Teleconferencing Etiquette -- Be Professional!

Have you ever experienced a level of background noise in a teleconference call that prevented your enjoyment of the call? Or have you participated in a call where other participants were continually talking over each other and you were unaware of their names? Perhaps you were unable to answer a facilitator's question because, rather than managing the call properly, he allowed the same people to jump in repeatedly and not stop talking.

If you are planning a conference call, you need to make sure that everyone involved is aware of how it will work. As soon as someone confirms that they will be taking part in the call you need to send information on the call. Everyone will need to know the phone number to dial, their passcode to enter and the date and time of the conference call. Be sure that everyone knows the correct time zone as well. Ahead of time, be sure to tell everyone how to disable their call waiting so that it is not interrupting the conference call. Lastly, send everyone technical support information in case they experience a problem during the call. This will allow everyone to have a professional and pleasant experience.

While you should make all participants aware of the correct etiquette for conference calls prior to the event, it is also important to be able to deal with issues as they arise during the call. To preclude problems, make sure you outline the important points of etiquette at the beginning of the call. This is important even if you have already notified the participants of the correct procedure via email.

For example, "I'd like to highlight a few tips about teleconference etiquette from the email I sent you. Here are some conference call etiquette tips that will make our call as enjoyable as possible for everyone. First, make sure you are in a quiet room, with no dogs, children or adults to distract you. If you do need to speak with someone, please ensure you have pressed the mute button on your telephone, or you can mute yourself on the conference call by pressing *6, and at anytime you want to interact with us on the call, just press *6 again to be able to speak. If you start speaking and I don't acknowledge you, then you'll know you are still on mute and we can't hear you.

For ease of identification and to avoid confusing participants, state your name before you speak - for example, 'This is Steve'. Keep your statements brief and to the point - 'During this call, I will be seeking comments and input from each of you. Please be ready to give me your ideas at any time. It would be helpful if we could all focus on the issues for the duration of the call, so please give me your full attention."

When it is time for group participation at the teleconference, prompt your callers in such a way as to direct their thoughts to a single focus. As the meeting facilitator, you might ask if any of the callers need clarity, have any questions relating to teleconference etiquette. Remember, in some instances, silence is golden. People need time to reflect on what they have learned, to gather their thoughts and to form an opinion. Further, everyone should be allowed ample time to share those same opinions and thoughts they just formed.

During the call, gently remind participants of the etiquette guidelines, without coming across as harsh or humorless. If background noise is interfering with the ease of listening, say something like "I can hear some noise in the background here--is someone cooking dinner? I hope you're making some for all of us!" If a dog barks in the background, quip "I think Rover agrees with you!" Keep it light.

Occasionally, one person will dominate a call, and if you do not respond tactfully, your professional reputation might suffer, and other parties might want to end their participation. Keep in mind that you only get one chance to make a first impression. And while this adage is accurate enough in a situation that involves face to face contact, it could prove even more viable in a virtual environment. Without body language to interpret, unhappy teleconference colleagues can stop participating, or even hang up, damaging your relationship with them.

About The Author:
Daiv Russell is a management and marketing consultant with Envision Consulting in Tampa, Florida. To learn more about teleconference etiquette, check out audio-conference-calling.info.

Tags: MEETINGS, MANGEMENT, TELECONFERENCE, CONFERENCE CALL, PROJECT MANAGEMENT

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Title:	Teleconferencing Etiquette -- Be Professional!
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Teleconferencing Etiquette -- Be Professional!