Before the coronavirus pandemic, only one-fifth of U.S. workers worked remotely all or most of the time. After the pandemic, 71% of those employees said they now work remotely all or most of the time.
What’s more, 87% say it is very or somewhat easy to get the right technology and equipment to do their job.
One major difference that has occurred with remote work is the shift from face-to-face meetings to virtual meetings. However, online conference calls can get a little tricky if you’re not prepared.
Keep reading to learn the best conference call tips and tricks for your next meeting.
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Test Your Technology
Join the meeting before it starts and test your internet connection, the microphone, and sound to make sure everything is working.
You should also send out calendar invites before the meeting. The invites should have all the information to join the conference call, such as the link, meeting passcode, and meeting ID.
Also, you should test out the different features of the meeting app you’re using. If you’re using a new free conference call app, you want to be familiar with the different features such as how to share the screen, add participants, or use the chat feature.
Make Sure Your Background Is Distraction-Free
Another tip for conference calling is to make sure your environment is distraction-free. Choose a neutral, clean space for your background like your home office wall. You can also set up a plain, neutral-colored background through the meeting app.
Also, make sure you are in a room that is noise-free without kids playing in the background or other family members on their own calls. When you’re not speaking, you should remain on mute.
Set an Agenda and Choose Someone to Lead
Set an agenda for the meeting that prioritizes what to discuss. You can also choose someone to lead the meeting and another person to take notes.
The leader can facilitate the meeting and keep everyone on track. They can use the agenda to go through the talking points and stick to the time limit if there is one.
Encourage Participation
The leader can also come up with a way for attendees to make comments or ask questions. For example, if it’s a video call, they can raise their hand to ask a question. Or, attendees can write questions in the chatbox, and you can leave time at the end of the meeting to answer them.
When attendees speak during the meeting, they should say their name so that everyone knows who is talking. Sometimes it can get confusing, especially if more than one person speaks at once.
Wrap up Meeting
One of our final tips for effective conference calls is to wrap up the meeting with a quick summary and list out any action items. You can also send out a follow-up email based on the notes taken.
Use These Conference Call Tips for Your Next Meeting
With the above conference call tips, you can make sure that your next meeting goes smoothly. With the right preparation, you can lead a successful meeting that gets things done.
Want to read more work tips and advice? Check out more articles on our blog.