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Here are some of the most annoying and embarrasing habits of Video conference calling. Make sure you don’t get caught out!

The Mute Button

It’s important to remember whether your mute button is on or off. As a facilitator, you must give the respondent time to take the mute off and answer.
The responders must use the mute button when not speaking and remember to put the sound on when necessary. Don’t mutter into the microphone or talk to yourself. Always assume they can hear you. Limit sidebar conversations within the room and pay attention to the speaker.

Gestures

Be aware of every single gesture you make. Talking with your hands might be acceptable when in the room with other people, but watching it on video can make others nervous or dizzy.

This is especially true when lagging video may only catch a few movements and makes the image at the other end of the conference jumpy and disjointed. Gestures may also give someone a bad impression of you, so try to isolate any bad habits, like scratching your nose, ahead of time to keep them from creeping into the video conference.

Forgetting Introductions

You may not see everyone at all times during a video conference. Introductions make people feel more like they know who is talking. Make nameplates with at least 4 cm letters for easy reference.

When more than one location is involved, make a plate with that name, also. Address everyone directly when asking questions. “Mike, did you have those numbers?” “Susan, can you tell me…?”

Something Else in Your Mouth
Food, gum, or other items that might otherwise occupy your mouth are a definitely no-no during video conferencing. While you might not always have the camera on you in some larger meetings, no one wants to look over at you and see your jaw working.

The kindest assumption they can make is you’re attempting to talk and not being heard. At worst, they see your open mouth and what occupies it during their possibly lagging connection.

Time

Begin and end all video conferences on time. This is respectful to all attendees, because they definitely have other work to do even if they are not scheduled for another meeting.

It also lets them know what to expect. If someone constantly drags meetings from a half hour scheduled to two hours actual time, no one wants to go and their attention wanders. Adults are alert for 30 to 45 minutes at a time; schedule appropriately.

Conference calls are becoming more and more popular, but sometimes they get a reputation for being long and unproductive, rather than helpful. Here are some tips for improving teamwork with conference calls and making them effective and efficient.

Set an Ending Time As Well As a Starting Time
Having a set schedule which includes a closing time will eliminate the dread which accompanies an open-ended meeting. It will also motivate people to be far more concise and to stick to the topics at hand. This will allow participants to look forward to the call, rather than thinking of it as the herald of a wasted day.

Another important point is to allow five minutes before actually starting to discuss business in the conference call. This will allow for people who don’t get connected right on time. Always remember to allow for realities such as this. It will prevent distractions when the call actually begins.

On the other hand, end the call right “on the dot.” People will be far more favorable about your conference calls if you cultivate a reputation for letting them go on with their day exactly on schedule. Make sure you are not the one who causes delays.

Only Include Those Who Really Need to Be There

Many of us have suffered through meetings which are mostly about other departments in an organization. Eliminate this boring waste of man-hours by only including those who really have a need to participate. Making sure the subject of a conference call is directly relevant to all present is key to ensuring their alert participation and goodwill towards the entire process.

Choose a Time Which Really Works for All Participants

It is not productive or beneficial to schedule a conference call for times when it’s the “middle of the night” for overseas employees, or even those on the opposite coast from the company headquarters. Remember, 7AM Eastern Time is 4AM Pacific, and it’s even worse when there are overseas participants. Employees dragged out of bed at 4AM are likely not going to contribute anything useful to a conversation. Schedule calls for times when everyone participating is truly awake.

Establish the Agenda, Objectives, and Ground Rules In Advance
Let participants know exactly what the conference call is supposed to accomplish. Give them the topics in advance, so all are able to collect any necessary information or materials they will need. Just like a physical meeting, unprepared participants are unlikely to be able to properly contribute.

If the conference call requires PIN numbers or other login information, be sure everyone has these credentials. Also be sure everyone knows the phone number they will need to call into. Send out several reminder emails to the entire list of participants. This way, everyone will have the info, but no one is put on the spot by having to ask for it.

With these simple tips for structuring a conference call, productivity of the calls should increase, and participants should become more eager to participate.

Conference calls are an important way for businesses to communicate with clients and other employees, especially if distance prevents face-to-face meetings. This helps to not only save on traveling expenses, but also saves time by having the people you need to communicate with present, accounted for and ready to make quick decisions. There are companies which specialize in providing services for audio, video and web conferencing. These companies normally charge their clients either per-hour or per-minute. In order to have a successful conference call, there are several aspects of that you have to be mindful of. The following will detail 10 steps to making sure your conference call goes off without a hitch.

1- Type of Conference Call

Decide which type of conference call is right for your purposes. Video conferencing allows true face-to-face interaction, while web conferencing allows data to be shared between participants for presentations.

2- Arrange A Time

Set a date and time for the conference call. Make sure that this date and time is convenient for all participants. Also be aware of any individual time constraints and adjust accordingly.

3- Invite Members

Send the participants of the conference call both the pin number and the toll free number that’ll be used to access the service. This should be done well in advance of the set date.

4- Remind Members to Dial In

Remind participants that they themselves each have to dial the toll free number plus the pin in order to participate in the conference. Once that is done, the conference can begin.

5- The Host is Responsible for Ending the Call

Remember that the person who has paid for the subscription is the host of the conference. If the host disconnects, the conference call will end unless other arrangements are made to continue the conference. Also remember that the meeting chair does not have to be the same person as the host of the conference call.

6- Record The Call

Make sure that the conference call is recorded. This is so that a record of the meeting can be kept and reviewed at future opportunities.

7- Remove all Background Noises

During the call, make sure that all other devices such as music systems and televisions are shut off to minimize interference. Low quality cordless phones can also introduce interference into the background, so refrain from using them if possible.

8- Have Props to Hand

If data and illustrations need to be presented, then a web conference may need to be arranged in order to properly share this information.

9- Be Efficient

Make sure that the conference call is made in an orderly fashion in order to maximize the time spent.

10- Finally…

When utilizing technology such as this, there is always the potential for glitches and other failures (including staff!), so always have a back up plan to mitigate any issues that may come up.