Everyone has them, but not everyone loves them. If you work with a virtual team, conference calls happen on a regular basis. But for many teams they are not near as effective or useful as they should be.
Why is this? Many times it is because there are a lot of distractions coming through the line. Overtalking, background noise, dogs barking, phones ringing, keyboards typing, etc. If attendees observe some basic conference call etiquette then the real topics can get tackled instead of saying “can someone mute their background noise?” over and over again.
Basic tips:
- Use a good phone in a quiet room.
- If you have a lot of background noise, MUTE your phone – don’t press HOLD! I love the muzak version of “Come Sail Away” as much as the next guy, but it’s hard to get much done while it plays…
- Show up and start on time.
- Introduce yourself. Without visual cues it is hard to know which voice belongs to which person.
- Don’t sit on a leather chair. Well, you can sit on a leather chair, but be careful of moving around on one while on the phone (or speakerphone). That noise is hard to explain while on the phone…
What other tips do you have? Add a comment to share your words of wisdom!
