Conference Calling Etiquette
Conference calling etiquette is very important to help you maintain good relationships with the people you are meeting with. Some people don’t understand some of the basic information related to online or phone etiquette, and as a result they end up embarrassing themselves or causing problems with the relationships between companies.
The most important aspect of communicating over the phone is to be sure that you phrase your words well and you are clear with your messages. Many people rely on body language to help them communicate with others, so phone conversations are more difficult because they must put everything into words instead of relying on their body language.
One good tip to make your conference call more clear and easy to understand, is be sure that there are no distractions going on in the background. Music, television, and even other people talking can be heard through the phone which will distract both you and the other people attending the meeting. You need to be sure that the other people on the call know that they have your complete attention, so don’t make noises while someone else is talking.
If you are not actively talking on the call, it may be a good idea to place your phone on mute to help block any noise resulting from movement or typing. It is common for the people on the call to need to look up a website on something related to the topic of discussion, but if you are typing loudly than it might be even more amplified in the phone. Always place the phone on mute before typing or moving things around.
Before the conference call starts, it is a good idea to make sure that every has the correct log in information. And once the call has started, allow a little bit of time for people to introduce themselves so that you know who is attending the call. It is helpful to know who is on each of the conference calls so that you know whether or not they received the information that was discussed during the meeting.
As you are talking turns speaking on the conference call, be sure to state your first and last name before you start talking. Sometimes it can be hard to discern the voices of others, so saying your name at the beginning of your statement will help others to know who is talking.
It is not difficult to learn conference calling etiquette, it simply takes a little bit of time and practice for a person to learn what is appropriate during these kind of meetings. Be sure that you spend a little bit of time practicing these skills before your meeting, that way you can be sure that you will not offend anyone or embarrass yourself.