Top tips for conference calling

Making a conference call can be as easy as making your cup of coffee before it starts, and as natural as punching the air when it’s finished (or is that just us?). But like checking you’ve got milk, or that you don’t punch your screen, it helps if you know some conference call tips to make everything go more smoothly. And who better to give them to you than us, PowWowNow: the people who live and breathe conference calling with as much dedication as we drink coffee.

Audio conferences have become an even bigger part of everyday life for many more of us. Now people have realised how efficient and convenient they can be, they’re likely to stay that way. But to make them as productive as possible it helps to know the key online conference tips. They’ll help to ensure every call you’re involved in makes the most effective use of everyone’s time (including your own), addresses all the topics and issues it was meant to, and delivers worthwhile results.

So here are the Top 10 Tips to conference calling like a boss. If your boss is good at conference calls, that is.

1. Use one-click dialling
2. Choose your Desert Island Hold Music
3. Prepare to succeed
4. Make calls count
5. It’s not just a call – it’s an online conference
6. Keep it quiet
7. Show and tell
8. Make your meetings mobile
9. Choose your number
10. Don’t miss a thing – record your meeting

We’d never leave you hanging, so if you want any more information on any of these tips, keep reading.

Use one-click dialling

Don’t bother trying to remember yet another PIN to log in to a conference call. Simply download our mobile app and it will dial the right number and automatically enter your correct PIN every time you use it.

Choose your Desert Island Hold Music

Remember when Greensleeves played on a Stylophone was the only Hold Music option available? (Sorry if we’ve just woken up that particular earworm again.) Well we offer you no fewer than 15 different music options, so you can change the music to suit the meeting, or just to suit your mood.

Prepare to succeed

Some people treat conference calls as a chance for a chat. But you know they’re a valuable business tool. So you’ll make sure they’re properly scheduled through a calendar invitation, to ensure the people you need to be there know when and where. But if something comes up at short notice, we also give you the option to enter your call at any time.

Make calls count

The key to making your calls count is to keep them on track. So organise and share an agenda in advance, enabling everyone to come to the call fully informed and ready to go.

Not just a call – it’s an online conference

A conference call is to a phone call what a meeting is to a chat in the pub. It’s more professional and it has rules and etiquette – which everyone needs to follow if your online conference is to be a success. So at the very least, behave as you would in a face-to-face meeting: including arriving on time, being prepared (see above) and having all participants introduce themselves.

Keep it quiet

Once the call is underway, if you haven’t been able to find a quiet environment, be sure to use the mute function (press #6) to keep your background noise out of other people’s ears. It’s good online conference practice, as well as good manners.

Show and tell

Our screen share function is another great leap forward. Sharing your screen allows other participants to see whatever you want to show them. Which is much quicker, easier and more accurate than trying to describe an image. That’s okay for a party game, but not for a business meeting.

Make your meetings mobile

If you’re going to free yourself from old-school face-to-face meetings in real-life meeting rooms, why tie yourself down to one place at all? Download our free mobile app and – wherever you are and whenever you like – you can enter your call with just one click, schedule a call, or arrange an immediate call.

Choose your number

We make it easy for you to choose the most appropriate type of number for your business. Our shared cost 0844 numbers allow everyone to pay the cost of their own call. Our geographic 020 and 0330 numbers offer local call rates nationwide. And our Freephone numbers do exactly what they say on the tin. Which is best for your business and its needs? It’s your call.

Don’t miss a thing

There’s no need to wait for the Minutes (or even to take Minutes) if you use our record function (press #8). It will record the entire conference call, and store it for repeated playback via your dashboard. No points get overlooked, no actions get forgotten, and no excuses need to be made.

So now you know the online conference tips that will help to make all your conference calls work hard. Without making them hard work.