Audio Conferencing Can Increase Productivity
Can audio conferencing make that much of an improvement to your bottom line?
Utilizing audio conferencing in your business can save you both time and money. In today's busy business world, gathering a number of people into the same room for a meeting is becoming increasingly difficult. You may find it easier to use audio conferencing services in order to bring people from different locations, home offices, and various departments into the loop at the same time.
With taking from mere minutes to a few hours, an audio conference call can save many more hours, or even days, compared to everyone attending a meeting in person.
Before conducting your first call, understand how your audio conference bridge works. Also, make sure you familiarize yourself with some important tips for proper conference call etiquette to make your audio conferences as successful as they can be.
Audio Conferencing Tips for Success
Create a Clear Agenda
Create an agenda, set a specific length of time for the call, and have respect for the time others have blocked to participate in the call. It is difficult to have a conference call when your attendees are from different areas of the country, or the world, so it is especially important to respect the time they are giving you - especially as some may be getting up early or going to bed late in order to participate before or after their usual business hours. Give an overview of the call at the beginning, make the points you need to make, and summarize your key points at the end.
Ditch the Cell Phone
It may seem convenient to join an audio call from your cell phone while doing your grocery shopping or household chores but it is, in reality, very rude. Your cell phone will make its own background noise and you will make more noise doing other tasks than you think. Dial into the meeting from a regular phone located in a quiet room any time you use audio conferencing services.
Use the Mute Button
Don't be afraid to set ground rules if you are planning to have a conference call. Clearly let your attendees know that they should use the mute button if they need to walk away from their phones or have a sidebar conversation. Doing so will remind them not to hit the hold button, which will only create distracting background music or words.
Start the Meeting Promptly
Start your meeting at the exact time you specified. The majority of your attendees will be ready and waiting for you to begin. Don't punish those who are prompt by waiting for those with poor time management skills. They'll have to get the information they missed from you at a later point in time.
Don't Lose Control
Do not allow your participants to continuously interrupt your meeting. Make it clear at the beginning of the call that you will have time for them to ask questions or make comments after the call is over. When you do allow others to speak, require them to state their names and limit them to a brief period of speaking time in order to control the length of the call. A good audio conference service will offer options for keeping you in control.
Don't be nervous if you find you have to have an audio conference call. Plan it as you would any other meeting, take control, and don't let the fact that you aren't face-to-face cause any additional anxiety. As long as you respect the time of those involved, your audio conference will be a huge success.
