Only a year ago, we were so used to face-to-face meetings, weren’t we? All that has changed with the revolution caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Teleconferencing and screen sharing software has now become part and parcel of our daily business lives.
However, this concept of the home office is still new for many. If you’re that person, you haven’t probably been able to figure out how to do it more productively so that you don’t spend hours chit-chatting! So, how can we make our conferences both effective and productive?
In this blog post, I’ll go through some basic conference call tips for more fruitful meetings. These suggestions can help you get the best out of a conference call.
So, let’s go through the article before you look for the “video conferencing platform”.
#1 Stick to The Schedule
This is one of the greatest problems of a remote meeting. More often than not, you won’t find everyone you need present in the meeting. People normally tend to wait and thus results in the loss of productivity.
When you’re the boss, you need to be hard sometimes. You can’t just allow everyone to be late. Simply echo after me: “No grace for the late.” Start your meeting when you have to, don’t wait for everyone to come. Also, end at the right time, don’t extend often.
This will give your employee a sense of productivity and timeliness even at home. It would also make people feel valued in terms of their time, interests, and responsibilities, which is critical for keeping them committed and empowered.
#2 Be Direct & To The Point
People can become more intimate or excited during conference calls to compensate for the lack of face-to-face interaction. To pass the time before everyone is on, one might inquire about everyone’s time zone, temperature, or holiday plans.
When it comes down to the important things, though, wasting the first 15 minutes complaining about trifles can just leave people exhausted and unproductive. Breaking the ice more productively is worthy.
#3 Ensure A Well-Defined Plan In Advance
You’ll need a well-thought-out meeting agenda. Write down what you hope to get out of the call, what questions you need addressing, and what steps you need to delegate.
Prepare this ahead of time and email it to all attendees—even though it’s two minutes before the call. It’s preferable to have a late plan than none at all.
#4 Share Relevant Documents & Links in Advance
This is in line with the previous advice. Before you start, make sure you have all of the necessary documents and links. Sharing documentation that might be needed during the teleconference call is a good idea. It eliminates last-minute snafus and dilemmas.
Furthermore, if you exchange the required links and documentation ahead of time, the team would clearly understand the meeting’s intent and agenda. They’ll have plenty of time to plan those details ahead of time, right before the call.
Sharing relevant documents ahead of time allows attendees to ask better questions and have useful feedback, bringing importance to the meeting’s intent.
#5 Use Upbeat Words
“That’s true,” “okay,” and “nice idea” are examples of constructive reinforcements. Since no one can be seen nodding, reaffirmation is needed to persuade employees about the proposals’ suitability and have a sense of progress.
When things seem to be going well, people are far more likely to concentrate. Maintaining a good attitude is particularly crucial when the topics being debated are difficult or boring.
#6 Take Down Notes
Taking notes is a great way to remain engaged through a lengthy conference call, and you’ll want to take notes as a guide if the detail being shared is relevant.
You should always keep a pen and paper (or notebook) with you during your calls to take detailed notes or even jot down a few suggestions.
#7 Make A Recording Of The Conference Call
Many conference call services allow meeting hosts to record their calls. This can be useful for a variety of purposes.
For starters, it will let participants go back and revisit the conversation and the facts discussed. Second, if anyone doesn’t make it to the conference, they can listen to the recording and get the same details as others.
#8 Email Follow-Up
Make sure you follow through after a phone call. Typically, you’ll do this in an email outlining all decisions, action points, or tasks addressed during the conference call.
Following these eight tips will make your remote meeting more fruitful and save precious working hours.
