Responsibilities of the Host

In one of their weekly podcasts, Cindy Whitney and Theresa Chatelle our Customer Service Mavens, talk about the Responsibilities of the Host on a Conference Call. Here's the MP3 version of their conversation. And you can subscribe with:

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A few tidbits from their conversation:

* Reminders. Notify all of your guests, participants, of the date and time and the dial-in number and the guest code they'll use to join the call. Cindy and Theresa suggest 2 reminders: 1 week before and the day before.

* Be on time. Arrive 5-10 minutes before the call. You arrive early for important meetings. That etiquette applies here as well.

* Review the call features. Review them yourself prior to the start of your call. Start your call with a quick review of a few features your guest can use to maximize their experience:

* Mute their own line.  As the numbers of guest on your conference call grows, this feature is more important. We suggest you remind your callers to mute their individual line by asking them to press*6.

* Operator-assistance. All of our conference bridges have operators available in the event a problem arises. It's a private conversation that will not interrupt a presentation. It's available by pressing *0.

* Use an Assistant. An assistant with you on your conference call can be an invaluable and cost-effective step. The assistant can focus on handling the conference call feature; you can concentrate on delivering a smooth, powerful, focused presentation.

* And More. There's lots more tips and advice for you, as host of your important conference call, that Cindy and Theresa share on this recording.

Be sure to subscribe to this weekly podcast series from Cindy and Theresa. They offer tips for better conference calls, customer service, stories from serving customers (customer identities always kept secret...SMILE) and stories from their day outside the office.

Part 2: 12 Most Common Mistakes in Conference Calling

THE 12 MOST COMMON MISTAKES IN CONFERENCE CALLING 

3-Part Series, Part 2.

Author: Shawn Frey, Industrial Recruiter/Industrial Sales Trainer for Harper Brush Company.

These concepts will make your calls more effective, inspiring, and productive.

In part 1, we discussed these four common mistakes and how to avoid or correct them:

1)      Failing to use a good toll-free, reservation-less service.

2)      Failing to have an agenda

3)      Failing to give each participant a personal reminder

4)      Failing to take notes and distribute

Now let’s discuss mistakes 5-8 AND a solution for each.

Mistake # 5 – Failing to pick the right conference call participants. Solution: Do your homework. Put people on your call that are results oriented. You want motivating calls that inspire and persuade. In order for this to happen you must have participants who will share openly and communicate freely. Let’s be honest, without the right call participants’ sleep is more productive.         

Mistake #6 – Failing to elect the “right” facilitator & scribe. Solution: Elect someone to be the call facilitator that is results oriented and make sure that individual has a high need for immediate results. You want someone that gets complete satisfaction from a job well done. You also need someone who will record, type and distribute the conference call notes. This portion of facilitating can be handed off, but the facilitator needs to have final approval of all notes before they are distributed.         

Mistake #7 – Failing to solicit call testimonials. Solution: Ask your participants for testimonials after they have been on your calls for at least 6 months. Why? Because you want them to be able to articulate what they are getting out of the calls. This will inspire others and further cement their commitment to the conference calls. All great training masters perform this “testimonial exercise”. Why? Because it works. But, you don’t have to take my word for it. Just ask any pastor or priest.          

Mistake #8 – Failing to create a conference call decree. Solution: You have to have rules. A simple list of call conditions and expectations should be distributed to all participants prior to having your first call. Failure to do will result in chaos and calls that are unproductive, lethargic and in fact, a total waste of time.

Now, let’s recap these four solutions:   

1)      Pick the right call participants. Be picky here. You can afford to be. So what if it takes a little while longer for to have your first call. Rest assured the right participants will make that first call a great call. 

2)      Elect the right facilitator and scribe. Again be picky, if you make a mistake here nothing else really matters. Do it right the first time.

3)      Ask for Testimonials. After 6 months ask for testimonials from your participants. Testimonials work. Ask and you will receive.

4)      Create a conference call decree. The world has rules; you and your call participants’ need them too. 

Next time will discuss call timing, where to end, what to leave out and building caller motivation.

Here's the link to 12 Most Common Mistakes in Conference Calling, Part 1.

Is this your audience?

Does this YouTube video, Work Conference Call, show the audience on your conference call?

Or does My LM at His Best show your audience on your conference call?

If you think it does, then subscribe to this blog for tips on how to increase the effectiveness of your conference call for yourself and more importantly your guests.