Be At Your Best on Your Next Conference Call Brandon Munro and Gihan Perera www.BetterConferenceCalls.com
Do you work in an organisation? Do you make conference calls? Would you like to be better at them?
Then this presentation is for you! The Ten Best Practice Techniques for Conference Call Etiquette
1. 1. Find Find aa quiet quiet environment. environment. • Shut the door • Oil the squeaky chair • Turn off noisy appliances • Don’t stay in an open plan office • Be aware of kids and pets • Use a land line, not mobile/cell • Turn off other phones • Turn off audio on your computer
2. 2. Keep Keep to to time. time. Call in a few minutes before the scheduled start. Start on time, even if everybody isn’t there. Finish on time.
3. 3. Use Use names: names: Yours Yours and and theirs. theirs. Announce yourself when you join the call. Don’t let in uninvited participants. Ask for permission before inviting your assistants or colleagues to the call. Identify yourself before speaking or answering questions. Address people by name when you ask them a question.
4. 4. Wait Wait for for the the call call to to start. start.
Don’t socialise or start talking about the content of the call. Let the other “early birds� make the most of the time before the call formally starts.
5. 5. Be Be polite. polite. Don’t speak over people, interrupt, make sarcastic comments, make side comments or make personal attacks on people. Pause frequently to allow for comments or questions.
6. 6. Use Use mute mute when when not not speaking. speaking.
Mute your phone when you are not speaking to eliminate background noise and improve call quality.
7. 7. Remove Remove audible audible distractions. distractions.
Avoid pencil tapping, humming, sighing, paper shuffling, smacking lips, etc. Don’t eat during the call. Turn off call waiting and don’t put a call on hold.
8. 8. Avoid Avoid multi-tasking. multi-tasking.
Turn off e-mail, mobile/cell phones, etc and give your full attention to the call. If multi-tasking is essential then ensure it is muted.
9. 9. Stay Stay on on track. track.
Don’t conduct side conversations just because the person you need to talk to is on the call.
10. 10. Respect Respect their their time. time. Present information clearly and in a structured way. Do not talk unnecessarily or allow the call to stray off topic. Don’t give detailed reasoning where a simple answer will suffice. Be succinct.
Of course, good etiquette is most effective when practised by EVERYONE! Download our FREE Conference Call Etiquette Guide to share with participants before the call.
www.BetterConferenceCalls.com
Want to know more? Our e-book “Best Practice Conference Calls� teaches you everything to know to be at your best on your next conference call. Visit our Web site now for instant access.
www.BetterConferenceCalls.com