Conferencing Hints
- Clearly communicate the conference start date and time, so that all participants can enter the conference in a timely manner.
- Provide the toll-free, international, or local, conference room number and pin, if necessary, to all participants and/or locations.
- Supplying an agenda 24 hours prior to the conference is helpful. The agenda should provide an overview of the subject matter, clarify start and end times, and include a schedule of topics to be covered.
- If you have a call waiting function on your phone ask your carrier how to turn off the feature for important calls. This will help keep interruptions to a minimum and the function should return once you disconnect from the conference.
- When possible choose a comfortable and quiet location to conduct the conference in case some participants have a poor connection. A quiet background will improve audio quality for both the host and the participant.
- You may want to dial into the conference prior to the designated start time to ensure the conference starts on time. If you hear waiting lounge music upon entering the Room Number and/or Access Code, it signifies that the host has not joined the meeting yet. There will be an announcement once the host joins the conference room and all participants will enter the conference.
- Upon entering a conference room, you should introduce yourself and your location. Until voices become familiar, continue to announce yourself before you speak. This will help to eliminate confusion during the conference.
- During the conference, it is important to keep an open line of communication. If there are too many interruptions, the host may want to use the Mute or Self-Muting Modes. These functions are also helpful when one or more locations have noticeable background noise that may interfere with the flow of the meeting.
- If background noise or side conversations begin to interupt the call, consider using the Muting Function. This allows the host to open and close lines of communication in order to maintain control without interrupting the flow of the meeting.
- DO NOT PUT YOUR PHONE LINE ON HOLD during a conference call because the on-hold music of your telephone system may play into the conference, disrupting the discussion. If a participant needs to step away from the meeting, they can use the Self-Muting function mentioned above.
- It is a good idea to recap the highlights of the meeting. Once discussion has ended, the host should clearly re-state specific goals and expectations before formally closing the meeting. This will ensure that participants leave with a feeling of accomplishment, and sets a good precedent for the next meeting.