Conference Calling 101: Best Practices Jim Rich
Initial Call Activities
• Create an agenda that includes agenda items, time allocations, and any tasks that others are expected to perform.
• Participation. Clearly state which of the invited participants are required to attend and which are optional.
• Expectations. State the overall outcome and objective of the meeting.
• Preparation. Be especially clear about any pre-‐work items required of the participants. • Issue invitations with the conference call's phone number and access code. Include the
agenda, the list of tasks, and materials. This ensures that participants understand expectations.
• Make sure that time zones and potential time differences for the participants are clearly addressed in the invitation. For example, express the time and date of the call in local time for each participant or list the locations along with the correct time and date for the call.
• Schedule a reminder email the day before the call.
• Materials. Supply any necessary materials (handouts, advance reading, etc.); be sure to include page numbers for easy reference during the conference.
Facilitating the Call -‐ Before the Content Portion of the Meeting • Start the call on time.
• Articulate and speak slowly.
• If the call is not recorded, clarify who is taking the meeting notes.
• Cover the typical “housekeeping items” and “call etiquette” at the start of the meeting. • During the first few minutes before muting the participants, ask for feedback about how
the call sounds, if the sound is too loud or low, or if there are technical issues, etc. • Double check that attendees have received all meeting materials prior to the call. • Announce the intent about muting the call and what is planned in that regard:
o Will the organizer force “mute” the call or will participants be responsible for muting individual phones?
o Identify when participants can expect to be “unmuted”. A common
recommendation is to unmute every 15 minutes, or so, to ensure there are no urgent communications such as: please talk louder; go slower or faster, or that there is confusion, etc.
o Instruct participants when questions are expected to be asked, that might include; that it is okay to interject questions throughout the call, or to ask at periodic breaking points, or only at the end.
• Let everyone know if there will be breaks. This is usually done when meetings are over one hour.
• Treat all participants with respect and formality just like face-‐to-‐face meetings.
Facilitating the Call -‐ During the Content Portion of the Meeting
• At the start of the meeting, state the meeting agenda, outcomes and objectives. • Stick to the agenda. If the discussion goes off track, guide it back to the topic at hand. • “Park” off-‐topic points and promise the participants that if time allows they will be
discussed at the end of the conference call or to schedule the topic for the next teleconference.
• Use the “Check-‐In” approach (short) pauses during discussions and between topics that will allow participants to synthesize and reflect on the content.
• Use the “Check-‐In” to summarize key topics that help clarifies those points to participants.
• In an unmuted conference call or if the call is supported with SMS texting, periodically ask attendees for questions or comments and inquire if an explanation is required to ensure comprehension of topics.
• If using SMS texting always restate the message for the entire group.
• At the end of the meeting, conduct a Q & A session. Summarize the response to the questions.
• After a review of questions describe any follow up steps, if appropriate.
• Also at the end, summarize the calls key points based on the previously stated agenda, outcomes, and objectives.
• End the call on time. Ending the call on tome shows participants that the facilitator respects the participant’s time. When attendees consistently see that conference calls start and end on time, they know what to expect during future calls.
Meeting Etiquette for the Host/Facilitator -‐ At Meeting Time
• Announce yourself. As soon as you've heard that others have joined the call, greet them. "This is David Smith in the Chicago conference room. We'll be starting in a few minutes."
• Greet others. As you get an indication that someone has joined, be proactive in acknowledging him or her. If you know who they are, say, "Hello Bill, this is David. We haven't started yet. I'll do a roll call in about two minutes." If you don't know who just joined, say, "This is David in Chicago. Who just joined?" and then let them know your status and plan.
• Call the meeting to order. "We're ready to start. This is David Smith; here in the Chicago conference room we have Bill Jones, Beth Cobb, Todd Murphy, and Susan Foster. On the phone are Fred Lewis, Sandy Moen and John Simmons. Elton Webster left me a note saying he'd be joining around 10:30. Did I miss anybody?"
