Top 8 Tips for a Successful Conference Call

Here are the Top 8 Tips For a  Successful Conference Call:

1) Set the time well in advance of the call. We’re all busy, our schedule’s are full. Set the time of your conference call far enough in advance to allow your audience to fit it in to their existing schedule.

2) Help them remember with your reminders. Help your audience remember by reminding them several times prior to the time of the call. We recommend reminders one-week, one-day and one-hour before the time of the call.

3) Use Clear and Thorough Instructions. With each reminder, use clear and thorough instructions to join the call. That includes the conference dial-in number, the conference codes, what to do with each, when to do it, and what they will experience at each step.

Oh, and the time of the call, in multiple time-zones is important, too!

We can provide examples of these instructions, personalized for your service features, that have been proven to work…if used correctly, and frequently, with even the most distracted list of recipients.

4) Know the features on your conference call and how to use them. There are many easy-to-use features that serve to enhance your reputation by creating a productive conference call for your attendees. Make sure you know how to use them prior to the call. If you’re not sure what are the features, ask us. We’ll work with you to insure you know them and their proper use.

5)  Set an Agenda. The best way to make the best use of everyone’s time on the conference call is to send a prepared agenda prior to the start of the conference call. That helps everyone prepare in advance their expectations and possible participation.

6) Start on time. Nothing communicates disrespect like repeatedly failing to start a meeting on time. Nothing loses enthusiasm and participation like the failure to start a meeting on time. Set the right tone, right from the beginning with starting on time.

7) End on time. You had a great conference call. The presentation was flawless. The participation was enthusiastic. Now end the call on time. That helps insure the subsequent word-of-mouth for your call and YOU is positive.

8)    Repeat.

8 Tips. Used together, they’ll help insure your calls are productive and you’re seen as the star.

Create the Ideal Setting to Host Your Ideal Conference Call

Cindy Whitney and Theresa Chatelle, our Customer Service Mavens, talk about the ideal environment for your conference call. You listen  to the MP3 recording here.

*Quiet Location.

1. Your Office Door is Closed;

2. Your Phone is set on Do-Not-Disturb;

3. Notify Those Around You. Let your regular contacts, working in proximity or remotely, know you're on a conference call. The purpose is to minimize the chance for disruptions, distractions, for you during your conference call.

* Use the Best Equipment.

We recommend:  Landline phone connection.

We don't recommend: table top conference call phones, wireless headsets, cellphones, VOIP-service.

Theresa mentions an important point: many of our customers use these devices with no problems for many months; then the law of averages catches up with them with the resulting problem on your conference call . Theresa encourages you to use the best equipment, the equipment with the highest quality, to give you the greatest insurance for the highest-quality conference call.

* Be Informed. Know the functions and features possible with your conference call service and how to implement them.

* Be Prepared. Know your presentation. Practice it beforehand. And have any and all materials at hand that are necessary.

And subscribe to A Day in the Life podcast series where Cindy Whitney and Theresa Chatelle share their stories of customer service and tips on making your conference call the greatest.

Unsure how to subscribe to a podcast? No problem. Click this LINK for more detailed instructions.

YouTube Video: What happens when you're late for your conference call

This YouTube video, compliments of CourtTV and the Florida State Patrol, shows what happens when you're the host of an important conference call....and you're late...and you're caught speeding...on TV.

As I'm watching the driver be pulled over, talk with the state trooper about her speeding, wait for him to print her ticket, etc, I noticed she has a cell phone...

Cell phones are not ideal for use with conference calls. We don't encourage cell phone use on conference calls for all the requisite background noise from your surroundings, less than ideal connections and we DEFINITELY don't encourage you to use a cell phone while driving to join a conference call, much less driving on one of the most dangerous roads in America...speeding...and being the host fo your conference call...That's a recipe for disaster for at least your conference call.

But...if for someone reason she couldn't be at the office by...10:30 AM!!!...she could pull over, stop the car and conduct the conference call, on time, settled, prepared and focused (at least to the listeners). Then resume her efforts to reach the office.

Good PowerPoint Presentation: Unleashing the Idea Virus

Here's a great example of how to create powerful, evocative, challenging, disrupting, conversation-starting, PowerPoint slides: Seth Godin's Unleashing the IdeaVirus presentation from July, 2000.

The slides are excellent. Notice the lack of text or the minimal text. What's that saying ..."A picture is worth a thousand words". Seth's slides may be worth 2000 each.

Link from Presentation Zen.

Seth Godin's blog.

What IS Good PowerPoint Design?

PowerPoint presentations are a common use for our web conference services. Our service makes the slides easy to load, simple and fast to navigate and that helps you captivate your audience...if the PowerPoint presentation is good.

What IS Good PowerPoint Design? Good question.

We've found a resource that might help answer that question.

Presentation Zen is Garr Reynolds blog on issues related to professional presentation design. After perusing his blog, I'm not sure there are any remaining issues. He defines, answers, clarifies or simply eliminates these issues. He does this with solutions...of his own and from others.

What is Good PowerPoint Design was his post written 2 years ago. The points, the content, remain just as salient. Maybe, there's more urgency to his points if you've seen many PowerPoint presentations recently.

And besides the post, he's linked to Good PowerPoint Design from speakers around the world. Check their slides. See if yours compare.

We want your use of our web conference services to be successful. For us, that means making you the host, the presenter, shine and be the star.  We hope this resource helps.