Conferencing Tips

Ready to make your next conference call as effective and professional as possible? Take a look at the following helpful tips and hints and become a conference pro.

Before the Call

• Notify your participants of the date and time of the call in advance
  
• Communicate any items that need to be prepared in advance of the call
  
• Set an agenda for the call to keep your meeting focused and on track
  
• If possible, send the agenda to the participants prior to the call
  
• Make sure you are in a quiet location where you are not disturbed
  
• Turn off call waiting, pagers or cell phones

Starting the Call

• Be on time or early
  
• Introduce yourself when you speak and encourage others to do the same
  
• Conduct a roll call so you know who is on the conference call
  
• Briefly state the agenda
  
• Do not put your phone on hold. This may put music into the conference and prevent others from continuing the meeting

During the Call

• 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 noises or distractions
  
• Summarize the issues discussed and recap any action items resulting from the call
  
• Establish the day and time for the next conference call