• Announce breaks. These should be planned into the agenda of lengthy meetings. Let people on the phone know what's happening. Some examples: "We're going to break for 10 minutes to grab a sandwich. The meeting will start again at 12:20." Then: "Almost everybody is back. We'll start in three minutes." "Susan got called out of the room and she needs to be present for this part of the meeting. Stand by while I find out how long she'll be away."
• Keep track of time. Watch the clock and watch the agenda. Announce your intentions. For example: "We're running about 20 minutes behind. Does anybody have a problem extending the meeting until 1:30?" Or, "We're out of time for this agenda item. I'd like to propose a separate session on this topic. I'll get a note out this afternoon to set that up."
Conference Participants Responsibilities
• As a participant, be prepared! Review any previously sent agenda items or notes and have materials needed for the meeting pulled out in advance and within reach. • Call in on time, preferably a minute or two before the teleconference's start time. • Say your name before speaking, so that other participants know who is speaking. • Be aware of how external noises can disrupt the call for others.
• Call in from a quiet location using a good quality phone.
• Remove other distractions such as ringing phones, barking dogs, slamming doors, calling from public places such as a car on a busy street, airport or a restaurant.
• Turn off anything that makes noise including computer speakers, radios, TVs, PDAs, bubbling fountains, and other devices.
• Use the mute button on the phone when not speaking. Make sure to un-‐mute the call when it's your turn to speak.
• Never put the conference call on hold, especially if the phone system has a "music on hold" feature.
• If other people are present in the room, don't hold separate conversations with other people.
• Use a noise-‐canceling headset if you have one. If not speak into the handset of your phone when it's your turn to speak rather than using a speakerphone.
For High-‐stakes Calls Develop an Advanced Agenda
• For high-‐stakes calls the speaker, facilitator, or meeting organizer, should use the initial agenda as a framework to develop a more advanced set of talking points that details:
o More in-‐depth information of what is intended to be discussed o The order of sub-‐topics
o Specific interactions taken by the presenter during the call o The frequency of interactions during the session
• A well-‐designed and in-‐depth set of talking points promotes a successful conference call. This approach creates the opportunity to create short strategic pauses in the conference called a “Check-‐In”.
• The “Check-‐In” allows small chunks of information to be intellectually digested by participants.
• The small chunks of information are discussed just before the “Check-‐In ” point on an agenda. • Knowing the order of main and sub-‐topics due to an advanced agenda allows the facilitator to
identify natural points of when to pause and provide a “Check-‐In” for call participants.
• Ideally, “Check-‐In’s”, should be placed every 4 to 6 minutes during the call. This type of pacing strategically places “Check-‐in’s” and or other audience interactions (such as questions or comments) into the conference call.
• Muted and unmuted calls should be developed with “Check-‐Ins” in mind.
• Advanced agendas are also used for unmuted calls to allow the speaker to develop better audience interactions, questions and comments that can take place during the call. • Review and practice using the advanced agenda to ensure delivery is logical and sounds
natural.
• An advanced agenda ensures beforehand that the pacing and most interactions of the call will be thoughtful and timely with goal to have a clear and understandable message for participants.
Source:
Best Practice Conference Calls – Be at Your Best On Your Next Conference Call
By Brandon Munro and Gihan Perera
First Step Publishing
Conference Call Best Practices by ZipDX
http://www.zipdx.com/showcase/conf_best_practices.php
BT Meet Me Global Access Support
http://www.btconferencing.com/products-‐and-‐services/bt-‐meetme-‐audio-‐conferencing/best-‐practices/
Conducting Effective Conference Calls by Express Connect
http://www.expressconnectinc.com/best-‐practices.php
Surviving the Conference Call Battlefield: Skills and Strategies for Successful Small Group Phone Conferencing – Part II
http://columbia.patch.com/groups/mark-‐gorkins-‐blog/p/bp-‐-‐surviving-‐the-‐conference-‐call-‐ battlefield-‐skills-‐f45a05bac3
