We all have really good stories about being on really bad conference calls.
You might have thought it was a good idea to do a video call in your pajamas until you accidentally turn on your camera in front of the entire group OR, thinking you’ve muted the phone to yell at your dog, only to realize everyone heard what you said.
Running a conference call is not as easy as it seems. I’m not an expert, but here are a few simple tricks that I’ve learned from a lot of experience and a few bad calls.
The Four C’s of a GREAT Conference Call:
#1. CLARITY: When you invite participants to join a conference call, the intent, purpose, and goals for the call should be CLEAR. Make sure you have an agenda and are able to stay on task as you host and lead the call.
#2. CONTENT: Technology is AWESOME! We have endless possibilities to connect with people anywhere at anytime. With that in mind make sure your CONTENT is best suited for a conference call. Do things on a conference call that should only be covered on a conference call. For example; the roll out of a new program or big announcements are great for conference call platforms. Try to stay away from asking for feedback or input - save that for email or one-on-one calls.
#3: CONTEXT: Like I said above, it can be hard to do things like ask for feedback on conference calls because you run the risk of everyone talking over each other so have a plan so give CONTEXT for the structure of the call. Take a brief moment to give an overview of the agenda and mention the different options that participants have to ask questions or give input. Many times, you can anticipate questions people might ask sand take the time to address those on the call. Also, you can call on people by name to speak or answer a specific question if appropriate.
#4: CLOCK: Start and end on time! Log into the conference call early so you can welcome people as they join. Don’t be afraid to begin even if a few participants are missing or late. Keep things moving so folks stay engaged and feel free to ask for conversations to continue ‘off-line’ so you can end on time!
For other helpful tips like asking people to mute their phones and what to include in a follow up email, CLICK HERE .
Written by Kimberly Silvernale (kimberlygraceyl@gmail.com)