Lead Your Meetings - Teleconference Etiquette

Have you ever experienced a level of background noise in a teleconference call that prevented your enjoyment of the call? Or have you participated in a call where other participants were continually talking over each other and you were unaware of their names? Perhaps you were unable to answer a facilitator's question because, rather than managing the call properly, he allowed the same people to jump in repeatedly and not stop talking.

Participants need to know how to use teleconference technology so that a conference call can be a pleasant experience for all, yet still professionally conducted. As people register to participate, quickly send an email with detailed guidelines and logistical information for the teleconference number and pass code, and also include the date, time and time zone. Include information on technical support in case of technical difficulties. Be sure to let the participants know the implications of answering their second line while on the conference call and instructions on how to disable their call waiting service so that the call won't get interrupted.

While you should make all participants aware of the correct etiquette for conference calls prior to the event, it is also important to be able to deal with issues as they arise during the call. To preclude problems, make sure you outline the important points of etiquette at the beginning of the call. This is important even if you have already notified the participants of the correct procedure via email.

An example of such a statement would be as follows: "To reiterate a few points about etiquette from the email that I sent you earlier, please make sure that you are in a room free from any kind of distractions. Hit the mute button on your phone if you must speak privately with someone who is not in this conference call, or press *6 to mute yourself on the conference call. If you do the latter, hit *6 again to un-mute yourself. If I don't acknowledge you when you start talking, you are still muted and cannot be heard."

Please give the teleconference your full attention. When answering my questions or giving ideas say your name before you talk. I would appreciate if you join right in at any time as I will be asking for your opinions. Also, please speak clearly so everyone can understand you.

Lastly, remember to allow time for everyone to share their opinions, as some people need more time to reflect on their response before speaking. It's okay for there to be gaps of silence on our call. Does anyone have any questions or need any clarification on anything to do with conference call etiquette?"

That's an example of what the meeting facilitator might say; then you need to graciously enforce those guidelines throughout the call. If you are hearing background noise, pause and say something like, 'We're getting a lot of background noise. It sounds like someone is in the kitchen making dinner. Can you fix some for me?" Yes, it's okay to have a bit of fun! Or if a dog barks, you can say, 'It sounds like Fido agrees!"

When you experience a dominant caller, those guidelines must be tactfully enforced. You only get one chance to make a good first impression. If you are unsure of how to handle those types of situations, the damage(s) will only affect you - especially in the virtual and invisible environment, where people have a choice to participate or not. With the use of proper etiquette, you can maintain the best teleconference experience possible. This will ensure repeat attendance and participation. Remember, it is your professional reputation at stake here, not that of the callers.

Daiv Russell is a management and marketing consultant with Envision Consulting in Tampa, Florida. To learn more about teleconference etiquette, check out audio-conference-calling.info. While organizing your team check out our Team Building activities.

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