How to Make an Effective Business Conference Call

A conference call is when more than two people in different locations all over the world join a conversation at the same time. This service is becoming an effective alternative to travel, which is very comfortable for businesspeople who want to save valuable time and money. The following tips will help you to make one smooth meeting and give participators the comfortable feeling of in person meeting.

Before the call you have to find a suitable conference call provider. Conference calls are like regular calls and there are no extra charges for the participants or for the call hosts. You do not need to buy any expensive hardware or install complicated software programs to your computer or phone. Some providers offer web conferences, so participators are able to view slide shows, presentations, documents and reports during the call.

Pick a date and time to start the conference call, that is suitable for everyone, and share these details with the participants you would like to join in the conversation. Do not forget to give them the needed information to join the call, like phone number and password.

If you are unfamiliar with the tools you will use during the conversation, try them in advance. Make sure you know how to use the mute button. Use it to avoid the noise of clacking on the laptop, sneezing, paper shuffling or just when it is not your turn to talk. To reduce the background noise do not use headsets, speaker phones or cell phones. Avoid eating, drinking and chewing while on a conference call. And never put the participants on hold if it plays music.

Make sure you will make the conference call from a quiet room to avoid distracting noises. Start on time, but make certain that everyone has joined the conversation and then start talking.

There are lot more tips that you can follow, while communicating with your business partners via conference call, but these general rules will increase the effectiveness of your business.