Four Tips for Dialing into a Conference Call

Conference calls can be an excellent time- and cost-saving measure because they allow people in disparate locations to hold meetings without the expense, hassle or time waste of travel. However, far too many business people handle conference calls badly, either dialing in late, being unprepared or trying to conduct other business while on the call. Use these tips to maximize the value of your conference calls.

Choose an Appropriate Time

If you're the one setting a conference call, make sure the time chosen works for everyone on the call. Treat the conference call as a real meeting. If one of the participants insists that he can make the call even though he'll be on his way to the airport, change the call time. Be sensitive to differences in time zones, especially when arranging for international calls. The point of the call is to allow people to meet productively and conveniently, not to squeeze something between more pressing appointments.

Expedite the Dial-in Procedure

Even though conference calls are standard in today's business world, far too many people fumble when dialing in to join a call. Expedite your dial-in procedures and send instructions to all participants ahead of time. Most smartphones allow you to type a comma or semi-colon in a number to add a pause of several seconds. This feature allows you to set your phone to dial in the conference call phone number and dial in the access code needed to join the call, all in one step. As an extra help to the call participants, resend the email containing the phone and access code numbers shortly before the call begins so the callers don't have to shuffle through days of old emails to find it. Make it easy for everyone to join the call on time and save that first five to 10 minutes of awkward chitchat while waiting for all participants to arrive.

Be Prepared

Treat conference calls as real meetings, and you'll be surprised at how useful they can be. Prepare for a conference call as you would for a face-to-face meeting, and don't spend the call trying to squeeze in your lunch or some work on your computer. If you are initiating the call, it's helpful to prepare an agenda for all the participants to keep things moving forward efficiently.

Use the Mute Button

Many people seem to feel that because the participants on the other end of a conference call can't see them, it doesn't matter what they're doing. However, phones pick up all sorts of sounds, so other callers can tell when you're typing, making side comments to other workers or committing a true faux pas like eating while on a call. If you find interruptions unavoidable during a conference call, make use of your phone's mute button to keep unwarranted sounds or discussion off the line. Just make sure to press the mute button again when you have something to add to the conversation.

Following basic conference call etiquette goes a long way to making these calls as productive as face-to-face meetings. Be smart about how you dial in and use your mute button, prepare for conference calls as you would for regular meetings, and expect a rise in efficiency from this hassle-free way to meet.

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