How to conduct a successful conference call

Know about that How to conduct a successful conference call

If you are managing a project, you will certainly be asked to hold a meeting through a conference call at some point. These meetings can be tricky because you usually don't come face to face with some or most of the participants, making it more difficult to stay organized and focused. These few tips will help you stay on track and successfully reach the conference call goal.

- Prepare an agenda in advance

It is important to prepare a conference call agenda in advance so that the meeting has a pre-set structure that all participants can follow. If you do this in advance, your team and other remote participants will have time to prepare comments, questions, and any presentations to help make the meeting run more smoothly. You can then tick off items on this agenda during this meeting, so that the meeting runs smoothly and no important point is missed.

- Organize your team

Make sure your team is familiar with the correct conference call etiquette. Since it is performed over the phone, interruptions and ambient noises such as typing or clicking or pens can be much more disturbing than during a normal meeting. Also, make sure everyone leaves their cell phone, arrives on time so that there are no interruptions, and is prepared for the meeting with a copy of the agenda and other additional materials. Also, make sure that all team members introduce themselves when they join and before making their voices heard, because not all participants can see you during a conference call. Also, let them keep their comments short, because without visual cues, it's easy for remote participants to tune into an elongated monologue.

- Introductions

Introductions are important During a conference call, it is important that the project leader starts with the introductions of his team and that the other party or participants do the same thing remotely. This way the meeting remains professional and structured and there is less chance of confusion. It's also important to keep taking names, starting questions with the name of the person they're addressed to, and encouraging your team members to re-introduce themselves before speaking because it's impossible to recognize that many voices over the phone .

- Maintaining control and momentum

As a project leader, it is your job to take the lead and lead the discussion in a meaningful direction. Try to stick to the agenda and keep the conversation going by asking questions and announcing the next topic. If someone is quiet, don't assume it means approval and keep asking for feedback and confirmation. In addition, remote participants can easily become isolated or your team may forget they are there, so keep them engaged in the discussion and avoid getting distracted by speaking to them while you speak.

- Take notes

It's easy to lose track of who said what during a conference call, especially since you can't distinguish most of the votes, so make sure to keep taking notes. This will also help you remember what was discussed and what decisions were made, and who was assigned what task until the next meeting. Without it, your precious and carefully scheduled conference call can be lost, because it is impossible to keep so much information in your busy mind without notes. These notes can also serve as a basis for the agenda of the next meeting.

These few considerations can help any project manager lead better conference calls, where all team members can get something important out of the meetings and make important urgent decisions instead of just wasting precious time.