Conference Call Etiquette

Understanding the fundamentals and benefits of the conference call etiquette can help you avoid the nervousness that comes at the time of attending a conference call. Decorum of attending a conference call does not need too much time and energy. You can easily learn the rules by spending a little time understanding the code. Every place in the society has some rules which are supposed to be followed in order to achieve better and effective results. Background music, late arrivals, imperfect greetings, etc can have a negative impression on the people around you. Such little things can be easily taken care of by making a small checklist for the conference call. This checklist, that coordinates the call, can be made all the more efficient if you have the understanding of conference call etiquette. When you follow the conference call etiquette, you can feel the difference in the efficiency and the effectiveness of the call.

Conference Call Manners

• Facilitators should always be on time to welcome each participant and to tell them when exactly the conference will start.
• It is very essential to introduce yourself before speaking as the other participants will not be able to identify you with your voice.
• Always try to make the call in a calm and peaceful place to avoid distracting others. Loud or unorganised places can affect your efficiency and ruin your image in front of the other participants and the seniors. However, if the noise is unavoidable then put the phone on mute when you are not speaking, to safeguard the other party from the commotion.
• Always be punctual while attending the conference call. It may just be a routine call but you need to respect the time and effort that the other person is putting in to talk to you.
• If you are attending the conference call with a cordless phone then make sure that you remain in the range all along. At times, people get carried away in the moment and end up taking their phones far out of the range. This leads to a lot of static and disturbance. Try to keep this in mind when operating with a cordless phone.
• Do speak clearly and loudly so that everyone can easily understand what you are trying to say. Never interrupt the other person with any of your points; wait till their viewpoint is put forth before saying what you have to say about it. Also, keep your voice moderated; any undesirable modulations may let others to believe the worst about you.
• Make sure you sit for the call with a notepad. Note down the important points for further discussion so that nothing important is missed out.
• Always end the call on time don’t try to make it lengthier if there is nothing important.
• If you are attending the call on cell phone, make sure you switch off the call waiting service else it can interrupt and disorient you in the midst of crucial discussions.

Don’ts Of Attending A Conference Call

• Don’t use a cell phone for attending a conference call but if it is the only option, then mute it when not speaking to eliminate the background sound problem. Apart from this, do not attend a conference call while driving as it can create problems for you as well as the other participants.
• Avoid putting the call on hold as it has an irritating sound which can distract the others and can also ruin your image before others. In case, you have to leave the conference call for some time because of some reason, hang up the phone and call back in sometime when you are ready to rejoin the call.
• Don’t shuffle papers while attending the call as its sound is very annoying; also avoid clearing your throat very frequently and stay away from tapping your pen or fingers on the desk. These all are the indications of bad manners.
• Don’t argue or talk in a rude way. If you want to put your point, politely ask and go ahead. Always be patient and courteous and wait for the person to finish his talk.
• If there is nothing to say then don’t add anything useless. Also, even at the time when the facilitator asks you to say something then don’t just say anything; you can honestly say that you have nothing to say instead of saying something irrelevant.
• Don’t eat while attending a conference call as no one will like to hear chewing sounds in a meeting. If you want to drink water then you can put the phone on mute or you can take permission to excuse yourself for a while. Deal with the conference call as an actual meeting. Do not start behaving in an uncivilized manner just because the other person can’t see you; your voice carries much of your actions across.
• Don’t forget to turn off your ringer, pager, etc. before attending the conference call.

Civic sense has nothing to do with whether you are in company of people or you aren’t; your general attitude is carried through anyways. Remember this basic fact when you are on a conference call and the etiquette would come to you automatically. There is nothing unique about call conferencing as such—you just need to stick to the conference decorum through and through. Above mentioned were some such pointers that would do you good when followed efficiently. Hope you find these rules useful and act by them the next time you pick up that phone for a telephonic conference. These rules, when followed by both the moderator and the participants, can make your conference the most professional and effective one.