Home » Blog » Preparing for a conference call? Five key pointers

frame-harirak-Ei_lQ6kTwiI-unsplash-scaled-e1590656943985.jpg

Preparing for a conference call? Five key pointers

Admin 25th June 2014

With conference calls becoming increasingly popular as a means of conducting business meetings and making presentations, it’s important to pay some attention to the basic preparations before the actual voice conference is carried out.

Inform all participants

First of all the participating members need to be informed about the meeting. Depending on the conferencing solutions provided to you by the conference call service provider, you may have the participants informed about the date, time and agenda of the teleconference by the teleconferencing service providers themselves.

All you need to do is communicate your requirement to them. This ensures that all members are present at the scheduled time and have all the related data and files ready with them. In case any member is unavailable at the scheduled time, they must inform the host.

Access codes

Phone conferencing typically involves a conference bridge, where the members are given a toll-free access code and a personal identification number which allows them to participate in teleconferencing by independently dialling into the bridge at the specified time. In such a case, all members must be communicated with and issued the conference room number and access pin – this is the same for every participant on the conference call. It is also a good practice to provide alternate or support contact numbers that participants can call in case anything goes wrong.

Call recording

Among other conferencing services, one which is very useful is the call recording service which is typically activated with the help of the service provider. It records the proceedings, and then the recording of telephone conferencing session can be played back for future reference. It may also be sent to those members who are in a completely different time zone and therefore not be able to attend the meeting.

Test the conference bridge

In order to avoid any technical glitches during call conferencing, the conference bridge must be tested for the number of lines that can be connected, audio and video clarity. This is important because the entire procedure of the conference call depends on the performance of the conference bridge. Usually, a good service provider should be able to set your mind at ease about the number of participants the bridge can accommodate. However, if you are planning a massive conference, it is a good idea to reconfirm.

Appoint a moderator

A person must be appointed as the moderator just as in a personal meeting. This helps the meeting to be conducted smoothly especially when a large number of participants are involved.

Should you hold conference calls or a video calls?

Admin 12th March 2021

A lot of us often wonder about whether to choose conference calls or video calls. There are big benefits on both sides, and some shared across the two. After all, there’s no doubt that advancements in call technology have paved the way for new communication methods at work. They allow us to host keynote presentations from across the world, offering inclusivity to those with accessibility needs. Any type of group phone call also provides a sense of connection when teammates are working apart – something particularly valuable through COVID-related lockdowns and social distancing.

But while jumping on a video call has become a knee-jerk reaction for many, it’s not without its drawbacks. Video brings some complications that traditional conference calls simply don’t have. If you’re wondering whether to organise a conference call or video call, don’t forget that sometimes just picking up the phone is the better option.

Business Conference Calls, Remote Working

camylla-battani-AoqgGAqrLpU-unsplash-scaled-e1614681751722.jpg

How to encourage conference call participation

Admin 2nd March 2021

With telecommuting become part and parcel of daily life, the need to encourage conference call participation is on all our radars. Whether you are a developer, manager, director or client, you will probably understand the challenges that conference call participation can pose. Meeting dynamics often solidify rather quickly, as extraverted participants take centre stage and readily express their opinions. Bolder characters may be excellent for producing new ideas. Unfortunately, though, it can cause participants who are more reserved to fade into the background. If you want to enhance your team’s productivity and unity, implementing some of the following solutions can work wonders. After all, we all want to learn how to have more effective conference calls.

Both the call’s leader and its participants can make a huge difference in encouraging conference call participation. Read on to discover some tips and tactics to improve your team’s conference call participation.

Business Conference Calls, Business Tips and Advice, Conference Call Tips, Remote Working

How do you make a conference call more fun?

Admin 11th February 2021

It’s Tuesday afternoon and you’re already four conference calls into the week. Of course, conference calls are important for so many businesses. But making conference calls more fun should be a bigger priority. Otherwise, they can become tedious and repetitive, and morale and productivity will drop.

Whether you’re working from home and need to catch up with colleagues, or you’re calling clients, these tips will help to make your next conference call more fun.

Conference Call Tips, Remote Working