conference calling etiquette

Be At Your Best on Your Be At Your Best on Your Next Conference CallNext Conference Call

Brandon Munro and Gihan PereraBrandon Munro and Gihan Pererawww.BetterConferenceCalls.comwww.BetterConferenceCalls.com

Do you work in Do you work in an organisation?an organisation?Do you make Do you make conference calls?conference calls?Would you like to Would you like to be better at them?be better at them?

Then this presentation Then this presentation is for you!is for you!

The Ten Best Practice Techniques The Ten Best Practice Techniques for Conference Call Etiquettefor Conference Call Etiquette

• Shut the door• Oil the squeaky chair• Turn off noisy appliances• Don’t stay in an open plan office• Be aware of kids and pets• Use a land line, not mobile/cell• Turn off other phones• Turn off audio on your computer

1. Find a quiet environment.1. Find a quiet environment.

Call in a few minutes before the scheduled start.

Start on time, even if everybody isn’t there.

Finish on time.

2. Keep to time.2. Keep to time.

Announce yourself when you join the call.

Don’t let in uninvited participants.

Ask for permission before inviting your assistants or colleagues to the call.

Identify yourself before speaking or answering questions.

Address people by name when you ask them a question.

3. Use names: Yours and theirs.3. Use names: Yours and theirs.

Don’t socialise or start talking about the content of the call.

Let the other “early birds”make the most of the time before the call formally starts.

4. Wait for the call to start.4. Wait for the call to start.

Don’t speak over people, interrupt, make sarcastic comments, make side comments or make personal attacks on people.

Pause frequently to allow for comments or questions.

5. Be polite.5. Be polite.

6. Use mute when not speaking.6. Use mute when not speaking.

Mute your phone when you are not speaking to eliminate background noise and improve call quality.

Avoid pencil tapping, humming, sighing, paper shuffling, smacking lips, etc.

Don’t eat during the call.

Turn off call waiting and don’t put a call on hold.

7. Remove audible distractions.7. Remove audible distractions.

Turn off e-mail, mobile/cell phones, etc and give your full attention to the call. If multi-tasking is essential then ensure it is muted.

8. Avoid multi-tasking.8. Avoid multi-tasking.

Don’t conduct side conversations just because the person you need to talk to is on the call.

9. Stay on track.9. Stay on track.

Present information clearly and in a structured way.

Do not talk unnecessarily or allow the call to stray off topic.

Don’t give detailed reasoning where a simple answer will suffice.

Be succinct.

10. Respect their time.10. Respect their time.

Of course, good etiquette is most effective when practised by EVERYONE! Download our FREE Conference Call Etiquette Guide to share with participants before the call.

www.BetterConferenceCalls.comwww.BetterConferenceCalls.com

Want to know more?Want to know more?

www.BetterConferenceCalls.comwww.BetterConferenceCalls.com

Our e-book “Best Practice Conference Calls” teaches you everything to know to be at your best on your next conference call.

Visit our Web site now for instant access.