.
*Communicate any items that need to be prepared prior to the meeting.
*Send the agenda to your participants.
*Be sure you are in a quiet location where you will not be disturbed and
try to minimize background noise.
*Turn off call waiting, pagers and cell phones.

Starting the Call
Begin your conference call in a timely manner with introductions and a review of
the agenda.
*Be on time or early to your call.
*Introduce yourself when you speak and encourage others to do the
same.
*Conduct a roll call so you know who is there.
*Briefly state the agenda.
*Do not put your phone on hold as this may put music into the
conference and prevent others from continuing the meeting.

During the Call
Keep your conference on track by engaging your participants and keeping them
informed of upcoming tasks and meetings.
*Ask for feedback from specific participants instead of the entire group.
*Table any discussions that are not relevant to the agenda for a later
time and place.
*Try to involve all of the participants in the discussion.
*Promptly deal with any noise or distractions by pressing *0 to request
an operator.
*Summarize the issues discussed and recap any action items resulting
from the call.
*Establish the day and time for the next conference call.

Tips for Improved Line Quality
Follow these helpful hints to ensure your conference calls run smoothly.
*Electronic devices (such as Blackberries or cell phones and associated hands-free devices, laptops, etc.) can
interfere with line quality if located too close to the phone. If possible, place such items a good distance away
from the phone you are using for the conference call.
*If you are conducting back-to-back calls, make sure to disconnect your initial conference call line prior to
dialing back in for the next call. (Failing to do so could produce a ‘flash hook’ scenario, which feeds a loud
signal into the call.)
*When entering your conference code and leader PIN do not press the keys too quickly—this will enable the
system to ‘read’ them most effectively.
*During an Operator Assisted Q&A session, participants should pick up their handsets to ask questions. This
will ensure the best possible audio quality and volume from their lines.
*If you are conducting a call using a conference room phone, microphone or speakerphone, be aware of the
location of the phone/microphone at all times and speak directly into the device to ensure the best possible
audio quality and volume.
*If you are conducting an Operator Assisted call using a conference room phone, microphone or
speakerphone, test the volume and line clarity with the operator prior to starting the call..