{"id":1679,"date":"2014-02-06T10:15:23","date_gmt":"2014-02-06T10:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mydoorsign.com\/blog\/?p=1679"},"modified":"2026-02-27T07:49:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T12:49:36","slug":"conference-call-like-pro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mydoorsign.com/blog\/conference-call-like-pro\/","title":{"rendered":"How to conference call like a pro"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The inherent awkwardness of the average conference call is captured in a new video from YouTube favorites Tripp and Taylor. Watch the quick clip and see how palpable discomfort \u2013 and the little white lies \u2013 becomes clear as day when the comedians cast a light on a normally remote banality of the typical workday. As Fast Company reports, \u201cAll the details that make these calls such wince-inducing affairs as they are seem magnified when applied to people actually facing each other.\u201d Dead air, distractions, delays, and general lack of etiquette all abound.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DYu_bGbZiiQ\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Just as certain people think that wearing sunglasses renders them unrecognizable, many office workers believe the conference call is a free pass to take care of errands, catch up on other work (or pleasurable pursuits), zone out, or simply let the rules of the office fall by the wayside. Avoid awkward silences and productivity-suckers, and improve your next conference call with our tips:<\/p>\n<h3>Before the Call<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_1685\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mydoorsign.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/conference-call.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1685\" class=\" wp-image-1685 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.mydoorsign.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/conference-call.jpg\" alt=\"From Stephen Cummings. \" width=\"400\" height=\"266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mydoorsign.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/conference-call.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.mydoorsign.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/conference-call-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1685\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Conference calls are one example of technology&#8217;s ability to make things more difficult. From <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/47477979@N00\/352149943\/in\/photolist-x7RUK-zcCHM-Bc4a6-FkqaZ-MYQus-N7nQ5-WG9uA-2dXHCV-3VL9jx-4ipR9p-4Hc2kx-4HkhSi-4PrqPp-4Q3YCE-4Wv3mu-4Z5Jo4-51wwqr-57qg2w-59B9wd-5dMuAu-5nepgf-5nRGzB-5nRQRp-5piXy8-5uDY7k-5uDYaP-5uDYoF-5uDYsP-5uDYwD-5uDYRa-5uJkg3-5uJkBs-5zGaCd-5Er42Z-5G3zhp-5HZQqy-5ZBbk9-63rXuB-65R8pT-6g6WLn-6ggy2j-6iZMs1-6pzDiB-6pzDqT-6pDMPj-6rhK81-6wqpHV-6zHFnZ-6JKjun-6K13VB-6LyiEi\">Stephen Cummings<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>If you\u2019re the call leader, <strong>send a brief, concise email<\/strong> to the participants outlining your discussion. Keep it short and sweet \u2014&nbsp;if you can cover everything you planned to speak about in one email, you probably don\u2019t need a call!&nbsp; Also, be sure to have a Plan B if technology happens to fail. As Forbes recommends, \u201cSend the agenda, dial-in and webinar information, and presentation ahead of time. That way, in case something goes wrong with the webinar software, you can easily have participants switch over to the presentation you sent electronically.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clean up your space<\/strong>. Whether you\u2019re calling from behind the wheel in a parking lot or from behind your desk, make sure you&#8217;ve got all you need at the ready. Clear off a space so that you can find any related documents easily \u2014&nbsp;and minimize distractions by storing any paperwork not related to the call.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Double-check your sound<\/strong>. Nothing is as grating for a conference call participant than static or other noisy feedback. Use noise-cancelling headphones if you\u2019re in a public space. With certain apps, such as Skype, you can test your sound before dialing in to be sure your voice is audible.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Be timely<\/strong>. \u201cArrive\u201d to the conference call a few minutes before the scheduled start time, especially if you\u2019re the call leader.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Eliminate the awkward wait time<\/strong> by using an app like Plantronics&#8217; one-touch conference call connection, which connects all attendees instantaneously.<\/p>\n<h3>During the Call<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Take notes!<\/strong> Projects assigned early in the call may be long-forgotten by the end of the discussion.<\/p>\n<p>Inform participants that they should not use the &#8220;hold&#8221; button, and ask them to <strong>&#8220;mute&#8221; the call<\/strong> whenever they are not speaking. Also, ask everyone to keep their mobile phones muted \u2013 unless they are calling from their mobile \u2013 and away from the telephone to limit background noise.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ask each participant to identify herself by name<\/strong>, and encourage participants to call and question each other by name to help reduce cross-talking and interruptions.<\/p>\n<p>If participants arrive late, <strong>wait for a natural break<\/strong> in the discussion to welcome them to the call.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re leading the meeting or simply participating in it, <strong>stick to the stated agenda<\/strong>. Long-winded remarks and off-topic conversations mean that, at best, productivity dwindles, and, at worst, you risk making enemies out of your coworkers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Keep your eye on the time<\/strong>. For long calls, schedule occasional five-minute breaks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Don\u2019t forget that no one can see you<\/strong>! Recommends telecom company AccuConference, \u201cDo not be afraid to vary the tone of your voice and use tone to express interest or enthusiasm. Without any visual clues, the only thing other participants have to go by is your voice.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>After the Call<\/h3>\n<p>Review your notes, and <strong>follow up<\/strong> with supervisors and supervisees as to newly assigned responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>If you organized the call, send out a very brief summary email reiterating any imminent deadlines, important tasks, or, for example, the details for your next conference call.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-products\">\n<h3>Like this topic? Check out our related products:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div class=\"wraptocenter\"><a href=\" \/Room-In-Use-Signs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\" https:\/\/images.mydoorsign.com\/img\/md\/S\/Please-Knock-Slider-Sign-SE-2382.gif\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Room In Use Signs<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"wraptocenter\"><a href=\" \/Door-Signs\/Quiet-Please-Signs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\" https:\/\/images.mydoorsign.com\/img\/sm\/S\/Quiet-Please-Braille-ADA-Sign-SB-0281.gif\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Quiet Please Signs<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"wraptocenter\"><a href=\" \/conference-room-signs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\" https:\/\/images.mydoorsign.com\/img\/sm\/S\/Custom-Sliding-Panel-Room-Sign-SE-3595.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Conference Room Signs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The inherent awkwardness of the average conference call is captured in a new video from YouTube favorites Tripp and Taylor. Watch the quick clip and see how palpable discomfort \u2013 and the little white lies \u2013 becomes clear as day when the comedians cast a light on a normally remote banality of the typical workday. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1685,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,14],"tags":[137,168],"class_list":["post-1679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-products","category-office-courtesy","tag-business","tag-conference-call"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to conference call like a pro - Mydoorsign.com Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Next time you&#039;re on a conference call, follow these etiquette tips.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mydoorsign.com/blog\/conference-call-like-pro\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to conference call like a pro - Mydoorsign.com Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Next time you&#039;re on a conference call, follow these etiquette tips.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mydoorsign.com/blog\/conference-call-like-pro\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mydoorsign.com Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/doorsigns\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-02-06T10:15:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-27T12:49:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mydoorsign.com/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/conference-call.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"333\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Katy B. 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