Five Etiquette Tips for Proper Conference Calls

We're getting prim and proper here on hump day. Nah, not really but it is important to have a brush up on basics every now and then, yes? Our friends at AOL Jobs pointed out several tips to make your next conference call a success. 1. Be silent. That is, check out your background noise and try to eliminate it completely especially if you're working from home. This includes your cell phone, barking dog, screaming baby, you name it. In order to convey professionalism on the phone, it'll show that you take the call seriously and that you're completely focused on the conversation. 2. Pay attention. Sounds simple enough, right? This means no checking emails, no surfing the web. If it's too hard to resist, then literally shut off your computer during the call. 3. Be cognizant of time. The piece points out, "The old adage still applies: If you're early, you're on time; if you're on time, you're late. If you've got a few extra minutes before the call begins, use the extra time to prep your team or have a pre-discussion addressing what you'd like everyone to cover during the call." 4. Mute appropriately. Getting back to background noise, as a general rule you should mute the call when you're not contributing but if you do it for long periods of time or even leave the room to grab a cup of Joe, you'll never know when a question will be directed to you. 5. Don't monopolize the call. Have you ever participated on a call and one person talked incessantly and didn't even seem to come up for air? Sigh. If someone drives the conversation too much, assertively jump in and make your succinct points clear.

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Five Etiquette Tips for Proper Conference Calls

Vicki Salemi

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Vicki Salemi