The 3 Things You Need To Know Before Getting on a Conference Call

“Hello, It’s me…”

It’s how we usually start a call, or at least how Adele would start pouring her heart’s content.

“HELLO, Can you hear me?

Can you hear me NOW?

HOW ABOUT NOW?”

How many times have we come across the above situations during a conference call? Often times, conference calls render to be ineffective either because everyone is trying to make sure the other person can hear what they’ve got to say, or distracting background noise, or bad connections, or dropped calls, or what have you…

Here at SixtyTwo, our collaborations take place across different geographical locations. So it is essential to have an effective and clear procedure for conference call sessions. Through trial and error, we’ve identified a few things that are necessary to have a successful conference call!

Be Prepared

Preparation leading to a conference call is crucial. Often times, people spend the first 10 minutes trying to figure out each others’ Skype usernames, waiting for someone to create a discussion group, scrambling and trying to find conference call-in number, or just not sure what the call is all about.

So, how do we get prepared?

1. Get all contact information and send an agenda for the call at least 24 hours in advance. It is a good practice to assign one person who would be responsible for sending calendar invitations and initiating the call.
2. Create the conference group (i.e. Skype) and add everyone 10 minutes before the call. If you’re using a call-in number, have it ready well before the call.
3. Be ready with an alternative communication method when one is failing. Our main tool of choice is Google Hangout, or Skype / Zoom as our backup options.
4. Be ready with alternative network connections. I always carry a portable wifi when moving between places and ready to switch to cellphone data when wifi connection isn’t working properly.

Be Professional

Honestly, I don’t think anyone would be interested in hearing your desk buddy’s hangover experience over the weekend or the orchestra playing in front of the coffee shop you’re working from.

Always try to find a quiet spot when taking a conference call. It gets annoying when there’s someone with loud background noise, because it makes listening during the call difficult.

Rent a meeting booth if you’re working in a coworking space, get a table in a quiet corner or move into a different room. If it’s not possible to move locations, then give the courtesy of muting microphone when you’re not the one speaking.

So, how do we keep a professional attitude?

1. Find a quiet place!
2. Mute your microphone, if it’s not your turn to speak.
3. Use a headset.
4. Remember to mention slide page number, document name, worksheets name or InvisionApp screen name if you’re presenting and not sharing your screen. Why? It’s because we need to keep people in context with the presentation materials.

Be Patient

Another point worth mentioning is to recognize that delay is bound to happen. How often do you get in a conference call conversation only to hear someone keep trying to make a point and being interrupted?

Feel the pattern when you notice there’s a delay. Give it a quick second or two before speaking so it doesn’t sound like you’re interrupting a conversation.

We believe that conducting conference calls is an effective way to resolve an urgent issue that requires the input of a group. Therefore, the experience itself should be made seamless and stress-free. Follow these few tips and I assure that you would have a better experience during calls. Feel free to share any more tips and tricks that have helped you in the response section below.