5 Ways to Avoid Taking Your Conference Calls to the Lavatory

At one time or another, we have been on a conference call that has, in a manner of speaking, taken a turn
into the wrong room.

“Back in the day” when wireless microphones started to be in vogue, our conference speaker stepped into the lavatory to get freshened up before he was to speak.  With a filled conference room awaiting the main event, suddenly there was a roar of water over the audio system.  This became the first documented case of a public toilet flush being broadcast to a live audience.

Today, many of us have flexible work environments. This can be a challenge when in engaging in a business conference call. How can we, regardless of our environment, keep the quality of our conference calls up to  “conference room” standards?

Here are 5 Principals of Conference Call Etiquette that will help keep your call in the “right room.”

1. Become familiar with the mute function of your conference technology. Always pretend that your phone is live and any unplanned event will be taken care of.
   
   
2. Plan your lunch around the conference call, not the other way around. Conference time is not the time to multi-task.

Hearing me munch on a BLT can have two reactions. It can make you hungry or irritated that I have thought so little of my conferencing peers to not give them my full attention.

1. Hold your conference call in your “quiet place” and leave all the distractions to others who have not yet learned from the mistakes of the past.

It may be easy to find a quiet place at the office. But do you have a quiet place to work from at home? With 2 dogs, 2 cats and an active grandson to contend with, that is quite a challenge for me.  I schedule my conference calls the days and times I am at my elderly parent’s home, where peace and serenity reigns. This has become my “quiet place”.

1. Be on time, to the point, organized and prepared.

There is nothing worse than a moderator who “punts” or (pardon the pun) who “calls it in” by not being prepared.

5. Set the rules of engagement and protocol.

Conference call attendees should know that a presenter has an allotted time before responding. When questions are asked there should be enough time for the audience to think of a response. When a participant begins to dominate it should be suggested that the conversation should be taken “off line” for a more lengthy exploration of the topic.

All in all, these five principals of Conference Call Etiquette should help you to be a more effective conference leader.

If you need assistance in planning your telecom move, please reach out to us at www.nadicent.com