As businesses strive to cut costs by replacing business travel with lower-priced conference calls, a number of conference call faux pas have prompted many conference leaders to set basic ground rules. From maintaining a calm conference environment to ensuring that everyone knows who is talking, teleconference ground rules can mean the difference between a lousy conference call and a productive one.
Squelch background noise
Although many teleconference participants dial in from the relative calm of an office, some participants dial in from any number of other locations; this variety of locations creates background noises ranging from barking dogs to loud music to chiming grandfather clocks. Because these noises can be very distracting, and can even overpower the speaker, it is usually important to ensure that participants have at least some control over noises in their surroundings. If a participant can not control noises, ask him to use a phone with a mute button or one that is less sensitive to ambient sounds.
Announce each speakerr
The absence of physical participants sometimes makes it difficult for teleconference participants to tell who is speaking. This issue can create confusion during conference calls (especially large ones). To alleviate potential misunderstandings, each participant should briefly introduce himself each time he speaks. Even in small group calls, a simple "This is..." before speaking can quickly and easily prevent much potential confusion.
Stick to an agenda
A common complaint of teleconference participants is that calls frequently meander off topic, drawing out the conversation and necessitating additional calls. To help remedy this issue, create an agenda, distribute it to all participants in advance of the call, and closely follow the schedule. Conference calls are simply telephone-based meetings, so participants understand when they are (and even expect them to be) treated as such.
Do not interrupt
Regardless of the type of meeting--teleconference, face to face or computer-mediated--it is almost always rude to interrupt someone who is speaking. On a teleconference, this action exceeds rudeness and creates an environment in which other participants have difficulty following the conversation, understanding who is speaking, and subconsciously assigning credibility. To prevent confusion and ensure all participants are comfortable, interruptions of the speaker should be limited to very rare occurrences.
Formally open and close the call
Conference call organizers often find themselves waiting for participants to dial in, and it can be difficult to organize participants when they casually enter and leave the call. To add some structure to the call, announce that the meeting has formally started about one to two minutes after the scheduled start time (or sooner if all participants have joined). When the teleconference ends, indicate that the meeting is over by thanking the participants.
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