Have you ever been on a conference call that  doesn’t seem to go right? Patchy reception, dogs barking, coffee shop noise, and keyboard clicks? In the meeting & event planning world, lots of planning gets done virtually, so having productive conversations is key.   A couple of weeks ago someone passed along a video that really hit the nail-on-the-head on how a conference call can go completely wrong. Check this video called “A Conference Call in Real Life” by Tripp and Tyler. Then, check out below some quick tips below on making conference calls productive.

Here are some quick tips to making conference calls productive:

• Don’t multi-task while on a call, try to be fully present
• Do your research for maximum participation
• Have an agenda, and for those attending the call – read the agenda
• Join the call on time, or a little early if you can
• Wait for a caller to complete their sentence and/or statement before speaking up
• Make call from a receptive location – dropped calls can be irritating
• Minimize/Eliminate background noise
• Make sure that you are on/off mute at the appropriate times
• Make frequent pauses, or ask callers for questions at key points to avoid interruptions

Can you add to this list? What other crazy things have happened to you while on a conference call? Would love to hear about them in the comments.

Photocredit: Polycom by Scott Ableman via Flickr