Th e D o’s and D on’ ts o f
Conference Calls
Tips on how to conduct pleasant and effective conference calls
Foreword Nowadays, it is not unusual for an organization to have offices in different countries and in different time zones. When people from these offices need to have a meeting, the most cost effective way is for everyone to dial-up a bridge number that ties all the phones together. This is the modern day conference call and it is a part of everyday office life. Unfortunately, as a communication channel, the conference call is not very good. It has many technical issues like speakerphones having microphones that are omnidirectional, picking up the sound of your neighbor’s dog barking. It also has low channel richness, you cannot see gestures and facial expressions of people you’re speaking with and you’re forced to determine connotations through voice alone. So, until the world gives us a better alternative, we just have to make the best of what we have. To do this, we need to follow a set of do’s and don’ts to make conference calls more pleasant and effective. This is a list of those do’s and don’ts. Learning is fun,
Rhoneil Anthony G. Gabriel
About the author: Rhoneil works as a quality improvement professional for a global electronics company. He was also a professor in business management in a local university. He lives with his wife and two kids in the suburban town of Tanza Cavite in the Philippines. Use of this material: You may use this material for your personal education only. Please ask the author’s permission first before sharing it or using it for other purposes like training. Contact: You may connect with author by searching “Rhoneil Anthony Gabriel” in Facebook or LinkedIn. You may also email him at rhoneilg@yahoo.com.ph
Call Leader Responsibilities
Always have a discussion file Unless the discussion is short or the topic simple, it is very hard to follow the discussion without visual cues, so as much as possible, have a file to discuss.
Send out the discussion file well in advance Whether you’re going to take the participants through the discussion file by mentioning page numbers or you’re going to use simultaneous viewing software like Netmeeting, send the discussion file at the latest 1 hour in advance or ideally 1 day in advance. This gives participants a chance to review it and note their concerns beforehand, making the actual call more efficient. Sending the discussion file just minutes in advance robs out-of-office participants the chance to download them.
Set calls during or near business hours Check local times, it is possible to set calls during or very near office hours even if the participants are calling from two different continents. This might not possible, however, in three-continent calls (e.g. Europe, America, and Asia). If you have participants from around the world, some of them may need to join the call during unholy hours. If these calls are repetitive, make sure you distribute the burden of night-time calls fairly by shifting the call times. Or, if it is not essential to have everybody on the same call, break the call into two or more separate calls.
Schedule calls using the appointment calendar software Email software like MS Outlook and Lotus Notes have a calendar function that links everyone’s appointment book together. This function also has nifty features like automatic email reminders, conference room assignments, etc. If your organization uses this calendar function, schedule your conference call in it. This makes managing personal appointments a lot easier for everyone.
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In using this calendar function, make sure you include the conference bridge number and your agenda in the appointment detail. This calendar appointment is the first place people look for the bridge number.
Don’t let the discussion stray too far from the agenda Although participants should be given some latitude on what they want to discuss on the call, if the discussion has strayed too far, it is your job as caller leader to act as moderator and bring to discussion back to the defined agenda. If the side topic is important, propose that it be discussed offline or propose that you setup another call especially for it.
Stay on schedule and keep to the set length of call Undoubtedly, your call participants have things to do after. So keep it to set call time.
Make sure someone is taking down notes As call leader, you should take down notes (i.e. agreements, concerns, action items, etc.). But if you’re also the main presenter, kindly ask someone else to do it for you. After the meeting, email these notes to the participants and ask if they have items to change or add. This email serves as your call history.
Pause the discussion when someone dials-in in the middle of the call, make sure the new participant should be in the call There are cases where people dial-in to the wrong bridge. There are also cases where people spy on the call.
Dial-in a couple of minutes early As call leader, you’re the host, so make sure you’re already there when your guests start arriving.
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Start and end the discussion formally Start the discussion formally by naming all the present participants and enumerating the agenda items. End the discussion formally by summarizing actions, agreements and concerns, scheduling the next call, and thanking the participants for attending the call. Starting and ending formally gives the call a semblance of structure.
Phone Awareness
Mobile phones: Look for a quiet place first before dialing-in. Mobile phones have limited speaker volume and sound quality. You will not be able to participate well when there’s too much noise around you (e.g. malls, airports). Ambient noise in loud places may also disrupt the conference call.
Mobile phones: Put the phone in mute when not speaking Mobile phones pick up a lot of ambient noise that other participants might hear. You may not be aware of the ambient noise because you’re immersed in it.
Speakerphones: Speak directly to the phone with a loud enough voice If you’re using a computer, make sure the speakerphone is between you and the monitor.
Speakerphones: Put it in mute when not speaking Speakerphones pick up even more ambient noise that may disturb other participants. Some notable examples are: keyboard sounds, doors opening and closing, taking a call from a mobile phone, local office discussions, dogs barking, and construction noises.
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Some speakerphones have clipping levels that prevent you from hearing other participants when you’re room is too noisy. Make sure you’re aware of this level.
Headsets: Don’t breathe, sneeze, cough, or snore onto the microphone
General: Don’t put the conference call on hold, call waiting or any other special function Other participants may hear recorded music or a busy tone from your phone, making it impossible for them to continue.
Conference Call Etiquette
Dial-in on time Making 10 participants wait 3 minutes for you to dial-up is already a big waste of time. Have the brigde number available in advance so that you don’t have to look for it when it’s time to dial. Contact the call leader beforehand if you have an emergency and you’re unable to attend.
Say hello and introduce yourself when joining the call This makes people aware that you’ve already joined.
Announce it if you’re leaving the call for a moment, announce your return as well
Avoid cutting-in when someone’s speaking
When two of you speak at the same time, give way
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In big group calls, say your name first before speaking People might not recognize the sound of your voice. Repeat mentioning your name from time to time. If you’re addressing a participant directly, mention his/her name before you say your message
Treat the conference call as a real meeting Don’t just listen in and do something else. It is very annoying to other participants if you’re asked something and you are unable to respond because you were not following the discussion.
When attending from the same location, don’t have prolonged discussions amongst yourselves You will not be able to follow the discussion before long.
Yield control over to the call leader
Cross-organizational Considerations
Introduce yourself by stating your full name, designation and the location you’re calling from
Avoid jargon and other internal abbreviations and terminologies
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Cross-national Considerations 
Speak in clear, concise, neutral English (or another chosen language) Avoid idioms, slang, or proverbs that only your culture understands. If there are participants who do not use English as their primary language, slow your speech and use simpler verbs and sentence constructions.
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Avoid talking in a language that not all participants can understand Speaking in another language makes non-speakers feel excluded. You may ask permission to speak in another language temporarily, to hasten a clarification.
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2nd Revision, November 2012